Fundamental geological elements for the occurrence of Chinese marine oil and gas accumulations

The Paleozoic strata in the Tarim Basin, Sichuan Basin and Ordos Basin are the major targets for marine petroleum exploration, with developed high quality hydrocarbon, mainly argillite. The deep burial of these source rocks suggests that they mainly develop gas instead of oil. But different maturities of organic matter may lead to different hydrocarbon facies. Through thermochemical sulfate reduction （TSR）, the hydrocarbon in the carbonate rocks may undergo a process of pyrolytic cracking and be catalyzed into gases. The marine reservoirs mainly consist of carbonate and clastic rocks, and the former is controlled by sedimentary facies, dolomitization, solution, TSR and cracking. The multiphase tectonic cycling develops multiple source-reservoir-cap combinations and diversified types of traps and reservoirs, featuring multiphase reservoir formation, mainly late-phase formation or consolidation. Palaeo-uplifts play a controlling role in hydrocarbon accumulation. Differences in major source rocks in the three basins lead to different locations of oil-gas accumulation layers, different types and patterns of reservoirs and different features of reservoir formation.     

A discussion on gas sources of the Feixiansuan Formation H2S-rich giant gas fields in the northeastern Sichuan Basin

In recent years several H2S-rich oolite giant gas pools have been discovered in the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation of the northeastern Sichuan basin, and their explored gas reserves have been over 5000×10^8 m^3. However, gas sources remain unsolved due to multiple source horizons with high maturity in this area and TSR alterations. By integrating analytical data of natural gas samples with conprehensive investigations on many factors, such as oil-gas geology, distribution and evolution of source rocks, charging and adjustment of gas pools, mixture of natural gases and secondery alterations, the present study concluded that the dominant source for the Feixianguan Fr. gas pools is the Permian Longtan Fr. source rock and secondly the Silurian Longmaxi Fr. source rock. Natural gases from the various gas pools differ genetically due to the matching diversity of seal configurations with phases of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion by different source rocks, among which natural gases in Puguang Gasfield are dominated by the trapped gas generated from the Longtan Fr. source rock and commingled with the gas cracked from the Silurian crude oil, while those in Dukouhe, Tieshangpo and Luojiazhai Gasfields are composed mainly of the Silurian oil-cracking gas and commingled with the natural gas derived from the Longtan Fr. source rock.     

Mass balance calculation of the pyrolysates generated from marine crude oil： A prediction model of oil cracking gas resources based on solid bitumen in reservoir

Oil cracking gas plays an important role in the resources of natural gas in the basins with high and over mature marine source rocks in China. The prediction of the oil cracking gas resources becomes nec-essary and urgent in the gas exploration in these basins. A marine crude oil sample was pyrolyzed using sealed gold tubes system. The pyrolysates including gas,liquid and solid were quantitatively analyzed. Based on the pyrolysis data and kinetic calculation,the yield correlativity among gas,liquid and solid products was regressed with high correlative coefficients to establish a prediction model suitable for the resource estimation of oil cracking gas. The verification formula for this model was also established on the principle of mass conservation. The affecting factors and the application precondi-tions of this prediction model were discussed. This model would enlighten and provide some new ideas for the resource assessment of natural gas in the high and over mature marine carbonate source rock areas in China. It is expected to be valuable in gas exploration.     

Evaluation criteria for gas source rocks of marine carbonate in China

Hydrocarbon generating and expulsion simulation experiments are carried out using samples artifically matched between the acid-dissolved residue of relatively low-maturity limestone and the original sample. This work makes up for the insufficiency of source rock samples with high abundance of organic matters and low maturity in China. The organic carbon content of the 10 prepared samples varies between 0.15% and 0.74%. Pyrolysis data and simulation experiment results of hydrocarbon generating and expulsion, which were obtained by a high-temperature and high-pressure open system, indicate that the lower limit of organic carbon content for marine carbonate rock to generate and expel hydrocarbons is 0.23%—0.31%. In combination with the numerical analysis of organic carbon in marine carbonate rocks from Tarim Basin, Sichuan Basin, Ordos Basin and North China, as well as the contribution of these gas source rocks to the discovered gas pools, we think that the organic carbon criterion for carbonate gas source rocks should be 0.3%.     

Identification of the Kukersite-type source rocks in the Ordovician Stratigraphy from the Tarim Basin, NW China

Due to the importance of the Gloeocapsomorpha Prisca （G. prisca）-enriched source rocks, which belong to Kukersite-type source rocks in the Lower Paleozoic Ordovician strata, it has received great attentions during the petroleum exploration as to whether there are the Kukersite-type source rocks developed in the major hydrocarbon source strata of the Upper and Middle Ordovician in the Tarim Basin. Using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrography to analyse kerogens from source rocks in the lime- mud mound with moderate maturity, study reveals that there are the Kukersite-type source rocks in the Ordovician strata of the Tarim Basin. The pyrolysis products showed a low content of 〉n-C19 normal alkanes with a significant odd-even predominance between n-C13 and n-Cl7, long-chain alky substituted alkylbenzene and alkylthiophene isomers and distinctive distribution of 5-N- alkyl-1, 3-Benzenediol and its homologous. Based on the geographic environment characteristics of G. Prisca, the molecular dis- tributions of crude oil from the Lower Paleozoic petroleum systems in the Tarim Basin and characteristics of kerogen pyrolysis products from the Middle and Upper Ordovician source rocks, the results suggested that it is less possible to develop the G. Pris- ca-enriched Kukersite-type source rocks in the major hydrocarbon source rocks in the Middle and Upper Ordovician strata in the Tarim Basin. However, the benthic macroalga and planktonic algae-enriched source rocks are the main contributors.     

Groundbreaking gas source rock correlation research based on the application of a new experimental approach for adsorbed gas

Many years of experimentation have led to the development and improvement of equipment and methods used to make gas source rock correlations.By crushing samples using a ball mill and directly collecting adsorbed gases in the absence of aqueous media under high vacuum conditions,most possible interference factors,such as atmospheric pollution,crushing-induced pyrolysis,and gas collection by aqueous media are eliminated.This greatly enhances the volume percentage of hydrocarbon gas in the acquired adsorbed gases,with maxima up to more than 80%.The actual measurement of carbon isotopic series can be carried out to such an extent as to be δ13C1-δ13C5.A preliminary study using newly established equipment and methods has indicated the following.(1) The carbon isotopic composition of ethane in adsorbed gases on hydrocarbon source rocks can be used to distinguish the types of source rocks.This is consistent with results obtained by using organic geochemical parameters for source rocks,and illustrates that it is highly feasible to use the carbon isotopic composition of ethane in natural gases as a parameter for distinguishing the types of source rocks.(2) The thermal evolution degree(Ro) of hydrocarbon-source rocks calculated in terms of the carbon isotopic composition of methane in adsorbed gases on hydrocarbon source rocks agrees well with the vitrinite reflectance actually measured in the source rocks.This confirms the reliability of the relationship between the carbon isotopic composition of methane in natural gases and the thermal evolution degree determined using statistics.(3) Finally,a direct gas source correlation method for natural gases has been established,and the expression of log Ro vs.δ13C1 established in terms of actually measured δ13C1 values of methane in absorbed gases.Ro values of hydrocarbon source rocks have been established as well,thus creating favorable conditions for precise oil-and-gas source correlations in exploration areas.     

Analysis on forming conditions of deep marine reservoirs and their concentration belts in superimposed basins in China

By taking the Tarim Basin, Sichuan Basin and Ordos Basin as examples, the conditions for deep marine reservoir formation were illustrated in three aspects listed below： late-stage superimposition style, burial history and structural deformation of the marine stratigraphic system. The burial history of marine source rocks can be divided into three types, i.e., type I, type II and type III, which are obviously different from the case with present hydrocarbon phases in terms of hydrocarbon generation and pe- troleum-reservoir formation. Based on evolution history, the structural belts in the marine stratigraphic sequence can also be divided into four types, i.e. earlier normal fault-later fault-fold type, earlier uplift-later fault-fold type, earlier uplift-later flattened slope type, and earlier depression-later thrust type. In this paper, a successive gas generation model was proposed, and it was particularly pointed out that coupling of geothermal field annealing evolution and tectonic subsidence and late gas generation from dispersed liquid hydrocarbon in highly matured to over-matured source rocks are key factors for formation of marine petroleum reservoirs. The geological conditions for formation of high-grade reservoirs in deep marine system, covering early hydrocarbon injection, deep denudation and buried dolo- mitization, were summarized. It was finally concluded that three major structural belts, i.e. paleo-uplift belt characterized by composite hydrocarbon accumulation, paleo-fault belt and high-energy sedimentary facies belt, were involved in marine hydrocarbon accumulation.     

Discussion on marine source rocks thermal evolvement patterns in the Tarim Basin and Sichuan Basin,west China

Taking marine source rocks of lower Paleozoic in the Tarim Basin and Paleozoic ones in the Sichuan Basin as examples, their sedimentation process could be classified into four styles: continuous subsidence with deep sedimentation in early stage, continuous subsidence with deep sedimentation in later stage, that deeply buried-uplift-shallowly buried, and that shallowly buried-uplift-deeply buried. Unlike that in East China, the marine source rocks evolvement patterns did not accord with sedimentation styles one by one in superimposed basins in west China. Taking local geothermal field into account, four types of source rock evolvement patterns were built: that evolved fast in early stage, evolved fast in middle stage, evolved continuously and evolved in multistage. Among them, the 1st pattern contributed little to the present industrial oil pools directly, but paleo-oil reservoirs and gases cracked from crude oils were main exploration targets. Although some gases were found in the 2nd pattern, the scale was not big enough. For the 3rd and 4th patterns, the hydrocarbon potential depended on organic matters maturity in early stage. For relatively low mature rocks, it was possible to generate some oils in later stage; otherwise the main products were gases. Paleo-oil reservoirs remained fairly well in the Sichuan Basin, and most source rocks underwent kerogen-oil-gas processes, which was useful reference to gas exploration in the Tarim Basin.     

Discussion on marine source rocks thermal evolvement patterns in the Tarim Basin and Sichuan Basin, west China

Taking marine source rocks of lower Paleozoic in the Tarim Basin and Paleozoic ones in the Sichuan Basin as examples, their sedimentation process could be classified into four styles： continuous subsidence with deep sedimentation in early stage, continuous subsidence with deep sedimentation in later stage, that deeply buried-uplift-shallowly buried, and that shallowly buried-uplift-deeply buried. Unlike that in East China, the marine source rocks evolvement patterns did not accord with sedimentation styles one by one in superimposed basins in west China. Taking local geothermal field into account, four types of source rock evolvement patterns were built： that evolved fast in early stage, evolved fast in middle stage, evolved continuously and evolved in multistage. Among them, the 1st pattern contributed little to the present industrial oil pools directly, but paleo-oil reservoirs and gases cracked from crude oils were main exploration targets. Although some gases were found in the 2nd pattern, the scale was not big enough. For the 3rd and 4th patterns, the hydrocarbon potential depended on organic matters maturity in early stage. For relatively low mature rocks, it was possible to generate some oils in later stage; otherwise the main products were gases. Paleo-oil reservoirs remained fairly well in the Sichuan Basin, and most source rocks underwent kerogen-oil-gas processes, which was useful reference to gas exploration in the Tarim Basin.     

A breakthrough of researching reservoir adsorption gas and its significance

GC-C-MS on linear isotope analysis equipment makes it possible to measure the hydrocarbon gases at the level of 10 -3-10 -2 μL- By applying this technique the carbon isotopes of C1-C3 of the adsorbed gas from the Triassic oil sand bed of the Aican-l Well in the Turpan-Hami basin were analysed. The δ13C values of C1-C3, are -55.1‰, -38.6‰ and -35.0‰ respectively. In terms of geochemical characteristics of natural gases and crude oils, in combination with basinal geological backgrounds, it is considered that the reservoir adsorbed gas was formed by crude-oil biodegradation, absorbed by reservoir rocks and its oil-gas source is related with the Permain (perhaps including the Carboniferous). The adsorbed gas is obviously different from the Jurassic coal-generated oil and gas.     

Discussion of gas enrichment mechanism and natural gas origin in marine sedimentary basin, China

There are abundant natural gas resources in Chinese marine sedimentary basin. The exploration hot shots of natural gas are the Palaeozoic marine strata here in recent years, and several large scale gas fields have been discovered. Chinese Palaeozoic high-post matured and coal measure hydrocarbon source rocks are mainly prone to gas generation in the present. This research considered that gas source rocks and TSR are the key cause of gas enrichment of marine strata. High-quality argillaceous and coal measure hydrocarbon rocks are distributed widely in the Palaeozoic marine strata, which have been in highly matured phase in the present. The argillaceous source rock generally contains various sulfates that could accelerate crude oil cracking to gas for TSR occurrence, and coal measure source rock mainly generates gas, so Chinese marine basin gives priority to accumulating gas. Marine strata have not founded oil reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin and Ordos Basin, and they consist mainly of dry gas. Marine natural gases are the mixed gases of oil cracking gas and coal-formed gas in a general way, oil cracking gases contain usually some H2S and CO2. Hydrocarbon carbon isotopes are very complicated, and methane and ethane isotopic values bear apparent reversal caused by thermal evolution and mixing among different genetic types of natural gas. Coal-formed gases are the main component of Chinese marine natural gas. The Upper Permian of the Sichuan Basin and the Carboniferous-Permian of the Ordos Basin coal measure hydrocarbon source rock present large hydrocarbon generation po- tential, which are the prospecting highlight of marine natural gas hereafter. Oil cracking gas exploration will be paid much attention to in the Tarim Basin because of the lack of coal measure hydrocarbon source rock.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西北部奥陶系“三元”主控成藏规律

通过对鄂尔多斯盆地西北部奥陶系烃源岩、储集层及天然气展布规律的研究,探讨其天然气成藏规律。奥陶系烃源岩主要分布在上统乌拉力克组和拉什仲组,以海相泥岩为主;储层主要发育在中统克里摩里组和桌子山组,依据岩石类型、孔隙结构,可分为岩溶孔洞型储层和白云岩晶间溶孔型储层;天然气藏的形成受烃源岩、储层和圈闭的"三元"主控,具有有效烃源岩控制天然气区域分布、优质储层控制天然气聚集带展布、有效圈闭控制气藏分布特征。鄂尔多斯盆地西北部的西侧气藏主要为油型气,东侧主要为煤型气,均为上生下储的成藏模式。     

鄂尔多斯盆地长9烃源岩评价

近年来长9优质烃源岩的发现,及相邻的长8、9、10储层中好的油气显示和工业油流的获得,表明长9可能是一套重要的潜在烃源岩。对鄂尔多斯盆地长9烃源岩生烃潜力进行了定性和定量评价。结果表明,鄂尔多斯盆地长9优质烃源岩主要集中在志丹、英旺地区,计算得出鄂尔多斯盆地长9烃源岩油气资源量分别为(2.09～4.17)×108 t和(0.06～0.12)×1011 m3。由于英旺地区排烃效率较低,资源量主要集中在志丹地区。因此,在志丹地区进行油气勘探时应考虑长9烃源岩的贡献。     

鄂尔多斯盆地上古生界东、西部岩性-地层气藏的差异性

鄂尔多斯盆地上古生界具有"满盆生气、到处含气、岩性控气"的特点。通过东、西部气藏的对比研究认为:煤系地层广覆式生烃、浅水三角洲大面积聚砂和湖侵作用铸造区域性盖层三大因素为形成大面积岩性-地层气藏奠定了基础。东部以原生孔为主的山2段、太2段相对低孔高渗型储层主要受潮汐和河流共同作用形成的高能聚砂环境控制;西部以溶蚀孔+原生孔组合为特征的盒8段、山1段相对高孔低渗型储层主要受富石英物源区和建设性成岩作用的控制。提出富石英物源区、毗邻岸线的高能相带和由网状输导体系控制的建设性成岩相区的确定对鄂尔多斯盆地上古生界天然气勘探具有重要意义。     

Two accumulation modes of marine-origin natural gas in the Tarim Basin

HeUanhe gas field, Lungudong gas field and Tazhong gas field are marine marine-origin natural gas reservoirs in the craton area in the Tarim Basin. The natural gas is generated from Cambrian source rocks. The simulation experiment indicated that the cracking of the dispersedly dissoluble organic matter remaining in the source rocks is the main origin of marine natural gas. There are two modes to form gas reservoirs, one is the dry gas reservoir such as HeUanhe gas field, in which gas accumulated on the fault belt with violent tectonic movement, the other is condensate gas reservoir formed on the inheriting uplift such as Lunnan and Tazhong gas fields. The hybrid simulation experiment of cracking gas and crude oil indicated that crude oil accumulated on a large scale in those uplift belts at the early stage, and natural gas filled the ancient oil reservoir at the late stage, and the gas reservoirs were formed after the gas mixed with the crude oil.     

Observation of hydrocarbon generation and migration of highly-matured carbonates by means of laser-induced fluorescence microscopy

Some important information on hydrocarbon generation, inclusion and migration in highly-matured carbonates of lower Palaeozoic age from the Ordos Basin and Tarim Basin hasbeen analyzed by a newly-combined laser-induced fluorescence microscope (LFM) designed by our laboratory. The following information has been obtained from the lower Ordovician lamellar carbonates with equivalent vitrinite reflectance (Ro) as high as 1.6%-1.7% and residual TOC of 0.14%-0.35% from the Ordos Basin: wide occurrences of oil and source macerals with strong fluorescence, including G. Prisca alginite, lamalginite, telalginite and algae-detrinite; fluorescing asphalt among mineral crystals; some groundmass and spheroid-like reservoir bitumen with high maturation levels in the pores of dolomites. Various kinds of fluorescing organic inclusions and asphalt have been found in the carbonates, calcareous shales and silt-shales with high maturation levels from the Cambrian-Ordovician strata in the Tarim Basin. All this helps us find and evaluate significant and excellent source rocks for large-and middle-scale gas fields. The net and micro-net systems for hydrocarbon generation, expulsion and migration in carbonates have been revealed by the highly-powered laser-induced fluorescence microscopy.     

鄂尔多斯盆地陕北斜坡带三叠系延长组和侏罗系油气成藏期研究

通过对鄂尔多斯盆地烃源岩的生烃史、构造运动特征、包裹体均一温度和伊利石K-Ar同位素定年的研究,结合研究区的裂缝发育特征,综合分析了三叠系延长组和侏罗系油气成藏期.鄂尔多斯盆地形成演化过程中经历了多期构造运动,其中影响最大的是早白垩世末期的构造运动.长7段泥质烃源岩在早白垩世初期开始大量生烃,对侏罗系延9段裂缝储层和三叠系延长组伊利石K-Ar同位素定年以及对储层流体包裹体均一温度分析显示,陕北斜坡带三叠系延长组油藏形成于早白垩世的早中期,而侏罗系延安组的油藏则形成于早白垩世末的构造抬升期,对应时间为晚白垩世早—中期.     

平庄盆地的石油地质特征

为了解平庄盆地烃源岩的赋存特征，结合地质勘查资料，根据沉积学、地球化学理论，分析了该盆地的石油地质特征。结果表明，平庄盆地内发育有三套烃源岩，分别归属九佛堂组、沙海组、阜新组，前两者是构成盆地的主要烃源岩；烃源岩主要形成于半深湖一深湖，部分形成于浅湖、闭塞湖湾及湖沼，其类型以暗色泥岩、油页岩、泥质白云岩等为主；盆地生储盖组合以侧变式为主，油气的圈闭类型主要为断背斜。该结果为平庄盆地的基础地质研究及石油地质勘查提供了参考。     

Constraints on the origins of hydrocarbon gas from compositions of gases at their site of origin

It is widely accepted that natural gas is formed from thermal decomposition of both oil in reservoirs and, to a lesser extent, the organic matter in shales from which the oil was derived. But laboratory pyrolysis experiments on shales do not reproduce the methane-rich composition typical of most gas reservoirs, leading to suggestions that other mechanisms, such as transition-metal catalysis, may be important. The discrepancy might, however, instead arise because gas (and oil) deposits have migrated from their source rocks, so that the reservoir composition might not be representative of the composition in the source rocks where the hydrocarbons were generated. To address this question, we have analysed gas samples coproduced with oils directly from a source rock (the Bakken shales, North Dakota, USA) where the local geology has prevented significant hydrocarbon migration. The methane contents of these Bakken-shale gases are much lower than that of conventional gas reservoirs, but are consistent with that from pyrolysis experiments on these shales. Thus, because these Bakken gases form with (rather than from) oils, we argue that compositional differences between gases from source rocks and conventional gas deposits result from fractionation processes occurring after hydrocarbon expulsion from the source rock.