Thermal impact of salt: Simulation of thermal anomalies in the gulf of Mexico

Salt and related structures have played important roles in controlling hydrocarbon accumulations in the Gulf of Mexico. Using a two-dimensional fluid flow/compaction model, which allows for both conduction and convection of heat, an examination is given of the effects on thermal patterns of the combined influence of multiple salt features, including diapirs, pillows, sheets and wedges. The focusing and defocusing of heat due to the higher thermal conductivity of salt are accounted for in the modeling. The results show that there could be as much as a 30°C anomaly above multi-salt bodies due to the focusing of heat by salt, and as much as 50°C temperature contrast between internal salt positions and sediments external to the salt in the deep part of a section. The magnitude of the thermal anomaly depends on the size (or width) of the salt and on the depth of the rooted salt. The modeled results provide estimates of the influence of salt in expanding the oil generation window by approximately half of the salt thickness.     

烃渗漏引起的磁异常的提取与识别

本文对近年来国内外在烃渗漏与磁异常关系以及磁异常提取与识别技术领域取得的进展进行了论述与总结.利用磁异常寻找油气资源,特别是在圈划异常远景区方面具有经济、快速、有效的优势.但也存在多解性问题.为了有效判别异常源性质,本文提出利用人工神经网络作为以上方法补充的思路,可以作为磁法预测油气远景区技术流程中的一环,有助于减少多解性.     

Poly-phase salt tectonics and hydrocarbon accumulation in Tarim superimposed basin, northwest China

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the poly-phase salt tectonics and its relation to the hydrocarbon accumulation of the Tarim superimposed basin. Several salt sequences are developed in the Tarim basin, they are: (1) the Mid-Early Cambrian salt sequence, mainly distributed in the west part of the north Tarim uplift and Keping uplift; (2) the Early Carboniferous salt sequence, mainly distributed in the south slope of the north Tarim uplift; (3) the Paleogene salt sequence, mainly distributed in the mid-west part of the Kuqa foreland fold belt and north Tarim uplift; and (4) the Miocene salt sequence, mainly distributed in the east part of the Kuqa foreland fold belt. The salt sequences deposited in the tectonically calm scenario, while the salt layers deformed during the period of intense tectonism. Although the salt sequences are characteristic of plastic flow, the differences of salt deformation styles exist in the different salt sequences because of the different deformation mechanism. It is attractive that the distribution of the large oil-gas fields or pools has a bearing upon the salt sequences and salt structures, such as the Tahe oilfield related to the Lower Carboniferous salt sequence and laterally facies changed mudstone, the Kela No.2 gas field to the Paleogene salt structures, and the Dina gas field to the Miocene salt structures. It is indicated that the large-scale hydrocarbon accumulation is controlled by the poly-phase salt sequences and structures. The deep analysis of the poly-phase salt tectonics is helpful to understanding the characteristics of the structural deformation and oil-gas accumulation of the Tarim basin.     

Chemical kinetics study of hydrocarbon regeneration from organic matter in carbonate source rocks and its significance

In the comparison research of hydrocarbon regeneration, a low maturity carbonate source rock is heated to different temperatures in a gold tube to obtain a series of samples with different maturities. Then, the heated samples, before and after extraction, are subjected to Rock-Eval pyrolysis through a thermal simulation of hydrocarbon regeneration in order to inspect pyrolysis characteristics and probe into the characteristics of the chemical kinetics of each sample. The results indicate that, whether hy- drocarbon regeneration peak is delayed or advanced, the potential of hydrocarbon regeneration is closely related to the expulsion amount and breakdown maturity of primary hydrocarbon generation. After extraction, the average activation energy of artificially maturated samples increases with the in- creasing maturity, but the chemical kinetic properties of un-extracted samples decrease. The calibrated chemical kinetic models that describe extracted and un-extracted samples are applied to the Bohai Bay and the Songliao Basin, and the results indicate that the combination of the two models can explain some contradictory conclusions previously reported. These results also facilitate the quantitative evaluation of the amount of hydrocarbon regeneration by the chemical kinetic method.     

Raman characteristics of hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon inclusions

The Raman spectrograms of hydrocarbon standard samples show that: (1) the Raman spectrogram of normal paraffin has very strong peaks of methyl and methylene (from 2700 cm-1 to 2970 cm-1); (2) branch methyl has the particular peak of 748 cm-1±; (3) six cyclic has the particular peak of 804 cm-1±; (4) phenyl has two particular peaks of 988 cm-1± and 3058 cm-1± and the 988 cm-1± peak is stronger than the 3058 cm-1± peak; and (5) hexene has three alkenyl spectrum peaks of 1294 cm-1±, 1635 cm-1± and 2996 cm-1±, with the 1635 cm-1± peak being the strongest, showing that the number of carbon in hy-drocarbon does not affect its Raman spectrogram, and the hydrocarbon molecular structure and base groups affect its Raman spectrogram, the same hydrocarbons (such as normal paraffin) have the same Raman spectrogram; the types (such as CH4, C2H6, C3H8) and the content of hydrocarbon in oil inclu-sions are not estimated by their characteristic Raman peaks. According to the Raman spectrograms of hydrocarbon compositions, the Raman spectrogram of hydrocarbon inclusion can be divided into five types: saturated hydrocarbon Raman spectrogram, fluoresce Raman spectrogram, saturated hydro-carbon bitumen Raman spectrogram, bitumen Raman spectrogram, and ethane Raman spectrogram. And according to the characteristics of Raman spectrogram, hydrocarbon inclusions can be divided into five types: saturated hydrocarbon inclusion, less saturated hydrocarbon (oil or gas) inclusion, saturated hydrocarbon bitumen inclusion, bitumen inclusion, and methane water inclusion.     

Relict back-arc basins of Eurasia and their hydrocarbon potentials

Abstract Large petroliferous basins in the continental interior are characterized by very thick sedimentary sequences. It is suggested that these are not intracratonic basins, but areas underlain by oceanic crust. These include the Western Siberian, Pre-Caspian, South Caspian, North and South Kara Basins of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Tarim, junggar and Qaidam Basins of China. The relict ocean basins are distinguished by their basement topography, by their magnetic signatures and by their elevated Moho. Their sedimentary history is distinguished by an abrupt subsidence, followed by isostastic subsidence under sedimentary load. Two circumstances have contributed to the genesis of giant hydrocarbon deposits in these basins: (1) the geochemical environment in those basins was at one time oxygen-deficient as they evolved from the open marine, through restricted marine to become inland alluvial basins; and (2) the sedimentary in-fill provide thick reservoir beds. Oil has accumulated in older structures, folds, faults, unconformities etc. on the margin of the basins, trapping early migrated hydrocarbons.     

The hydrocarbon generation mechanism and the three-stage type model of hydrocarbon generation for carbonate source rocks

The diagenetic mechanism and process of carbonate rocks, which is different to that of clastic rocks, decides the existence of different existing state organic matters in carbonate rocks. This has been verified by both the microscopic observation of organic petrology and the analysis of organic geochemistry of many samples. Based on the hydrous pyrolysis simulation experiment of the low-mature carbonate rocks, the contrasting study on the yield and their geochemistry characteristics of different existing state soluble organic matters of a series of various maturity samples shows that the different existing state organic matters make different contributions to hydrocarbon generation during every evolution state. So that, the hydrocarbon generation process of carbonate rocks can be summarized as the following three stages: the first is the direct degradation of biogenic bitumen macromolecules during the immature stage, the second is the thermal degradation of a large amount of kerogen at the mature stage, the last stage is the expulsion or release of inclusion organic matter owing to the increased thermal expansion pressure during the high evolution stage. Part of achievements of the Eighth Five-Year National Science-Technology Key-Task Project “85-102-02-07”.     

Differentiating depositional environments and maturity of crude oils using GC-AED benzothiophenic spectra

Organosulfur compounds of crude oils and light oils (condensates), collected from ten Chinese petroleumbearing basins and representing different sedimentary environments, were analyzed and identified using a newly-developed GC-AED technique. The results show that the distributions of organosulfur compounds of crude oils from different sedimentary environments are of obvious difference. The crude oils from marine carbonates are rich in organosulfur compounds and those from the source rocks in an ocean-land interchanging facies and a littoral facies have a high abundance of organosulfur compounds, while no or less organosulfur compounds of crude oils from a fresh-water lacustrine facies and a swamp facies were detected in the detectable abundance range of the instrument. This analysis gives a new effective method for oil-source correlation. We also tried to relate the various parameters of benzothiophenic compounds of crude oils with the methane carbon isotope of associated natural gases to discuss the thermoevolutionary degree of crude oils and natural gases.     

Application of pyrolysis gas chromatography technique to evaluation of coal-generated hydrocarbon

Based on kerogen-generated hydrocarbon model, a new method to calculate hydrocarbon yields for coals and coaly samples was put forward by means of pyrolysis technique. At the same time, the empirical criteria suggested by Powell were revised. The threshold value was preliminarily defined as HC yields >30 mg HC per gram TOC for effective gas source rocks and >60 mg HC per gram TOC for effective oil source rocks. Additionally, it was also confirmed that the relative compositions of the three ranges of C1-C5 total hydrocarbons, C6-C14n-alkanes plusn-alkenes and C15⁺ n-alkanes plusn-alkenes from pyrolysates can be effectively used to distinguish the coal-generated hydrocarbon types.     

渤海新构造运动及其对晚期油气成藏的影响

自中新世晚期（大约5.2 Ma B.P.）以来,渤海海域盆地进入裂后构造活动最活跃的新构造运动时期,致使渤海海域沉降沉积中心迁移、玄武岩喷发、地震频繁活动、深大断裂继承性活动和大量晚期断裂的生成．该期构造运动海域强度明显高于相邻陆域,呈现出幕式活动的特征．在新构造运动的影响和控制作用下,渤海海域含油气盆地形成了一批大型浅层背斜圈闭,油气输导体系得到优化,烃源岩晚期快速生烃,油气幕式充注成藏．本文以PL19-3油气藏为例,初步总结了渤海新构造运动控制油气晚期快速动态成藏的模式．     

Hydrologic parameters of salt marsh peat

Because of their profound influence on water movement and nutrient cycling in salt marshes, the two key physical properties of hydraulic conductivity and compressibility were studied in the Great Sippewissett Marsh and in the Ebben Creek Marsh in Massachusetts. Hydraulic conductivity was the most variable property: most frequently observed conductivities were of the order of 10^?3 cm s^?1 in both marshes, but extremes ranged from about 10^?1 to 10^?5 cm s^?1. Compressibility was much less variable, and contributed of the order of 10^?3 cm^?1 to the specific storativity of marsh sediment, making compression a major mechanism for changes in water storage in the sediment. Surface sediments frequently exhibited below-average conductivity, in contrast to freshwater bog peats which are usually most conductive at the surface. These measured properties may be applied to estimate the importance of many critical processes, such as the extent of infiltration occurring on the marsh surface, the hydrologic influence of the tidally varying creeks, and the hydrologic response to spring-neap tidal cycles.     

中国海地球物理场与油气资源

中国海是祖国的神圣国土,它面积近300万平方千米,包括渤海、黄海、东海和南海四大海域.中国海关系到国家的主权和权益.而在维护主权和权益的斗争中,核心问题是海底矿产资源,特别是油气资源.地球物理方法是认识海底矿产资源的主要技术手段.本文概述了过去50年中国海地球物理场的数据采集与编图工作,经过地质、地球物理综合研究所取得的基本认识、油气勘探在四大海域中所取得的成就,及其前景展望.     

潮汕坳陷地球物理特征及油气勘探潜力

潮汕坳陷位于珠江口盆地南部,是珠江口盆地油气勘探的新领域.中生界地层特征和油气勘探潜力是目前工作重点.本文分析了潮汕坳陷区域重力、磁异常特征及地震地质规律,提出潮汕坳陷是衔接东沙群岛和西沙群岛两个构造单元的构造过渡带的观点,同时盆倾断层控制了中生界发育与分布.根据潮汕坳陷地震等地球物理特征及地质规律,结合前人研究结果,分析了该区的油气勘探潜力.     

最优烃类指标方法研究综述

利用烃类指标来辅助储层的识别是岩石物理在地球物理应用中的一种重要方法.这种方法在勘探地球物理中得到广泛的应用.本文详细介绍了烃类指标的基本理论和方法,总结了国内外最近几十年来在这方面取得的主要成果,并提出了未来值得深入研究的方向.     

Experimental frost and salt weathering of chalk—I

To try to resolve the conflicts surrounding the influence of salts on frost weathering, chalk cubes were immersed, separately, in solutions of sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, and magnesium sulphate at concentrations of 5·5 per cent and 12·5 per cent, in a mixed solution of sodium chloride and sodium sulphate, and in distilled water. The cubes were subjected to six freeze-thaw cycles with temperatures ranging from either +15 to — 10°C or + 15 to — 30°C. The results confirm that frost weathering can be enhanced by the presence of certain salts, but the degree of enhancement depends both on the concentration and type of salt and on the intensity of the freeze-thaw regime. Some, but not all, of the results can be explained by the phase changes that occur during the freezing of the salt solutions.     

Gas segregation in dykes and sills

Many basaltic volcanoes emit a substantial amount of gas over long periods of time while erupting relatively little degassed lava, implying that gas segregation must have occurred in the magmatic system. The geometry and degree of connectivity of the plumbing system of a volcano control the movement of magma in that system and could therefore provide an important control on gas segregation in basaltic magmas. We investigate gas segregation by means of analogue experiments and analytical modelling in a simple geometry consisting of a vertical conduit connected to a horizontal intrusion. In the experiments, degassing is simulated by electrolysis, producing micrometric bubbles in viscous mixtures of water and golden syrup. The presence of exsolved bubbles induces a buoyancy-driven exchange flow between the conduit and the intrusion that leads to gas segregation. Bubbles segregate from the fluid by rising and accumulating as foam at the top of the intrusion, coupled with the accumulation of denser degassed fluid at the base of the intrusion. Steady-state influx of bubbly fluid from the conduit into the intrusion is balanced by outward flux of lighter foam and denser degassed fluid. The length and time scales of this gas segregation are controlled by the rise of bubbles in the horizontal intrusion. Comparison of the gas segregation time scale with that of the cooling and solidification of the intrusion suggests that gas segregation is more efficient in sills (intrusions in a horizontal plane with typical width:length aspect ratio 1:100) than in horizontally-propagating dykes (intrusions in a vertical plane with typical aspect ratio 1:1000), and that this process could be efficient in intermediate as well as basaltic magmas. Our investigation shows that non-vertical elements of the plumbing systems act as strong gas segregators. Gas segregation has also implications for the generation of gas-rich and gas-poor magmas at persistently active basaltic volcanoes. For low magma supply rates, very efficient gas segregation is expected, which induces episodic degassing activity that erupts relatively gas-poor magmas. For higher magma supply rates, gas segregation is expected to be less effective, which leads to stronger explosions that erupt gas-rich as well as gas-poor magmas. These general physical principles can be applied to Stromboli volcano and are shown to be consistent with independent field data. Gas segregation at Stromboli is thought likely to occur in a shallow reservoir of sill-like geometry at 3.5 km depth with exsolved gas bubbles 0.1–1 mm in diameter. Transition between eruptions of gas-poor, high crystallinity magmas and violent explosions that erupt gas-rich, low crystallinity magmas are calculated to occur at a critical magma supply rate of 0.1–1 m³ s^− 1.     

柴达木盆地第四系气藏烃类检测研究

与致密的单相地质体相比,当地质体中含流体如油、气或水时,会引起地震波能量的衰减;通过提取反映地震波能量衰减快慢的属性就能在一定程度上预测地下的流体,这种属性体可以作为烃类检测因子.柴达木盆地第四系生物气藏分布范围广,勘探潜力巨大.为了更深入对柴达木盆地天然气藏进行预测研究,对本工区11条测线的纯波数据进行了衰减属性分析研究,效果非常好.为预测柴达木盆地第四系天然气藏提供了实际参考和理论依据.     

Rock block monitoring of rapid salt weathering in southern Tunisia

Rectangular blocks of York Stone and of concrete placed on a sodium chloride sabkha in southern Tunisia for six years suffered very severe breakdown, thereby indicating the power of salt weathering as a process in sabkha environments.     

An investigation into the relationship between salt weathering debris production and temperature

An investigation using laboratory simulation has been made using air temperature data for Tunisia, Antarctica, and southwest England. An experiment with a 50 cycle run produced results which showed significantly greater debris production in the Antarctica and Tunisian simulations than in the southwest England simulation. Using X-ray analysts to determine salt penetration, an inverse relationship between salt penetration and debris production was seen to exist. This could be the result of evaporation in the Tunisian simulation and rapid freezing in the Antarctic simulation, concentrating salts in the upper layers of the rock samples. In the southwest England simulation, no freezing, and relatively high humidities allowed greater penetration, thus distributing an equal input of salt over a greater area. The author tentatively suggests the possible existence of a parabolic relationship between salt weathering and temperature.     

Characteristics of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion in matrix and stylolite of carbonate rocks

Characteristics of organic matter content, hydrocarbon generation and expulsion of carbonate rocks are discussed by analysis of organic carbon and pyrolysis. There is a strong inhomogeneity in distribution of organic matter in carbonate rocks. The organic matter abundance is higher in stylolites, carbonate varves or marls, while it is the lowest in matrixes (purer carbonate rocks around stylolites). Because of stable thickness and broad area, marls and carbonate varves may become good source rocks. At the same depth, stylolites, carbonate varves and matrixes generate and expel hydrocarbons almost at the same time. Expulsion efficiency of carbonate varve is the highest; that of rnatrixes is the lowest and that of stylolites is between marl’s or carbonate varve’s and matrix’s. Project supported by the Science and Technology Research of the 9th Five-Year Plan from China National Petroleum & Gas Company.