Hydrothermal bitumen generated from sedimentary organic matter of rift lakes – Lake Chapala, Citala Rift, western Mexico

Lake Chapala is in the Citala Rift of western Mexico, which in association with the Tepic-Zacoalco and Colima Rifts, form the well-known neotectonic Jalisco continental triple junction. The rifts are characterized by evidence for both paleo- and active hydrothermal activity. At the south shore of the lake, near the Los Gorgos sublacustrine hydrothermal field, there are two tar emanations that appear as small islands composed of solid, viscous and black bitumen. Aliquots of tar were analyzed by GC-MS and the mixtures are comprised of geologically mature biomarkers and an UCM. PAH and n-alkanes are not detectable. The biomarkers consist mainly of hopanes, gammacerane, tricyclic terpanes, carotane and its cracking products, steranes, and drimanes. The biomarker composition and bulk C isotope composition (δ¹³C = −21.4%) indicate an organic matter source from bacteria and algae, typical of lacustrine ecosystems. The overall composition of these tars indicates that they are hydrothermal petroleum formed from lacustrine organic matter in the deeper sediments of Lake Chapala exceeding 40 ka (¹⁴C) in age and then forced to the lakebed by tectonic activity. The absence of alkanes and the presence of an UCM with mature biomarkers are consistent with rapid hydrothermal oil generation and expulsion at temperatures of 200–250 °C. The occurrence of hydrothermal petroleum in continental rift systems is now well known and should be considered in future energy resource exploration in such regions.     

热液烃的生成与深部油气藏

热液烃不仅分布于洋底,在大陆也有广泛分布,实验表明:热液对碳酸盐岩和沉积有机质的作用均有油气生成;洋底火山岩流体包裹体、原油、有机质Pb、Sr、Nd同位素均表明地幔流体在油气生成中的作用。认识热液烃的存在对开拓深部油气藏的勘探有重要意义。     

Hydrothermal petroleum of Lake Chapala,Citala Rift,western Mexico: Bitumen compositions from source sediments and application of hydrous pyrolysis

Hydrothermal simulation experiments were performed with contemporary sediments from Lake Chapala to assess the source of the lake tars. The precursor-product relationships of the organic compounds were determined for the source sediments and their hydrous pyrolysis products. The pyrolysis products contained major unresolved complex mixtures of branched and cyclic hydrocarbons, low amounts of n-alkanes, dinosterane, gammacerane, and immature and mature hopane biomarkers derived from lacustrine biomass sources. The results support the proposal that the tar manifestations in the lake are not biodegraded petroleum, but were hydrothermally generated from lacustrine organic matter at temperatures not exceeding about 250 °C over brief geological times.     

The use of carbon and sulfur isotopes as correlation parameters for the source identification of beach tar in the southern California borderland

Carbon and sulfur isotope ratios and total sulfur content are used to correlate beach tars depositing near Los Angeles with their probable sources. Analysis is confined strictly to the asphaltene fraction of petroleum owing to the insensitivity of this fraction to weathering processes.The δ¹³C, δ³⁴S and % S of the asphaltene fraction of natural offshore seep oils range from ?22.51 to ?23.20%., +7.75 to + 15.01%. and 4.45 to 8.27%, respectively. Values for local offshore production wells overlapped those for the natural seepage, ranging from ?22.10 to ?22.85%., ?2.96 to 13.90%., and 0.81 to 8.00%. Analytical values for these parameters show that tanker crudes imported into the area are not similar to the California oils. Analysis of the same parameters in beach tars collected during 1976–1977 indicates a close match with the potential source oils, thus it is concluded that these parameters are useful for identifying petroleum sources, even after 2–4 weeks of weathering. Results indicate that 55% of the tars in Santa Monica Bay are derived from natural oil seepage 150km to the northwest at Coal Oil Point, 26% are derived from natural oil seepage in Santa Monica Bay, and 19% are derived from unknown sources.Models of tar transport are inferred which are consistent with the seasonal deposition pattern. Tar from Coal Oil Point natural oil seeps is transported southward in the southern California gyre during the spring, summer and fall seasons, but probably undergoes northward transport during the winter season due to the surfacing of the Davidson Current. Tar from the Santa Monica Bay natural oil seeps moves onshore, but deposition rate seems to depend on seepage flow rate.     

Geochemistry of shallow sediments in Guaymas Basin, gulf of California: hydrothermal gas and oil migration and effects of mineralogy

Offset of prograde hydrothermal alterations by retrograde reactions is evident in sediments from a piston core (PC6, 8 m long) from the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Geochemical and mineralogical analyses of sediments and pore fluids show superimposed geochemical signals that indicate currently active reactions are modifying previously formed secondary solids. Hydrothermal barite was formed in a previously active flow channel between 150 and 250 cm depth. Hydrothermal gypsum is presently dissolving at depths > 780 cm, below which hydrothermal fluid flow is channeled by a secondary dolomite layer. Thermal stress of organic matter generates hydrothermal gas and petroleum having wide ranges of compositions and maturities. A significant amount of hydrothermally generated oil has been transported laterally through a porous debris flow (approx. 240 cm subbottom), overwhelming the indigenous bituminous matter. Water soluble petroleum constituents have disseminated throughout the cored sediments. From 400 to 700 cm depth the immature organic matter continues to experience thermally-enhanced diagenesis, and an even higher thermal stress has occurred at the bottom of the core. Enhanced bacterial degradation of organic matter has led to depletion of pore water sulfate and enrichment of ammonium (NH₄⁺) in both pore fluid and sediment, resulting in formation of NH₄⁺ bearing secondary clay minerals at depths below 780 cm.     

Application of Organic Geochemistry to Coastal Tar Residues from Central California

Tar residues are common on the coastline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. These coastal tar residues have been washed ashore and usually occur on headlands near the high-tide line. In this study, 18 coastal tar residues were collected and analyzed to determine their carbon isotopic compositions and the values of selected biomarker ratios. All of the residues have very heavy (¹³C-enriched) carbon isotopic compositions spanning a narrow range (δ¹³C = ?22.2 to ?23.4‰), and 28,30-bisnorhopane is present in all samples. These same geochemical characteristics are found in Monterey Formation oils from which the coastal tar residues were likely derived. These coastal residues could result from natural seeps or from accidental spills. Statistically the coastal tar residues can be organized into three groups, each of which may represent different spill or seep events. Seven samples of potential local representative sources for the tar residues were examined, but none could account for the coastal tars.     

Similarities and differences in hydrous pyrolysis of biomass and source rocks

In laboratory simulation of oil generation, products from closed systems pyrolysis of immature source rocks in the presence of water gives the closest match to petroleum compositions observed in nature. Fresh biomass can also be converted to fluids by pyrolysis, but in the absence of the sedimentary diagenetic transformations, the initially much higher oxygen content gives high yields of oxygen containing products. In this work, the reactions that occur during hydrous pyrolysis of a Kimmeridge source rock, a brown coal and two polymeric waste materials from alginate production are compared in terms of quantities of the main products and kinetic models of the reaction systems. The biomass pyrolysis and the simulated maturation are described in similar reaction networks. Conversion of biomass to fluids occurred with reaction networks and activation energy distributions comparable to the brown coal, while for the Kimmeridge source rock reactions a simpler reaction network could be used. The biomass samples gave a high degree of conversion to fluid products, and higher yields of bitumen than the coal.     

Bottom sediments and pore waters near a hydrothermal vent in Lake Baikal (Frolikha Bay)

We discuss the redox environments and the compositions of bottom sediments and sedimentary pore waters in the region of a hydrothermal vent in Frolikha Bay, Lake Baikal. According to our results, the submarine vent and its companion nearby spring on land originate from a common source. The most convincing evidence for their relation comes from the proximity of stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions in pore waters and in the spring water. The isotope composition indicates a meteoric origin of pore waters, but their major- and minor-element chemistry bears imprint of deep water which may seep through permeable faulted crust. Although pore waters near the submarine vent have a specific enrichment in major and minor constituents, hydrothermal discharge at the Baikal bottom causes a minor impact on the lake water chemistry, unlike the case of freshwater geothermal lakes in the East-African Rift and North America.     

东非裂谷Tanganyika地堑石油地质特征和勘探潜力分析

随着东非裂谷乌干达区块的勘探获得重大突破,与之石油地质条件相似的Tanganyika地堑的勘探潜力受到了人们的重视。Tanganyika地堑地处东非,属于东非裂谷西支的中段,是典型陆内裂谷盆地,主要沉积中新世以来的地层,现仍大部分被湖水覆盖,湖盆水体较深。盆地整体分为2个次盆,呈三隆夹两凹的构造格局。盆地目前勘探程度较低,根据现有资料推测,盆地地层埋深较大,深洼区中新统地层发育成熟烃源岩,具有较大的生烃潜力和生烃规模; 陆内盆地物源相对充足,储盖组合条件较好; 应力复杂,能够形成大量多种类型构造及构造-地层圈闭; 各种成藏条件匹配关系较好,有利于油气聚集成藏。综合分析认为,盆地具有较大勘探潜力,其中盆地转换带是最有利的油气勘探区。     

苏丹Muglad盆地FN油田沥青垫的确认及成因分析

Fula坳陷位于苏丹 Muglad盆地东北部,面积约 5 000 km2,已发现有较大规模的油气储量.FN油田是到目前为止该坳陷发现的最大油田,储量近亿吨,主要储层是上白垩统 Aradeiba组和下白垩统 Bentiu组.油田地质地球化学研究表明,水洗和生物降解作用是稠油形成的主要原因.该油田普遍发育有沥青垫,开发难度较大.对该油田两口井原油和油砂详细的地球化学分析以及对沥青垫成因的探讨,为进一步的油气勘探开发提供了决策依据.     

Active hydrate destabilization in Lake Baikal,Siberia?

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present new seismic and heat-flow data that show the base of the hydrate stability zone (BHSZ) in Lake Baikal to be locally characterized by abnormal variations in depth, with distinct regions of deeper-than-normal and regions of shallower-than-normal BHSZ. These variations are related to strong lateral variations in heat flow, and occur in close association with important rift-basin faults. Areas of shallow BHSZ are also characterized by the presence of several methane seeps and mud volcanoes at the lake floor. We infer that the seeps are the surface expression of escape pathways for overpressured fluids generated by the dissociation of pre-existing hydrates, in response to a thermal pulse caused by an upward flow of hydrothermal fluids towards the BHSZ. It thus seems that present-day hydrate dissociation in Lake Baikal is modulated by the tectonic activity in the rift rather than by – climatically controlled – changes in lake level or water temperature.     

中国非常规油气勘探与研究新进展

全球油气勘探目标的转移和石油地质学的发展,具有从毫-微米孔喉的圈闭油气,逐渐向纳米孔喉的连续型油气聚集发展的趋势。近十年非常规油气资源在全球能源格局中的地位愈发重要,致密气、煤层气、重油、沥青砂等已成为勘探开发的重点领域,致密油成为亮点领域,页岩气成为热点领域。中国致密气、页岩气、致密油、煤层气等非常规油气资源勘探开发取得重要突破,油页岩、天然气水合物、油砂矿等有重要进展。中国非常规油气研究也取得重大进展,陆相敞流湖盆大型浅水三角洲砂体、湖盆中心砂质碎屑流沉积和湖相碳酸盐岩等,提供了湖盆中心储集体形成和分布的理论依据;创新发展了连续型油气聚集理念,明晰了连续型油气聚集的10个基本地质特征和2项关键标志,为大面积非常规油气规模勘探开发奠定了理论基础;系统表征了致密油气储层的纳米级微观孔喉结构,首次发现了纳米孔喉中油气的赋存,推动了纳米孔喉中油气流动机制和分布规律的研究。随着全球石油工业和纳米等技术的快速发展,提出了"纳米油气"概念,并指出这是未来石油工业的发展方向,需要发展纳米油气透视观测镜、纳米油气驱替剂、纳米油气开采机器人等换代技术,油气智能化时代即将到来。     

Closed Basin Brine Evolution and the Influence of Ca–Cl Inflow Waters: Death Valley and Bristol Dry Lake California, Qaidam Basin, China, and Salar de Atacama, Chile

Diagenetic-hydrothermal brines, here called “hydrothermal Ca–Cl brines,” have compositions that reflect interactions between groundwaters and rocks or sediments at elevated temperatures. Hydrothermal Ca–Cl brines reach the surface by convection-driven or topographically driven circulation, and discharge as springs or seeps along fault zones to become important inflow waters in many tectonically active closed basins. Case studies from (1) Qaidam Basin, China, (2) Death Valley, California, (3) Salar de Atacama, Chile, and (4) Bristol Dry Lake, California illustrate that hydrothermal Ca–Cl inflow waters have influenced brine evolution in terms of major ion chemistries and mineral precipitation sequences. All four basins are tectonically active; three (Death Valley, Salar de Atacama, and Qaidam Basin) have well-documented Ca–Cl spring inflow and Holocene faulting. Bristol Dry Lake has young volcanic deposits and Salar de Atacama has an active stratovolcano on its eastern margin, indicating subsurface magma bodies. A midcrustal magma chamber has been identified in southern Death Valley. Volcanism and faulting in these closed basins provides the heat source for hydrothermal-diagenetic processes and the energy and pathways to deliver these waters to the surface.     

Bacterial incorporation of relict carbon in the hydrothermal environment of Guaymas Basin

Radiocarbon analyses of bulk carbon and individual organic compounds are presented for the hydrothermal environment of the Rebecca’s Roost vent in the southern trough of the Guaymas Basin hydrothermal field. The Δ¹⁴C values of CO₂ and CH₄in the hottest hydrothermal fluids (317°C) are nearly “radiocarbon dead” (−944‰ and −923‰, respectively). In contrast, the Δ¹⁴C values of sediments and individual fatty acids (−418‰ to −227‰) obtained from a bacterial mat located south of the vent site are similar to values previously reported for hydrothermal petroleum in this environment and are more depleted in ¹⁴C than overlying waters. Hydrothermal fluids moving through the sediments appear to supply ¹⁴C of intermediate age to the bacteria. This carbon may take the form of, or may be supplied by processes similar to, the generation of hydrothermal petroleum. Although the bacterial mat visibly was dominated by Beggiatoa spp., such mats are known to include numerous other species. Individual compound data show that preaged carbon is being consumed by the integrated bacterial assemblage. Values of δ¹³C and Δ¹⁴C indicate that petroleum-derived carbon is incorporated directly into fresh bacterial biomass. Subsequently, some of this newly synthesized material also is consumed by heterotrophs, as eukaryotic sterols from the same sample also have ¹⁴C-depleted values (Δ¹⁴C = −136‰ to −110‰). Therefore, the entire system may operate as a complex consortium to transform relict carbon back into biomass. Bacterial consumption of relict carbon occurs despite the ample supply of fresh carbon delivered from the productive, overlying water column.     

Mid-Cretaceous hydrothermal vents and authigenic carbonates in a transform margin, Basque-Cantabrian Basin (western Pyrenees): a multidisciplinary study

A comprehensive study of authigenic carbonates and associated fauna in Late Albian organic‐rich, deep‐water deposits (the Black Flysch Group) reveals that carbonate precipitation was a by‐product of the anaerobic oxidation of hydrocarbon‐rich hydrothermal fluids. The authigenic carbonates are exposed along the Kardala and Alkolea sea cliffs in the western Pyrenees. The two vent carbonates occur 1 km apart adjacent to the synsedimentary, right‐reverse Mutriku fault, but in contrasting structural domains: the Kardala carbonates occur on a structural ridge (hangingwall) and the Alkolea carbonates are positioned at the base of an erosional scarp (folded downward footwall). The similarity in pattern of the carbonate phases and complex paragenetic events for both vent precipitates implies that hydrothermal fluid generation processes and pore‐water evolution during early and late diagenesis were similar. Nevertheless, a comparison of the geochemistry, fossil fauna and morphology of carbonate structures of both precipitates suggests that the vented hydrocarbon type, flow intensity and temperature of hydrothermal fluids were different. At the Kardala vent, intense focused flow of hot (up to 109 °C), oil‐rich fluids were generated, allowing the development of a relatively abundant chemosynthesis‐based fauna. In contrast, at the Alkolea vent, diffuse flows of warm, thermogenic methane‐rich fluids were expelled to the sea floor and no chemosynthetic fauna developed. These differences are related to the contrasting structural setting of each locality. Similar δ¹³C_org values for both pyrobitumen‐fills and host unit organic matter suggest that the hydrocarbon source was the Black Flysch Group. Contact alteration of these organic‐rich sediments by syndepositional hydrothermal fluids generated hydrothermal petroleum (oil and gas hydrocarbons) which probably migrated updip to the sea floor by contemporary compression tectonics.     

The bituminous mixtures of Tall-e Abu Chizan: A Vth millennium BC settlement in southwestern Iran

Various bituminous artifacts were excavated from the Tall-e Abu Chizan, a late prehistoric (Middle Susiana to Middle Uruk) settlement on the middle of the Curvy plain, between the Karun River and the Ram Hormoz Plain. All samples dated from the Vth millennium BC and cover three periods: 5000–4700 BC (Late Middle Susiana), 4700–4200 BC (Late Susiana 1) and 4200–3900 BC (Late Susiana 2). The bitumens were studied using the techniques of petroleum geochemistry and were compared both to the unaltered crude oils produced from the main oil fields in the area and to the famous Mamatain oil seeps. All samples are very rich in bitumen (average 46 wt%) which has been biodegraded and oxidized. Despite these alteration phenomena, δ¹³C of asphaltenes occur within a narrow range of less than 1‰ PDB. Biodegradation affected the steranes, terpanes, dibenzothiophenes and mono- and triaromatic steroids. Molecular characteristics of terpanes, especially the occurrence of 18α (H)-oleanane, suggest that the bitumen from Tall-e Abu Chizan is a mixture generated from Cretaceous Kazdhumi and Eocene Pabdeh petroleum source rocks. In that respect, bitumens from Tall-e Abu Chizan belong to the same oil family as oil from the Naft Safid field, which is in the vicinity of the archaeological site. In fact, the bitumen at Tall-e Abu Chizan likely originated from oil seepages at Naft Safid. These oil seeps have not yet been sampled or analysed.     

The lithium isotopic composition of waters of the Mono Basin, California

Mono Lake, a major closed-basin alkaline salt lake in eastern California, derives its water from a mixture of creeks and springs, with the former providing in excess of 75% of the total. The Li isotopic composition of lake water has not varied significantly over a 4 year meromictic period (δ⁷Li ∼ +19.5). Springs are isotopically distinct: groundwater springs and seeps carry water enriched in isotopically heavy Li whereas thermal springs supply isotopically light (δ⁷Li < lake), but 10 times more Li-rich, water. Isotopic fractionation during crystallization of carbonate tufa and evaporitic salt appears to be insignificant, and thus cannot be called on as a principal control of the isotopic balance of Li of the lake. Isotopic differences between the end-member source components permit a water budget to be calculated, suggesting (1) springs provide > 50% of the Li to the lake; (2) the Li budget is sensitively balanced on small thermal spring contributions, < 3% of the total spring inflow; and (3) the residence time of Li in the lake is 28 ka. Other Great Basin closed lakes have variable Li isotopic compositions (δ⁷Li from +16.7 to +23.7), all of which differ significantly from those of several major lakes and seawater (homogeneously ∼ +32).     

The organic geochemistry of oil seeps from the Sierra de Perijá eastern foothills, Lake Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela

The organic geochemistry of samples from 11 oil seeps was studied. The samples were collected from the Cachirí area, Carboniferous Region of Tulé (Lake Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela), associated with the Tigre Fault. Biomarkers (hopanes, steranes, n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, and aromatic steroids) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These hydrocarbon rich fluids have undergone biodegradation (2-6 on the Peters and Moldowan scale), showing both the partial loss of n-alkanes and the microbial degradation of isoprenoids and steranes. These oil seeps were generated from a mature calcareous source rock that was deposited in a marine paleoenvironment under reducing conditions. Moreover, these seeps are likely derived from the Cretaceous La Luna Formation that reached a level of maturity near the peak of oil generation in the study area. The nature of the studied oil seeps, together with the oil generation models reported for this rock unit in the study area, suggests that these oils are a mixture of an initially heavy, altered oil and a second migrated light crude oil resulting from two generation pulses from the La Luna Formation. Evidence for the presence of light oil trapped in the study area should prompt re-exploration in the northwestern coast of Lake Maracaibo in shallow reservoirs, previously discarded because they usually demonstrated a lack of light oils.     

Preservation and characteristics of plant remains in Iranian natural bitumens

Gell preserved monocotyledon and peeridophyta remains were found in natural bitumen frrm Iranian, tar pit and oil seeps, using reflected and fluorescence light microscopy. The plant tissue are impregnated or partially replaced by bitumens the extent of this replacement is noted.     

Organic geochemistry indicates Gebel El Zeit,Gulf of Suez,is a source of bitumen used in some Egyptian mummies

Molecular geochemical properties of crude oils and surface petroleum seeps from the southern part of the Gulf of Suez were evaluated. The characterizations of individual aliphatic, aromatic, and biomarker compounds were based on gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. The results provided strong evidence for a close genetic association of these samples. The geochemical characteristics suggest an origin from Tertiary source rocks deposited in a normal marine environment that received continental runoff. The molecular signatures of the investigated samples were very similar to those of the Lower Miocene Rudeis Formation source rock in the southern Gulf of Suez. Further, biomarker fingerprints of the investigated oil seeps were compared with those of the Dead Sea asphalt, as well as the bitumen from some Egyptian mummies reported in the literature. The results demonstrate that oil seeps from the southern end of Gebel El Zeit were used by ancient Egyptians for embalming. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.