Molecular indicators of secondary oil migration distances

Larter, Stephen R.; Bowler, Bernard; Li, Maowen; Chen, M.; Brincat, David; Bennett, Barry; Noke, K.; Donohoe, Paul; Simmons, David A.; Kohnen, M.E.L.; Allan, James R.; Telnæs, N.; Horstad, I.

doi:10.1038/383593a0

Cited by 267 publications

(134 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Seifert & Moldowan 1986;Curiale & Bromley 1996;Zhang et al 2013) but few published contributions using CSIA of high-molecular-weight (HMW) alkanes to assess migration. Li et al (2001) compared two oils from the same genetic source in Western Canada, with one proximal to the source rock (Pembina field) and one that had migrated 150 km updip (Joarcam field) (Creaney et al 1994;Larter et al 1996). Despite differences in migration, the δ 2 H composition of the individual alkanes does not appear to have been affected, varying by only 4-8‰.…”

Section: Petroleum Fluid Migrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of n -alkanes as a tool in petroleum exploration

Pedentchouk

Turich

2017

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Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of individual organic compounds is a powerful but underutilized tool in petroleum exploration. When integrated with other organic geochemical methodologies it can provide evidence of fluid histories including source, maturity, charge history and reservoir processes that can support field development planning and exploration efforts. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a review of the methodologies used for generating carbon and hydrogen isotope data for mid-and high-molecular-weight n-alkanes.We discuss the factors that control stable carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of n-alkanes and related compounds in sedimentary and petroleum systems and review current and future applications of this methodology for petroleum exploration. We discuss basin-specific case studies that demonstrate the usefulness of CSIA either when addressing particular aspects of petroleum exploration (e.g. charge evaluation, source rock-oil correlation, and investigation of maturity and in-reservoir processes) or when this technique is used to corroborate interpretations from integrated petroleum systems analysis, providing unique insights which may not be revealed when using other methods. CSIA of n-alkanes and related n-alkyl structures can provide independent data to strengthen petroleum systems concepts from generation and expulsion of fluids from source rock, to charge history, connectivity, and in-reservoir processes.Gold Open Access: This article is published under the terms of the CC-BY 3.0 license.Petroleum geoscientists use organic geochemistry as an essential tool in oil and gas exploration and field development planning. Relatively low-cost, high-throughput bulk data are commonly used to screen for source rock quality (e.g. per cent total organic carbon (%TOC), hydrogen and oxygen indices) and thermal maturity (Tmax, vitrinite reflectance equivalent). More in-depth geochemical analytical techniques are used in the context of full fluid and reservoir properties to correlate source rocks and reservoir oils, to determine fluid generation and migration history, including presentday reservoir connectivity, and to understand in-reservoir processes, such as biodegradation of in-reservoir oils. These tools are especially powerful when coupled with other measurements made during the exploration and development process, such as compositional analysis during drilling, downhole fluid analysis and other wireline measurements, and pressure, volume, temperature (PVT) and chemical analyses, integrated in the context of geological static and reservoir dynamic models.Molecular biomarkers have been employed in petroleum exploration for several decades (Peters et al. 2005). The usefulness of bulk stable isotope measurements of gases and oils was well demonstrated in the petroleum industry through the decades of the 1970s and 1980s (Stahl 1977;Schoell 1984;Sofer 1984). However, the use of compound-specific isotopic composition of light hydrocarbons, alkanes and biomarkers is less common....

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Section: Petroleum Fluid Migrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of n -alkanes as a tool in petroleum exploration

Pedentchouk

Turich

2017

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“…The ratio benzo[a] to benzo [c] carbazoles [a/(a+c)] covers a range from 0.39 to 0.61 for the studied crude oil samples (Table 1). A noteworthy feature is that the variability of a/(a+c) in this study is less than the range of variability, which has been reported earlier in facies and depositional environment, migration, and maturity related case studies (Larter et al, 1996;Clegg et al, 1998b;Horsfield et al, 1998;Bakr and Wilkes, 2002).…”

Section: Occurrence and Distribution Af Benzocarbazolesmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…The concentrations and the ratio of two benzocarbazole isomers, benzo [a] and benzo [c]carbazole, may be used as an indicator of oil secondary migration distance, with the benzo[a] isomer being removed preferentially (by sorption on to mineral and organic surfaces) during migration (Larter et al, 1996). Such approaches have been confirmed by laboratory and field studies (Celgg et al, 1998a-b;Harrison et al, 1997;Li et al, 1997;Wilhelms et al, 1997;Zhu et al, 1997;Horsfield et al, 1998;Li et al, 1999;Larter et al, 2000;Terken and Frewin, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence and Geochemical Significance of Carbazoles and Xanthones in Crude Oil from the Western Desert, Egypt

Bakr¹

2009

ear

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Abstract. This paper describes an approach that involves the evaluation of the occurrence and distributions of nitrogen-and oxygen-containing aromatic compounds in Egyptian crude oils and source rocks. Carbazoles and xanthones represent nitrogen-and oxygen-containing aromatic compounds, respectively.Alkylcarbazoles and benzocarbazoles were quantitatively studied in crude oils taken from the Abu Gharadig and Shushan basins in north Western Desert of Egypt in order to investigate their occurrence, concentrations and distributions. The abundances of carbazole, methylcarbazoles and dimethylcarbazoles in the marine Abu Gharadig oils are much higher than that of the terrestrial Shushan oils. The results presented here indicate that thermal maturation can be ruled out as a major factor in controlling the changes in the carbazole ratios in the crude oils. Most likely, source characteristics of the studied samples play a significant role in controlling the distribution of carbazole compounds in reservoired oils. The alkylcarbazoles 1MC/1MC+1EC, 3MC/4MC and 18DMC/18DMC+1EC when correlated with specific biomarker signatures provide background information discriminating between two main types of depositional setting: 1) Terrestrial dominated source deposited in oxidizing conditions for the Shushan oils and, 2) marine shale dominated sourced oils deposited in suboxic environments for the Abu Gharadig samples. Similarly, benzocarbazole distributions were found to be independent of maturity, but influenced by organic facies and depositional environments. Therefore, in this study, alkylcarbazole and benzocarbazoles compounds are well suited for the differentiation of Abu Gharadig and Shushan crude oils with respect to origin and variations of facies and depositional environment. M.M.Y. Bakr 128Using various kinds of Egyptian crude oils derived from marine carbonates, marine clastics and terrestrial sources, the current study indicates that xanthones and its alkylated homologues are abundant only in source extracts and crude oils that have terrestrial organic matter input. This is the second description of xanthones in crude oils, and the first in Egyptian petroleum systems. Overall, based on the data of this study, xanthones signatures show great promise as terrestrial source markers in a given petroleum system.

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“…Analysis of aromatic hydrocarbon composition of crude oil produced from the Ordovician in the Lunnan-Tahe area also showed the trend of hydrocarbon migration from southeast to (Larter, 1996). Therefore, the direction in which the ratio of two benzo carbazole isomers benzo [a] carbazole/(benzo [a] carbazole ϩ benzo [c] carbazole) decreased is the direction of hydrocarbon migration and reservoir in-filling (Wang et al, 2000).…”

Section: Changes Of Geochemical Parameters In the Horizontal Directionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing Hydrocarbons Migration Pathway in Carbonate Rock in Lunnan-Tahe Oilfield

Zhou

Jiao

Han

et al. 2010

Energy Exploration & Exploitation

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Tracing hydrocarbons migration pathway is of great significance in studying hydrocarbon accumulation process and predicting hydrocarbon bearing potential of exploration targets, but it is very difficult to trace the hydrocarbons migration pathway in ancient carbonate formations due to strong heterogeneity. In this paper, a combination of geological and geochemical methods is used to discuss the hydrocarbons migration pathway in Ordovician carbonate rock of the Lunnan-Tahe Oilfield in the Tarim Basin. Deep faults and karst unconformity constitute the hydrocarbons passage framework in this area. High angle fractures caused by tectonic stress, pores and cavities formed by karstification played an important role in the connectivity and continuity of this network system. Core observation and thin-section identification revealed that the karsted holes communicating with fractures in the geologic history were the effective pathway for hydrocarbons migration in carbonate formation. The marks of hydrocarbon migration were left in these kinds of fractures and cavities, which were the direct evidence of hydrocarbon migration. The regularities of geochemical parameters of crude oil and hydrocarbon inclusion could effectively indicate the direction of hydrocarbon migration. It could be seen from the section analysis results in this paper that the features of vertical migration in a single well are apparent due to fracture communication; while in the lateral direction, the network system in which fractures and cavities are interconnected constitutes the main lateral pathway for hydrocarbons migration. Analysis results of such wells as Lunnan 63, Jiefang 127, Lunnan 39 and Lunnan 44 indicate that hydrocarbons migration direction was from bottom to top in the vertical direction and from south to north and from east to west in the lateral direction.

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Molecular indicators of secondary oil migration distances

Cited by 267 publications

References 13 publications

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of n -alkanes as a tool in petroleum exploration

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of n -alkanes as a tool in petroleum exploration

Occurrence and Geochemical Significance of Carbazoles and Xanthones in Crude Oil from the Western Desert, Egypt

Tracing Hydrocarbons Migration Pathway in Carbonate Rock in Lunnan-Tahe Oilfield

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