Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Analysis of Oil and Gas Trapped in Fluid Inclusions

George, Simon C.; Volk, Herbert; Dutkiewicz, Adriana

doi:10.1002/9781118180730.ch30

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…At present, the non-pyrolysis GC-MS with a shock destruction of the sample in terms of sensitivity (instrumental measurement limits), dynamic ranges, rate, and diversity of determined volatiles has no alternative. GC-MS was used to study the gas phase composition of mineral-forming media in diamonds [109,122,123], minerals of mantle rocks [106,110,124], metamorphic rocks [125,126], hydrothermal minerals from ore deposits [111,127,128], and minerals of sedimentary rocks associated with oil and gas deposits [129,130].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluid Components in Cordierite from the Rocks of Epidote-Amphibole Facies of the Muzkol Metamorphic Complex, Tajikistan: Pyrolysis-Free GC-MS Data

2023

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The composition of volatile components of cordierite from the Muzkol metamorphic complex was studied using shock destruction with pyrolysis-free gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with simultaneous IR and Raman spectroscopy. Applying the GC-MS procedure, the component relative concentrations (rel.%) and composition of different zones of cordierite crystals were determined. It was found that the substantially magnesian cordierite was formed with a predominantly aqueous-carbonic acid fluid (from 57.06 to 67.88 rel.% H2O, from 24.29 to 32.95 rel.% CO2). From the center towards the crystal periphery, the molar fraction of carbon dioxide (CO2/(H2O + CO2)) decreases from 0.36 to 0.26, whereas the alkane/alkene ratio increases from 0.80 to 0.88. At least 11 homologous series of organic compounds among the identified volatile components, in addition to water and carbon dioxide, were determined, including oxygen-free aliphatic and cyclic hydrocarbons (paraffins, olefins, cyclic alkanes and alkenes, arenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), as well as oxygen-containing (alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids) and heterocyclic (furans, dioxanes) organic compounds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluid Components in Cordierite from the Rocks of Epidote-Amphibole Facies of the Muzkol Metamorphic Complex, Tajikistan: Pyrolysis-Free GC-MS Data

2023

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“…Attempts to analyse biomarkers in the organic matter captured in the veins presented here were difficult. The analysis of oil-bearing fluid inclusions using established gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on-line or off-line methods (George et al, 2012) was considered to be unsuitable due to the low frequency of occurrence of fluid inclusions. Any GC-MS signal of the few oil-bearing fluid inclusions would be below the blank levels.…”

Section: Pitfalls and Opportunities For Future Biomarker Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are protected from the degradation processes that can otherwise affect oil in an open pore space, partly because they are closed systems with high fluid pressures, and partly because they contain no clays or other minerals or metals that might catalyse oil-to-gas cracking (George et al, 2008). The included oil thus remains relatively unaltered compared to its host rock, and examples have been successfully analysed in numerous hydrocarbon biomarker studies (e.g., Dutkiewicz et al, 2006;George et al, 2008George et al, , 2012. The main problem with the interpretation of oil-bearing fluid inclusion geochemistry is to determine the timing of trapping of hydrocarbon fluids (George et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The included oil thus remains relatively unaltered compared to its host rock, and examples have been successfully analysed in numerous hydrocarbon biomarker studies (e.g., Dutkiewicz et al, 2006;George et al, 2008George et al, , 2012. The main problem with the interpretation of oil-bearing fluid inclusion geochemistry is to determine the timing of trapping of hydrocarbon fluids (George et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In search of early life: Carbonate veins in Archean metamorphic rocks as potential hosts of biomarkers

Peters

Piazolo

Webb

et al. 2016

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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The detection of early life signatures using hydrocarbon biomarkers in Precambrian rocks struggles with contamination issues, unspecific biomarkers and the lack of suitable sedimentary rocks due to extensive thermal overprints. Importantly, host rocks must not have been exposed to temperatures above 250°C as at these temperatures biomarkers are destroyed. Here we show that Archean sedimentary rocks from the Jeerinah Formation (2.63 billion years) and Carawine Dolomite (2.55 billion years) of the Pilbara Craton (Western Australia) drilled by the Agouron Institute in 2012, which previously were suggested to be suitable for biomarker studies, were metamorphosed to the greenschist facies. This is higher than previously reported. Both the mineral assemblages (carbonate, quartz, Fe-chlorite, muscovite, microcline, rutile, and pyrite with absence of illite) and chlorite geothermometry suggest that the rocks were exposed to temperatures higher than 300°C and probably ~ 400°C, consistent with greenschist-facies metamorphism. This facies leads to the destruction of any biomarkers and explains why the extraction of hydrocarbon biomarkers from pristine drill cores has not been successful. However, we show that the rocks are 2 of 43 cut by younger formation-specific carbonate veins containing primary oil-bearing fluid inclusions and solid bitumens. Type 1 veins in the Carawine Dolomite consist of dolomite, quartz and solid bitumen, whereas type 2 veins in the Jeerinah Formation consist of calcite. Within the veins fluid inclusion homogenisation temperatures and calcite twinning geothermometry indicate maximum temperatures of ~ 200°C for type 1 veins and ~ 180°C for type 2 veins. Type 1 veins have typical isotopic values for reprecipitated Archean sea-water carbonates, with δ 13 CVPDB ranging from -3‰to 0‰ and δ 18 OVPDB ranging from -13‰ to -7‰, while type 2 veins have isotopic values that are similar to hydrothermal carbonates, with δ 13 CVPDB ranging from -18‰ to -4‰ and δ 18 OVPDB ranging from -18‰ to -12‰. Evidently, the migration and entrapment of hydrocarbons occurred after peak metamorphism under temperatures congruous with late catagenesis and from fluids of different compositions. The relatively high temperatures of vein formation and the known geotectonic history of the rocks analysed suggest a probable minimum age of 1.8 billion years (Paleoproterozoic). Our results demonstrate that post peak-metamorphic veins provide an exciting opportunity in the search for evidence of early life. The integration of petrological and organic geochemical techniques is crucial for any future studies that use biomarkers to reconstruct the early biosphere.

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“…These include the analysis of individual macerals, so as to ascertain the chemistry specific to each maceral type [26,44,28,30], the characterisation of solid bitumens at the molecular level [30,41], the analysis of lignins [31], and the analysis of microfossils, such as Tasmanites algae [28,29], acritarchs [4,5], chitinozoans [34] and pollen [1]. Oil-bearing fluid inclusions have also been analysed by La-Py-GC-MS [28,53], although sensitivity and power of the laser tends to lead to some laser artefacts that make comparison with other bulk analytical methods difficult [25]. Use of a pulsed femtosecond laser has allowed single oil inclusions to be analysed successfully [46].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation of organic inclusions in stalagmites using laser-ablation-micropyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Blyth

Fuentes

George

et al. 2015

Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis

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a b s t r a c tLaser-micropyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (La-Py-GC-MS) allows the analysis of small targeted areas of organic material. In this proof of concept study a novel application of the technique is demonstrated. Three types of organic matter preserved in speleothems were analysed: dissolved organic matter within the calcite crystal matrix; detrital organic inclusions; and lithified guano derived from birds and bats. The results indicate that there is significant heterogeneity within each sample type, with guano samples having the highest variability. However, there are also distinctive La-Py-GC-MS products that allow separation of the sample types geochemically. These include the chain length distribution within the longer chain n-alkanes (>C 20 ), with the guano sample having a dominance of chain lengths below C 27 , whilst the other two sample types are dominated by n-alkanes of C 27 and above. The detrital inclusion sample has a higher relative abundance of pyrrole and methylpyrroles. A homologous series of longer chain alkylbenzenes is seen only in the guano samples.Our preliminary data indicate that fingerprints of La-Py-GC-MS analyses may be useful to provide information on organic matter preserved in speleothems, but more work is required to extend the technique to lower organic content samples, and to fully test the application in a larger dataset of preserved organic matter types.

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Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Analysis of Oil and Gas Trapped in Fluid Inclusions

Cited by 6 publications

References 104 publications

Fluid Components in Cordierite from the Rocks of Epidote-Amphibole Facies of the Muzkol Metamorphic Complex, Tajikistan: Pyrolysis-Free GC-MS Data

Fluid Components in Cordierite from the Rocks of Epidote-Amphibole Facies of the Muzkol Metamorphic Complex, Tajikistan: Pyrolysis-Free GC-MS Data

In search of early life: Carbonate veins in Archean metamorphic rocks as potential hosts of biomarkers

Characterisation of organic inclusions in stalagmites using laser-ablation-micropyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

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