Inversion of multiple thermal indicators: Quantitative methods of determining paleoheat flux and geological parameters. I. Theoretical development for paleoheat flux

The quantitative inversion of present-day downhole thermal indicator information enables (a) assessment of the effective paleoheat flux recorded by thermal indicators, and (b) determination of geological parameters related to the dynamical burial history of sedimentary strata. The logic of the general inversion scheme underlying seven thermal indicators, viz. vitrinite reflectance, sterane, and/or hopane isomers, sterane aromatization, optical rotation,³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar, pollen translucency, and fission scar tracks in apatite is presented, and their capability for resolving paleoheat flux is noted. In a second paper, determination of chemical and physical parameters, as well as several other quantities of geological interest (such as the sizes and erosion times of multiple unconformities, stratigraphic ages, paleo-overpressure, igneous intrusion timing, overthrust timing and frictional heat generation, fault and slump timing, thermal effects due to radioactive layer emplacement, and salt emplacement and dissolution timing) are discussed. Such events impact on both burial and thermal histories of sedimentary layers.Resolution problems are discussed also in the second paper, as is an attractive scheme called thermal indicator tomography for sorting out degrees of resolution, precision, and uniqueness of the relevant geological parameters for each process in combination with determination of the effective paleoheat flux. Detailed statements on the mechanics of implementing the tomographic approach are provided.     

Inversion of multiple thermal indicators: Quantitative methods of determining paleoheat flux and geological parameters. III. Stratigraphic age determination from inversion of vitrinite reflectance data and sterane isomerization data

Thermal indicator data are used in an inverse mode to determine ages of stratigraphic horizons simultaneously with paleoheat flux. Results from blind tests on wells with horizon ages ranging from Ordovician through Carboniferous and Jurassic to Miocene indicate that thermal indicator inversions are capable of resolving such ages to within about 10% uncertainty. Results using the inversion procedure with one thermal indicator (vitrinite reflectance) were comparable to the results using another independent thermal indicator (sterane isomerization) in the same well. The activation energy for sterane isomerization was determined to be 30±15 kJ mol^–1. In addition: (a) the age of a stratigraphic horizon, the thickness of eroded sediments at an unconformity, and the variation of paleoheat flux with time were determined simultaneously by thermal indicator inversion in a single well; (b) two neighboring wells, less than 10 km apart, provided essentially identical ages for the same formation when tested using the inversion procedure. The ability to determine stratigraphic horizon ages from inversion of thermal indicator data implies that sedimentation rates can be determined; thus, basinal evolution can be inferred to a degree of resolution not previously obtainable from assumed interpolation methods applied to determine the age of horizons between a limited set of stratigraphic horizons of known ages.     

煤成油生成和运移的模拟实验研究 Ⅲ．甾、萜标记物特征及其意义

在对两个褐煤样品进行同时考虑生烃和排烃模拟实验的基础上，本文对其甾、萜标记物的组成、分布和演化进行了研究，探讨了其生源意义、成熟演化及与自然演化的异同和甾、萜参数作为运移指标的意义。     

动态指标层析法介绍

参数值是影响模拟结果正确可信的重要因素。介绍了一、二维模拟中参数值确定的动态指标层析法，以及作为其发展基础的由多种热指标确定古充的反演方法，简述了动态指标和热指标相结合的确定参数值层析方法。     

Inversion of multiple thermal indicators: Quantitative methods of determining paleoheat flux and geological parameters IV. Case histories using thermal indicator tomography

A quantitative tomographic method to determine simultaneously several geological, geochemical, and geothermal parameters associated with reconstruction of the geohistory and thermal history of sediments in a well is presented. Using vitrinite reflectance data from the well Inigok-1, National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska, the numerical algorithm was tested and found to be effective in delineating the variation of heat flux with time. In addition, the size and timing of a major unconformity also were bracketed. Application of tomography using apatite fission track distributions with depth as a thermal indicator enabled not only the thermal history of two wells in the NW Canning Basin of Australia to be determined, but also the chemical parameters associated with fission track annealing to be constrained. Results of both the Alaska study and the Australian study were consistent with the qualitative behavior inferred from current geological models.     

Hydrocarbon source potential and depositional environment of the Surma Group shales of Bengal basin,Bangladesh

Surma Group is the most important geological unit of Bengal basin, Bangladesh, because petroleum resources occur within this group. It is mainly composed of alternation of shale and sandstone and the shale fraction has long been considered as source rocks and the sandstone fraction as reservoir. These source and reservoir rocks have been studied by different authors by different approach but none of them adopted organic geochemistry and organic petrology as a means of study of source rock and their possible depositional environment. A total of thirty shale core samples have been collected from eight different gas fields to fulfill the short coming. The collected samples have been subjected to Source Rock Analysis (SRA) and/or Rock-Eval (RE) followed by pyrolysis gas chromatography (PyGC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS), elemental analysis (EA) and organic petrological study such as vitrinite reflectance measurement and maceral analysis. The analyzed organic matter extracted from the shales of Surma Group consists mainly of Type III along with some Type II kerogen. The studied shales are mostly organically lean (TOC ±1%) and the extracted organic matter is fair to moderate. Based on these results, the analyzed shales have been ranked as poor (mostly) to fair quality source rock. The organic matter of the analyzed shale samples is thermally immature to early mature for hydrocarbon generation considering their T_max and measured mean vitrinite reflectance values. The hopane 22S/(22S + 22R), moretane/hopane ratio and sterane parameters are also in good agreement with these thermal maturity assessments. The predominance of odd carbons over even carbons (most common) and/or even carbons over odd carbon numbered n-alkanes, moderate Pr/Ph ratio, low to high Tm/Ts ratio, comparative abundance of sterane C₂₉ (i.e., C₂₉ >C₂₇>C₂₈), Pr/nC₁₇ — Ph/nC₁₈ values, C/S ratio and dominance of vitrinite macerals group with the presence of liptinite macerals demonstrate that the organic matter has derived mainly from terrestrial inputs with an insignificant contribution from the marine sources. The condition of deposition alternates from oxic to anoxic.     

三塘湖盆地中生界烃源岩有机质成熟度的确定

运用镜质组反射率、袍子体荧光参数、生物标志物参数详细研究了三塘湖盆地中生界烃源岩的有机质热演化特征及演化阶段。研究表明镜质组反射率是该区有机质热汪化最可靠听成熟度参数，孢子体荧光参数是重要的热演化指标，生物标志物参数是有效的热演化指标。三塘湖盆地有机质总体热演化水平较低，且在横向和纵向上存在明显的差异。该区的有机质热演化具有明显的阶段性，运用成熟度参数将其划分为未成熟和成熟两个阶段。     

The transmittance color index of amorphous organic matter: a thermal maturity indicator for petroleum source rocks

Since the mid-1980s, Texaco has used the transmittance color index (TCI) of amorphous kerogen as an indicator of kerogen thermal maturation. The technique simply involves the direct measurement of a white-light spectrum as it is transmitted through a particle of amorphous organic matter (AOM). In brief, TCI values are obtained by the analysis of white light originating from a 100-W 6-V tungsten lamp attached to a photometric microscope. The assignment of particular TCI values is based on the increasing curvature of spectra with increasing maturity. TCI curves shift from an average wavelength around 580 nm for samples of immature, amorphous kerogen (i.e., material with a mean, random vitrinite reflectance of about 0.20%) to about 660 nm for samples containing very dark brown to some black particulate material (i.e., kerogen with a mean, random vitrinite reflectance of about 2.15%). The range of TCI values covers all zones of petroleum generation and preservation. In our opinion, TCI can provide as accurate a basis for maturation interpretations as is available from vitrinite reflectance (or from the mean random reflectance of some zooclasts, such as graptolites and chitinozoans), or the widely used visual estimate the thermal alteration index (TAI) or the similarly determined conodont color index (CAI). TCI is probably most useful, however, in those situations where the rocks to be examined have not yet reached the semianthricite coalification stage (≈2.0% vitrinite reflectance).     

Molecular composition and organic petrographic characterization of Madbi source rocks from the Kharir Oilfield of the Masila Basin (Yemen): palaeoenvironmental and maturity interpretation

The upper part of Madbi Formation organic-rich shale is considered an important regional source rock in the Masila Basin, Yemen. Ten cutting samples from this Upper Jurassic organic-rich shale were collected from wells drilled in the Kharir Oilfield, Masila Basin in order to geochemically assess the type of organic matter, thermal maturity and depositional environment conditions. Results reveal that Upper Jurassic organic-rich shale samples contain high organic matter more than 2.0 wt.% TOC and have very good to excellent hydrocarbon potential. Marine algae organic matter is the main source input for the Upper Jurassic shale sequence studied. This has been identified from organic petrographic characteristics and from the n-alkane distributions, which dominated by n-C₁₄-n-C₂₀ alkanes. This is supported by the high value of the biomarker sterane/hopane ratio that approaches unity, as well as the relatively high C₂₇ sterane concentrations. A mainly suboxic depositional environment is inferred from pr/ph ratios (1.75–2.38). This is further supported by relatively high homohopane value, which is dominated by low carbon numbers and decrease towards the C₃₅ homohopane. The concentrations of C₃₅ homohopane are very low. The depositional environment conditions are confirmed by some petrographic characteristics (e.g. palynofacies). Detailed palynofacies analysis of Madbi shales shows that the Madbi shale formation is characterised by a mix of amorphous organic matter, dinoflagellates cysts and phytoclasts, representing a suboxic, open marine setting. The Upper Jurassic marine shale sequence in the Masila Basin is thermally mature for hydrocarbon generation as indicated by biomarker thermal maturity parameters. The 22 S/22 S + 22R C₃₂ homohopane has reached equilibrium, with values range from 0.58 to 0.62 which suggest that the Upper Jurassic shales are thermally mature and that the oil window has been reached. 20 S/(20 S + 20R) and ββ/(ββ + αα) C₂₉ sterane ratios suggest a similar interpretation, as do the moretane/hopane ratio. This is supported by vitrinite reflectance data ranging from 0.74% to 0.90%Ro and thermal alteration of pollen and spore. The thermal alteration index value is around 2.6–3.0, corresponding to a palaeotemperature range of 60–120°C. These are the optimum oil-generating strata. On the basis of this study, the Madbi source rock was deposited under suboxic conditions in an open marine environment and this source rock is still within the oil window maturity range.     

Characteristics of biomarkers in source rocks of the Ganquan Formation in the Dahulishan region, Ejina Banner

Based on gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry techniques, the authors examined biomarker characteristics of the Ganquan Formation source rocks in the area of Dahulishan, Ejina, and analyzed the information and petroleum geological significance that were indicated by the source of organic matter, sedimentary environment and maturity and so on. Gas chromatography peak of saturated hydrocarbons from the Ganquan Formation source rocks showed "the former peak" of the single peak distribution, the main peak of carbon being C18 , indicating the main sources of organic matter with marine organic matter. Pr/Ph ranges from 0.3 to 0.6, indicating a strongly reducing sedimentary environment. Biomarker assemblages of the Ganquan Formation source rocks are abundant in tricyclic terpane with long side chains, with a high level of gammacerane, showing dominant distribution of C27 sterane. High contents of gammacerane in organic matter show organic facies of source rocks in the saltwater sedimentary environment. That average hopane/sterane ratio is 0.59, showing that algae have made more contributions to organic matter than bacteria. And the high level of C27 steranes shows that algae are the main source of hydrocarbon precursors. The Ganquan Formation’s methylphenanthrene index, which is an effective molecular parameter index to measure thermal evolution of organic matter, ranges from 0.35 to 0.50, and the conversion of vitrinite reflectance Rc from it is within the range of 2.00-2.09, indicating that the Ganquan Formation source rocks are in the over-mature stage of thermal evolution.     

Thermal Backstripping from Vitrinite Reflectance Profiles in Comparison with an Extensional Model for Passive Continental Margin Basins on Northern Continental Shelf of South China Sea

INTRODUCTIONVitrinitereflectance(R.)canprovideagreatdealinfor-mationonthermalhistoryofabasin.Itisafunctionofmaximumpaleotemperatureandeffectiveheatingtime,inotherwords,afunctionofdepositionalrateandgeothermalgradientwithirreversiblecharacteristics.Butitalsohasacumulativeeffectthroughoutgeothermalevents.Paleotemperaturesaremainlycontro1ledbythebasalheatflowandheatgenerationfromradioactivesourceswithinthecrust.Themodelforde-terminingpaleoheatflowoflinearchangewithtimefr0mvitri-nitereflecta…     

A possible shale gas prospect? First results of the organic composition and thermal maturity of the Carboniferous Namoi Formation,northern NSW,Australia

The Namoi Formation in the Werrie Syncline, north and west of Tamworth, is part of the well-preserved Devonian–Carboniferous fore arc in the New England Fold Belt. The formation is between 640–914 m thick and consists of dominant olive-green mudstones with lenses of sandstone and oolitic limestone. To assess shale gas prospectivity, we analysed five outcrop samples from the Namoi Formation in the Keepit area. Well-preserved aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions do not show evidence of weathering or biodegradation. n-Alkanes in all samples have a unimodal distribution maximising at C₂₆ to C₂₈. Little odd-to-even n-alkane carbon number predominance and relatively low Pr/n-C₁₇ and Ph/n-C₁₈ ratios are consistent with a high thermal maturity. Based on the distribution of alkylnaphthalenes and alkylphenanthrenes, the Namoi Formation is in the gas window. Calibration of the methylphenanthrene index and ratio with vitrinite reflectance suggests a calculated reflectance around 2.1%, which given a normal geothermal gradient is equivalent to a maximum temperature of 205°C for the deepest burial of the formation. There is a dominance of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) over alkylated PAHs, supporting a high thermal maturity. Some samples contain biomarkers suggestive of a marine depositional environment, including the C₃₀ sterane index and the C₃₁/C₃₀ hopane ratio. The Namoi Formation is a prospective shale-gas source, as it has been buried sufficiently to be well within the gas window. Where it is exposed at the surface gas will have been lost, but elsewhere it will be buried beneath other sediments and may still retain gas. Key exploration uncertainties include information on organic richness, lateral variation in thermal maturity, mineralogy, and porosity–permeability relationships.     

Salt diapir velocity assessment from temperature and thermal indicator anomalies: application to Lulu-1, Danish North Sea

A method is exhibited for assessing the time of onset of diapirism and salt flow-speed. Using vitrinite reflectance measurements from wells drilled on top of a salt structure it is possible to determine the excess maturity caused by the focusing of heat due to the higher thermal conductivity of salt. The method is based on calculation of the thermal anomaly surrounding a rising salt diapir. For a given salt speed, predicted vitrinite reflectance values are calculated and compared with the observed values at given depths. The process is repeated with various speeds of the rising salt until consistency of predicted and observed values is obtained, thus constraining an assessment of the velocity of the salt. The method can easily be tailored to thermal indicators other than vitrinite reflectance, thereby enhancing the resolution of the thermal history, and constraining both the onset of salt rise as well as the speed. The well, Lulu-1, from the Danish North Sea, is used to illustrate the procedure.     

Inversion of multiple thermal indicators: Quantitative methods of determining paleoheat flux and geological parameters. II. Theoretical development for chemical, physical, and geological parameters

Using the logic for quantitative inversion of present-day downhole thermal indicators, the inversion procedure can be used to determine unknown, or poorly known, chemical and physical parameters as well as other geological quantities of interest which impact on burial history and thermal history of an evolving sedimentary basin. Some such quantities are: amount of erosion and timing of unconformities, paleo-overpressuring, stratigraphic age, timing of igneous intrusion and insertion temperature, overthrust timing and frictional heating, fault and slump timing, effects due to emplacement of a radiocative layer, and salt emplacement and dissolution timing. Combining a priori unknown values of these chemical/physical and geological parameters with unknown (a priori) paleoheat flux variations, a theoretical scheme, called thermal indicator tomography, is developed for the systematic determination of all parameters at the same time and on the same footing. Case histories will be discussed in subsequent papers in this series.     

沉积盆地下古生界碳酸盐岩地区热历史恢复方法探索

古温标是目前恢复沉积盆地热历史最常用方法之一,但在下古生界高过成熟碳酸盐岩由于没有合适的成熟度标定参数(古温标),对其经受的热历史和成烃史的恢复一直是困扰中国海相碳酸盐岩油气勘探的问题。目前常用的沥青反射率、牙形石色变指数、镜状体反射率等各类古温标,在用于早古生代碳酸盐岩地区的热历史恢复时都是借助于它们各自与镜质体反射率之间的关系,再利用现有的镜质体反射率模拟热历史方法来恢复热历史,因而存在不同的缺陷。重点介绍了利用有机质自由基浓度作为碳酸盐岩地区古温标的可能性。通过不同时间和温度下的热模拟得到的有机质自由基浓度数据,初步建立了三种类型有机质的自由基浓度(N)与时间-温度指数(TTI)的定量模型。这种有机质自由基浓度与TTI的关系式为碳酸盐岩地区古地温的恢复提供了新的方法。     

小太平山油砂油地球化学及生物降解特征

采用小太平山同一层位不同深度且连续的油砂样品,对油砂油的地球化学及生物降解特征进行分析。小太平山油砂油在生物降解作用下产生了丰富的25-降霍烷,常规藿烷和甾烷也发生了一系列变化。由于分子结构和稳定性不同,抗降解能力不同,C_(21)/C_(23)三环萜烷、伽马蜡烷/C_(30)藿烷、Ts/Tm、C_(30)重排藿烷/C_(30)藿烷值、αααC_(27)R/αααC_(29)R、C_(28)αααR/C_(29)αααR、C_(29)ααα20R/αββ20S、C_(29)ααα20R/αββ20R、C_(27)重排甾烷/(规则甾烷+重排甾烷)、常规藿烷异构体降解为25-降霍烷的比例,均反映出油砂油的生物降解程度随深度的增加而增大。小太平山油砂油随含水饱和度的增加降解程度增大,证实地层水有利于细菌类微生物的迁移、营养物质的传递,促进原油的生物降解及25-降霍烷的产生。     

表征海相烃源岩有机质成熟度的若干重要指标的对比与研究

对目前表征海相烃源岩有机质成熟度的几个重要指标（镜质体反射率,沥青反射率,镜状体反射率、动物有机碎屑反射率及牙形刺色变指数等）进行了探讨与对比,并在总结它们各自优缺点的基础上,提出了选择海相烃源岩有机质成熟度评价指标的原则,进而提出牙形刺相对荧光强度（Ｉ５４６）是表征海相烃源岩有机质成熟度的良好指标,其具有较广泛的适用性。     

叠合盆地深层构造—热演化研究方法:以四川盆地为例

与简单盆地和叠合盆地中-浅层相比,叠合盆地深层往往缺乏镜质体反射率等传统古温标,海相碳酸盐岩层次往往缺乏磷灰石、锆石等重矿物而无法开展裂变径迹和（U-Th）/He分析,而且经历了多期复杂热史,古温标早期热记录被后期构造-热事件叠加改造,因此单一古温标和单一的热史恢复模式难以满足叠合盆地深层构造-热演化研究。本文从沉积盆地构造-热演化基本研究方法入手,着重介绍了发展迅速的多种显微组分荧光分析（FAMM）和二元同位素技术。针对叠合盆地深层多期复杂热史恢复的难点,以四川盆地为例总结了开展叠合盆地深层构造-热演化研究的思路和工作方法。叠合盆地深层构造-热演化研究应坚持今古地温场并举、盆地热演化与区域构造演化相结合、地质-地球物理-地球化学三位一体的总体工作思路,多温标耦合,正、反演结合,既考虑岩石圈热演化的动力学规律,又考虑该演化过程对盆地基底沉降、地层发育、古温标热演化程度的影响,只有这样才能保证叠合盆地深层构造-热演化研究结果的可靠性。     

利用多种古地温计研究松辽盆地东南隆起区的地热史

根据实测地温资料和岩石骨架热导率测试结果对本区今地温场的特征进行限分析，利用镜质体反射率反演古热流、成岩期原生矿物流体包裹体均一法测温和磷灰石裂变烃迹的热中分析研究了本区的地热演化，所获得的认识对松辽分地东南隆起区的油气地质研究和勘探评价很有意义。     

The transfer of organic signatures from bedrock to sediment

A case study in the Canadian Arctic demonstrates how an organic geochemical signature in the regional bedrock can be transferred by erosion and redeposition to younger geological formations and surface sediments. The hydrocarbon composition recorded in Laurentian (Lower Palaeozoic) carbonate bedrock was incorporated into overlying Miocene and Quaternary formations, and modern mass waste, alluvium, snow/ice, and proglacial deposits, and further distant in ice-rafted detritus. The retention of the original geological organic signature is reflected in consistent thermal maturities (hopane ratios) and environmental indicators (sterane distributions). In the modern sediments, the geological signature is variably mixed with a modern microbial organic signature reflected in high values of carbon preference index and diploptene. These data show that hydrocarbon occurrences in bedrock may be detected by the analysis of surface detritus, especially in carbonate terrains. However they also indicate that environmental signatures may be misleading if they are inherited from older geological units.