scholarly journals Petrography and Organic Geochemistry Characterizations of Lower Paleozoic Organic-Rich Shale in the Northwestern Upper Yangtze Plate: Niutitang Formation and Longmaxi Formation, Dabashan Foreland Belt

Minerals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delu Li ◽  
Rongxi Li ◽  
Di Zhao ◽  
Feng Xu

Measurements of total organic carbon, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, maceral examination, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were conducted on the organic-rich shale of Lower Paleozoic Niutitang Formation and Longmaxi Formation in Dabashan foreland belt to discuss the organic matter characteristic, organic matter origin, redox condition, and salinity. The results indicate that the Niutiang Formation and Longmaxi Formation organic-rich shale are good and very good source rocks with Type I kerogen. Both of the shales have reached mature stage for generating gas. Biomarker analyses indicate that the organic matter origin of Niutitang Formation and Longmaxi Formation organic-rich shale are all derived from the lower bacteria and algae, and the organic matter are all suffered different biodegradation degrees. During Niutitang Formation and Longmaxi Formation period, the redox conditions are both anoxic with no stratification and the sedimentary water is normal marine water.

Author(s):  
David M. Katithi ◽  
David O. Opar

ABSTRACT The work reports an in-depth review of bulk and molecular geochemical data to determine the organic richness, kerogen type and thermal maturity of the Lokhone and the stratigraphically deeper Loperot shales of the Lokichar basin encountered in the Loperot-1 well. Oil-source rock correlation was also done to determine the source rocks’ likelihood as the source of oil samples obtained from the well. A combination of literature and geochemical data analyses show that both shales have good to excellent potential in terms of organic and hydrogen richness to act as conventional petroleum source rocks. The Lokhone shales have TOC values of 1.2% to 17.0% (average 5.16%) and are predominantly type I/II organic matter with HI values in the range of 116.3 – 897.2 mg/g TOC. The Lokhone source rocks were deposited in a lacustrine depositional environment in episodically oxic-dysoxic bottom waters with periodic anoxic conditions and have Tmax values in addition to biomarker signatures typical of organic matter in the mid-mature to mature stage with respect to hydrocarbon generation and immature for gas generation with Ro values of 0.51 – 0.64%. The Loperot shales were shown to be possibly highly mature type II/III source rocks with TOC values of 0.98% – 3.18% (average 2.4%), HI of 87 – 115 mg/g TOC and Ro of 1.16 – 1.33%. The Lokhone shale correlate well with the Loperot-1 well oils and hence is proposed as the principal source rock for the oils in the Lokichar basin. Although both source rocks have good organic richness to act as shale gas plays, they are insufficiently mature to act as shale gas targets but this does not preclude their potential deeper in the basin where sufficient gas window maturities might have been attained. The Lokhone shales provide a prospective shale oil play if the reservoir suitability to hydraulic fracturing can be defined. A basin wide study of the source rocks thickness, potential, maturation and expulsion histories in the Lokichar basin is recommended to better understand the present-day distribution of petroleum in the basin.


2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (11) ◽  
pp. 1489-1499
Author(s):  
Ramadan Saheed ◽  
Tatjana Solevic-Knudsen ◽  
Musbah Faraj ◽  
Zlatko Nikolovski ◽  
Hans Nytoft ◽  
...  

Seven crude oils from four oil fields in the Sirte and Murzuq Basins in Libya were investigated in order to estimate their organic geochemical homogeneity. Saturated biomarkers (n-alkanes and isoprenoids) were analyzed using gas chromatography?mass spectrometry (GC?MS). The parameters calculated from the distributions of n-alkanes and isoprenoid aliphatic alkanes, pristane and phytane were used to interpret the organic geochemical characteristics of the oils. Based on the high relative concentration of lower n-alkane homologues in the C11?C16 range and high API values, the oils were classified as light oils. These results also implied that the oils were not biodegraded. The parameters calculated from the distributions of saturated biomarkers indicated that all investigated oils were generated from source rocks containing organic matter of a similar marine origin but with a contribution of terrestrial organic matter. The results also demonstrated that these source rocks were deposited in an oxic environment. The same source rock or the same type of source rocks for all seven samples were postulated. It was concluded that, if the crude oils from these distant basins originated from the same source rocks, they must have had different lengths of their migration pathways.


1997 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Čejka ◽  
Zdeněk Sobalík ◽  
Bohdan Kříbek

Fossil organic matter in Miocene and Silurian sediments was subjected to experimental oxidation, which was investigated by Rock-Eval pyrolysis, the "off-line" pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combination, and continuous FTIR monitoring. The pyrolysate yield decreased during the oxidation particularly in the low-matured, predominantly aliphatic organic matter from the Miocene sediments (type I kerogen, algae-type kerogen). This suggests that aliphatic chains are preferentially oxidized, which is in agreement with the marked decrease in the intensity of the v(CH2) and v(CH3) IR bands. The n-alkane distribution in the chromatographic profile was unaffected by the oxidation; hence, the oxidation of the alkane chains was not selective. At the same time, the bands within the 1 900-1 550 cm-1 range grew in intensity for both the aliphatic and mixed-type (type II kerogen) organic matter. The oxidation of the aromatic (humic) type of organic fossil matter in the Miocene sediments (type III kerogen, coal-type kerogen) was only accompanied by very small changes in the FTIR spectra. The results of the "of-line" pyrolysis are consistent with those of the Rock-Eval pyrolysis. For all samples, the oxidation was accompanied by a gradual decrease in the hydrogen index (HI) as well as in the pyrolysis temperature maximum (Tmax). The changes in the S2/S1 ratio ("bound"-to-"free" hydrocarbons) indicate that the "free" hydrocarbons in the rocks are preferentially oxidized during the first 8-16 h of the experimental run. Subsequently, hydrocarbon chains involved in the kerogen macromolecule are attacked.


2021 ◽  
pp. 532-554
Author(s):  
Razawa Hamarashid A. Sarraj ◽  
Ibrahim Mohammed J. Mohialdeen

The Cretaceous Balambo Formation from three sections in Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq was studied. The selected sections are located in the Zagros Fold -Thrust Belt. Eleven rock samples were analyzed by means of the organic geochemical method, Bitumen extraction method, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine the bitumen and hydrocarbon content, kerogen types, origin of organic matter, thermal maturity level, and depositional environment. The analyzed samples are considered to have an excellent potential in Baranan-1.G1 and Sazan sections, with poor to fair potential in Baraw section. The Baranan-1.G1 source rocks are of type II kerogen (oil prone), whereas Sazan and Baraw samples are of type II/III (oil/ gas prone). Detailed distribution analysis of biomarkers such as normal alkane, isoprenoids, sterane and terpane was performed on saturated hydrocarbons. The mode of n-alkanes and isoprenoids distribution in all analyzed samples is similar, with a unimodal distribution that indicates non-biodegraded hydrocarbons, with the same range of alkane compounds between C13-C34 alkanes. The results of n-C17, pristane, n-C18 and phytane, and regular steranes show that the source rocks of Balambo Formation in Baranan-1.G1 are mainly rich with algal marine organic matter deposited under a reducing environment, while Baraw and Sazan sections are composed of mixed marine organic matter that refers to terrestrial land plants input deposited under reducing anoxic/dysoxic environments. Thermal maturation appraisal is deduced from Pristane/n-C17 versus Phytane/n-C18 diagram, Carbon Preference Index (CPI), C29 ββ/ (ββ+αα), C29 20S/ (20S +20R), C32 22S/ (22S+22R), and Ts/ (Ts+Tm). All these parameters indicate that the analyzed samples are mature and have entered the oil window (early to peak oil window). Biomarker ratios of C22/C21, C24/C23 and C26/C25, C31R/C30H show that the Balambo Formation is composed mostly of carbonates with less shale beds.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 635
Author(s):  
Shihu Zhao ◽  
Yanbin Wang ◽  
Yong Li ◽  
Honghui Li ◽  
Zhaohui Xu ◽  
...  

Tarim Basin is the largest Petroliferous basin in China, while its shale gas development potential has not been fully revealed. The organic-rich black shale in middle Ordovician Heituao Formation from Tadong low uplift of Tarim Basin has been considered as an important source rock and has the characteristic of large thickness, high organic matter content and high thermal maturity degree. To obtain its development potential, geochemical, mineralogical and mechanics research is conducted based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis, total organic carbon (TOC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and uniaxial compression experiments. The results show that: (1) the TOC content ranges between 0.63 and 2.51 wt% with an average value of 1.22 wt%, the Tmax values are 382–523 °C (average = 468.9 °C), and the S2 value is relatively low which ranges from 0.08 to 1.37 mg HC/g rock (averaging of 0.42 mg HC/g rock); (2) the organic matter of Heituao shale in Tadong low uplift show poor abundance as indicated by low S2 value, gas-prone property, and post mature stage (stage of dry gas). (3) Quartz is the main mineral component in Heituao shale samples, accounting for 26–94 wt% with an average of 72 wt%. Additionally, its Young’s modulus ranges from 20.0 to 23.1 GPa with an average of 21.2 GPa, Poisson’s ratio ranges between 0.11 and 0.21 (average = 0.15); (4) the fracability parameter of brittleness index (BI) ranges between 0.28 and 0.99 (averaging of 0.85), indicating good fracability potential of Heituao shale of Tadong low uplift and has the potential for shale gas development. This study reveals the shale gas accumulation potential in middle Ordovician of the Tarim Basin, and beneficial for future exploration and production practice.


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