水合物生成过程中碳同位素组成变化的实验研究

天然气水合物是一种新型的洁净能源。甲烷天然气水合物是储量最丰富的一种类型,常出现在深海中或极地大陆上,其生成的过程中会发生同位素的分馏效应。通过实验室模拟水合物生成的过程,利用天然海水与甲烷或二氧化碳气体反应,以及更接近实际生成环境的甲烷-海水-沉积物动态聚散实验,对甲烷水合物和二氧化碳水合物生成前后δ13C值进行测定,研究水合物生成过程中δ13C的变化情况。实验证明,水合物反应中碳同位素分馏是存在的,其变化程度明显小于氧同位素和氢同位素。甲烷水合物碳同位素的分馏系数αC的值为1000 3~1000 9。二氧化碳水合物生成反应后气相的碳、氧同位素变轻,重同位素趋向于进入水合物中,二氧化碳水合物碳同位素的分馏系数αC的值为1000 7~1001 2。海水中溶解的CO2气体在甲烷水合物形成过程中会被水合物捕获,从而使得δ13CDIC值变小,重的碳同位素趋于进入水合物中,而较轻的碳同位素留在海水中。但由于海水中含有的溶解CO2气体有限,经过多轮水合物动态聚散后δ13CDIC值的变化幅度会越来越小。     

Fractionation of carbon and hydrogen isotopes by methane-oxidizing bacteria

Carbon isotopic analysis of methane has become a popular technique in the exploration for oil and gas because it can be used to differentiate between thermogenic and microbial gas and can sometimes be used for gas-source rock correlations. Methane-oxidizing bacteria, however, can significantly change the carbon isotopic composition of methane; the origin of gas that has been partially oxidized by these bacteria could therefore be misinterpreted.We cultured methane-oxidizing bacteria at two different temperatures and monitored the carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of the residual methane. The residual methane was enriched in both ¹³C and D. For both isotopic species, the enrichment at equivalent levels of conversion was greater at 26°C than at 11.5°C. The change in δD relative to the change in δ¹³C was independent of temperature within the range studied. One culture exhibited a change in the fractionation pattern for carbon (but not for hydrogen) midway through the experiment, suggesting that bacterial oxidation of methane may occur via more than one pathway.The change in the δD value for the residual methane was from 8 to 14 times greater than the change in the δ¹³C value, indicating that combined carbon and hydrogen isotopic analysis may be an effective way of identifying methane which has been subjected to partial oxidation by bacteria.     

Carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation by moderately thermophilic methanogens

A series of laboratory studies were conducted to increase understanding of stable carbon (¹³C/¹²C) and hydrogen (D/H) isotope fractionation arising from methanogenesis by moderately thermophilic acetate- and hydrogen-consuming methanogens. Studies of the aceticlastic reaction were conducted with two closely related strains of Methanosaeta thermophila. Results demonstrate a carbon isotope fractionation of only 7‰ (α = 1.007) between the methyl position of acetate and the resulting methane. Methane formed by this process is enriched in ¹³C when compared with other natural sources of methane; the magnitude of this isotope effect raises the possibility that methane produced at elevated temperature by the aceticlastic reaction could be mistaken for thermogenic methane based on carbon isotopic content. Studies of H₂/CO₂ methanogenesis were conducted with Methanothermobacter marburgensis. The fractionation of carbon isotopes between CO₂ and CH₄ was found to range from 22 to 58‰ (1.023 ≤ α ≤ 1.064). Greater fractionation was associated with low levels of molecular hydrogen and steady-state metabolism. The fractionation of hydrogen isotopes between source H₂O and CH₄ was found to range from 127 to 275‰ (1.16 ≤ α ≤ 1.43). Fractionation was dependent on growth phase with greater fractionation associated with later growth stages. The maximum observed fractionation factor was 1.43, independent of the δD-H₂ supplied to the culture. Fractionation was positively correlated with temperature and/or metabolic rate. Results demonstrate significant variability in both hydrogen and carbon isotope fractionation during methanogenesis from H₂/CO₂. The relatively small fractionation associated with deuterium during H₂/CO₂ methanogenesis provides an explanation for the relatively enriched deuterium content of biogenic natural gas originating from a variety of thermal environments. Results from these experiments are used to develop a hypothesis that differential reversibility in the enzymatic steps of the H₂/CO₂ pathway gives rise to variability in the observed carbon isotope fractionation. Results are further used to constrain the overall efficiency of electron consumption by way of the hydrogenase system in M. marburgensis, which is calculated to be less than 55%.     

油成甲烷碳同位素分馏的化学动力学及其初步应用

利用金管实验装置,在高压、恒速升温的条件下对塔里木盆地2个油样进行了热解成气实验,结合GC和碳同位素分析,得到了甲烷生成率、甲烷碳同位素与实验温度和升温速率的关系。由此建立并标定了油成甲烷及其碳同位素分馏的化学动力学模型。结果表明：2个油样生成甲烷气时的平均活化能差别不大,但活化能的分布有所差异;¹²C生成的活化能在低值区稍高,而在高值区稍低,从而使生成¹²C的平均活化能稍低于¹³C。正是¹²C、¹³C甲烷生成的活化能分布上的这一微小的差异,导致了甲烷生成时碳同位素的明显分馏。所得模型在塔里木盆地的初步应用显示,英南2气藏天然气主要为晚近期的阶段聚集气,而满东1气藏天然气可能为累积聚集。     

Experimental investigation on the carbon isotope fractionation of methane during gas migration by diffusion through sedimentary rocks at elevated temperature and pressure

Molecular transport (diffusion) of methane in water-saturated sedimentary rocks results in carbon isotope fractionation. In order to quantify the diffusive isotope fractionation effect and its dependence on total organic carbon (TOC) content, experimental measurements have been performed on three natural shale samples with TOC values ranging from 0.3 to 5.74%. The experiments were conducted at 90°C and fluid pressures of 9 MPa (90 bar). Based on the instantaneous and cumulative composition of the diffused methane, effective diffusion coefficients of the ¹²CH₄ and ¹³CH₄ species, respectively, have been calculated.Compared with the carbon isotopic composition of the source methane (δ¹³C₁ = −39.1‰), a significant depletion of the heavier carbon isotope (¹³C) in the diffused methane was observed for all three shales. The degree of depletion is highest during the initial non-steady state of the diffusion process. It then gradually decreases and reaches a constant difference (Δ δ = δ¹³C_diff −δ¹³C_source) when approaching the steady-state. The degree of the isotopic fractionation of methane due to molecular diffusion increases with the TOC content of the shales. The carbon isotope fractionation of methane during molecular migration results practically exclusively from differences in molecular mobility (effective diffusion coefficients) of the ¹²CH₄ and ¹³CH₄ entities. No measurable solubility fractionation was observed.The experimental isotope-specific diffusion data were used in two hypothetical scenarios to illustrate the extent of isotopic fractionation to be expected as a result of molecular transport in geological systems with shales of different TOC contents. The first scenario considers the progression of a diffusion front from a constant source (gas reservoir) into a homogeneous “semi-infinite” shale caprock over a period of 10 Ma.In the second example, gas diffusion across a 100 m caprock sequence is analyzed in terms of absolute quantities and isotope fractionation effects. The examples demonstrate that methane losses by molecular diffusion are small in comparison with the contents of commercial size gas accumulations. The degree of isotopic fractionation is related inversely to the quantity of diffused gas so that strong fractionation effects are only observed for relatively small portions of gas.The experimental data can be readily used in numerical basin analysis to examine the effects of diffusion-related isotopic fractionation on the composition of natural gas reservoirs.     

Fundamental studies on kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of hydrogen isotope fractionation in natural gas systems

Based on quantum chemistry calculations for normal octane homolytic cracking, a kinetic hydrogen isotope fractionation model for methane, ethane, and propane formation is proposed. The activation energy differences between D-substitute and non-substituted methane, ethane, and propane are 318.6, 281.7, and 280.2 cal/mol, respectively. In order to determine the effect of the entropy contribution for hydrogen isotopic substitution, a transition state for ethane bond rupture was determined based on density function theory (DFT) calculations. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) associated with bond rupture in D and H substituted ethane results in a frequency factor ratio of 1.07. Based on the proposed mathematical model of hydrogen isotope fractionation, one can potentially quantify natural gas thermal maturity from measured hydrogen isotope values. Calculated gas maturity values determined by the proposed mathematical model using δD values in ethane from several basins in the world are in close agreement with similar predictions based on the δ¹³C composition of ethane. However, gas maturity values calculated from field data of methane and propane using both hydrogen and carbon kinetic isotopic models do not agree as closely. It is possible that δD values in methane may be affected by microbial mixing and that propane values might be more susceptible to hydrogen exchange with water or to analytical errors. Although the model used in this study is quite preliminary, the results demonstrate that kinetic isotope fractionation effects in hydrogen may be useful in quantitative models of natural gas generation, and that δD values in ethane might be more suitable for modeling than comparable values in methane and propane.     

天然气运移的气体同位素地球化学示踪

本文通过鄂尔多斯等含油气盆地内岩石酸解烃、罐顶气和同源多产层天然气碳同位素组成的变化，从实例剖析出发，探讨了天然气运移时气体同位素组成的变化及其对天然气运移的示踪。天然气在通过沉积地层中孔隙系统和微裂隙运移时，天然气中的甲烷碳同位素会发生一定的分馏，而乙烷以上重烃碳同位素几乎不发生分馏；在天然气层所在深度，罐顶气甲烷碳同位素组成与天然气一致，在天然气层附近，罐顶气甲烷碳同位素则明显偏离了热演化趋势线；烃源岩酸解烃与其同源的天然气重烃碳同位素组成具有较好的一致性和可比性。由此，可利用气体组分碳同位素的上述变化特征，追索天然气的运移作用。     

长岭断陷深层天然气成藏期研究

利用榆深1井营城组未熟样品的热模拟实验、碳同位素分馏实验以及长深1等井的流体包裹体测试结果,在热史恢复的基础上,根据化学动力学和碳同位素分馏动力学理论,从烃源岩生烃史、甲烷碳同位素分馏效应以及包裹体均一温度等方面,对长岭断陷天然气成藏期加以判断。长岭断陷甲烷碳同位素均值为-33.11‰,碳同位素分馏效应显示天然气为116 Ma以来累积聚集成藏;生烃史表明营城组源岩在100～67.7 Ma大量生气,沙河子组在125～74 Ma达到生气高峰;同时包裹体证据表明查干花次洼的烃类气主要在110～78 Ma聚集成藏,伏龙泉次洼主要在110～1 Ma成藏。成藏期的判断结果说明:长岭断陷沙河子组早期生成的天然气未聚集成藏,仅116 Ma以后生成的天然气才具有成藏贡献,损失约14%左右;而营城组烃源岩生烃较晚,有利于成藏,包裹体证据也印证这一观点。     

热成因甲烷碳同位素分布的形成机制

很多学者从不同的角度用不同的方法模拟了从有机母质 (包括煤和干酪根等气源 )形成天然气 (甲烷 )时的碳同位素分馏效应 ,建立了碳同位素分馏效应的很多模型 ,同时也讨论了催化作用和成烃后作用对天然气碳同位素的影响。但这些理论模型和模拟实验结果都还不能完全地拟合自然界中热成因甲烷碳同位素的分布 ,也未能从本质上完全阐明其碳同位素的分馏机制。其原因是各种模型的前提假设都未能完全满足复杂的自然界条件。今后工作的重点应放在用化学动力学的方法建立更完善的模型上 ,同时也应当重点考虑催化作用和成烃后作用对天然气同位素的影响。     

中纬度带天然气水合物地球化学勘查技术

祁连山冻土区木里地区天然气水合物矿藏是迄今为止在中纬度带首次发现的水合物矿藏,为了研究中纬度带水合物地球化学勘查技术,选择木里矿区作为方法技术的试验区。试验指标内容有土壤顶空气、酸解烃、碳酸盐和甲烷碳同位素。研究表明:祁连山木里天然气水合物矿藏存在明显的近地表地球化学异常;由甲烷碳同位素和烃类组成判断地表油气化探异常为热解成因,指示该区天然气水合物成藏物质来源于油气和煤成气。进一步研究了中纬度带冻土区天然气水合物成藏模式,指出该区进行天然气水合物勘探的同时应进行石油和煤成气的综合勘探。     

天然气甲烷碳同位素动力学模型与地质应用新进展

天然气甲烷碳同位素动力学模拟是在热模拟实验的基础上对甲烷碳同位素值进行数字模拟的一种研究方法。它在石油、天然气地球化学中具有广阔的应用前景：模拟甲烷碳同位素的整个演化趋势，模拟天然气成藏，进行精确的气源对比。分析了国外几个典型的甲烷碳同位素动力学模型，对各模型的特点和优缺点进行了简要的评述，并认识到Cramer 3是目前对实验数据模拟效果最好、适用范围最宽的一个模型。在此基础上，结合一些研究实例，探讨了天然气甲烷碳同位素动力学研究的发展方向。     

煤层甲烷碳同位素在煤层气勘探中的地质意义--以沁水盆地为例

根据沁水煤层气甲烷碳同位素的组成与分布特征,从煤层甲烷碳同位素在煤层气解吸-扩散-运移中的分馏效应,结合水文地质条件和构造条件,讨论了煤层甲烷碳同位素在煤层气勘探中的地质意义,认为沁水煤层气δ13C₁值不仅总体上较高,而且随埋深增大而增高,说明沁水煤层气存在因煤层抬升而卸压所导致的煤层气解吸-扩散-运移效应,从而形成了该区甲烷碳同位素在平面上的分带现象。     

海相干酪根与原油裂解气甲烷生成及碳同位素分馏的差异研究

利用封闭金管高压釜体系对海相原油和成熟干酪根进行了热解生气实验,获取了两类裂解气的组分和甲烷碳同位素数据,对比研究了两类母质在生气机理上的差异,并借助碳同位素分馏动力学参数讨论了甲烷碳同位素分馏的异同点.结果表明,原油裂解气富含C2-5重烃,其后期裂解是甲烷的重要来源;而干酪根裂解气中C2-5的含量较低,其后期裂解对干酪根甲烷气的贡献较小.这是两类甲烷气体生成的最大差异之一.两类裂解气甲烷碳同位素都有随着热解温度增高,碳同位素值先变轻再变重的特点,但原油裂解气甲烷碳同位素的最小值对应的温度较高;在相同热解温度下,干酪根裂解气甲烷碳同位素值要重于原油裂解气甲烷碳同位素值,这与后者前系物经过多次碳同位素分馏有关.因此,生气机理的差异是造成同位素分馏差异的根本原因,两类甲烷气体碳同位素分馏动力学参数的差异也是有成因意义的.     

祁连山冻土区天然气水合物烃类气体成因及其意义

对祁连山冻土区天然气水合物钻井岩心游离气样品开展研究,测试烃类气体的组分和碳氢同位素,判断天然气水合物的气体成因类型及成藏模式。结果显示烃类气体组分复杂,除甲烷外,还含有较高的乙烷、丙烷等重烃组分。甲烷碳同位素分布范围最广,气体成因来源相对简单,没有明显受到次生改造作用的影响。该区天然气水合物属于热解成因,判断来自深部的三叠统尕勒得寺组烃源岩。本研究可为我国高原冻土天然气水合物勘探和开发提供理论依据。     

有机质碳同位素热力学分馏与天然气碳同位素组成

干酪根中不同结构和官能团具有不同的碳同位素组成,这种差异可以用有机质碳同位素热力学同位素因子（β因子）进行预测。煤岩模拟实验产物中,δ13CCO2相对烃类气体而言明显偏重,这与干酪根中羧基的β13C较大有关。含水实验产物的δ13CCO2轻于无水实验产物的δ13CCO2是由于含水实验中所增加CO2的碳同位素组成相对较轻造成的,含水实验增加的CO2产率是由β13C相对较小的部分亚甲基碳通过断裂、氢转移、以及与水反应转变而来。模拟实验低温阶段（≤300℃）,甲氧基中的甲基断裂可能的甲烷形成的主要方式。而甲氧基的β13C大于甲基,所以低温阶段出现了甲烷碳同位素组成先较重后变轻的现象。     

天然气甲烷碳同位素动力学研究及其应用:以塔里木盆地库车坳陷克拉2气田为例

通过有压力的黄金管封闭体系生烃模拟实验和GC-IRMS测定,结合GOR-Isotope Kinetics专用软件,求取了塔里木盆地库车坳陷三叠系-侏罗系烃源岩生成甲烷的碳同位素动力学参数。结合地质背景,探讨了克拉2气田天然气的成因。克拉2气田天然气主要来源于早中侏罗世煤系烃源岩,属阶段捕获气,为-5Ma以来的天然气聚集,对应成熟度范围Ro为1．3％-2．5％。在此基础上,建立了克拉2气田天然气运聚成藏动力学模式,从而为天然气定量评价和动态研究提供了新思路。     

海洋天然气水合物系统硫同位素研究进展

在海洋天然气水合物的地质系统中,甲烷的渗漏作用形成了独特的地球化学微环境。渗漏的甲烷在硫酸根-甲烷氧化还原界面与硫酸根之间发生厌氧氧化反应,同时硫酸盐发生还原反应,形成具有特殊同位素组成的自生碳酸盐、硫化物（AVS、黄铁矿等）和硫酸盐（重晶石、石膏）等。反应过程中硫酸盐还原菌的作用使得产物中硫的同位素发生了强烈分馏,具体表现为低δ34S值的硫化物矿物和高δ³⁴S值的硫酸盐矿物的形成。沉积物中这种独特的硫同位素特征与海洋天然气水合物系统中独特地球化学微环境有关,是硫酸盐还原反应过程中细菌控制的硫酸盐分馏和厌氧细菌对硫的歧化反应（disproportionation）的共同作用结果。     

Fractionation of carbon isotopes in biosynthesis of fatty acids by a piezophilic bacterium Moritella japonica strain DSK1

We examined stable carbon isotope fractionation in biosynthesis of fatty acids of a piezophilic bacterium Moritella japonica strain DSK1. The bacterium was grown to stationary phase at pressures of 0.1, 10, 20, and 50 MPa in media prepared using sterile-filtered natural seawater supplied with glucose as the sole carbon source. Strain DSK1 synthesized typical bacterial fatty acids (C_14-19 saturated, monounsaturated, and cyclopropane fatty acids) as well as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (20:6ω3). Bacterial cell biomass and individual fatty acids exhibited consistent pressure-dependent carbon isotope fractionations relative to glucose. The observed Δδ_FA-glucose (−1.0‰ to −11.9‰) at 0.1 MPa was comparable to or slightly higher than fractionations reported in surface bacteria. However, bulk biomass and fatty acids became more depleted in ¹³C with pressure. Average carbon isotope fractionation (Δδ_FA-glucose) at high pressures was much higher than that for surface bacteria: −15.7‰, −15.3‰, and −18.3‰ at 10, 20, and 50 MPa, respectively. PUFA were more ¹³C depleted than saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids at all pressures. The observed isotope effects may be ascribed to the kinetics of enzymatic reactions that are affected by hydrostatic pressure and to biosynthetic pathways that are different for short-chain and long-chain fatty acids. A simple quantitative calculation suggests that in situ piezophilic bacterial contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids to marine sediments is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than that of marine phytoplankton and that the carbon isotope imprint of piezophilic bacteria can override that of surface phytoplankton. Our results have important implications for marine biogeochemistry. Depleted fatty acids reported in marine sediments and the water column may be derived simply from piezophilic bacteria resynthesis of organic matter, not from bacterial utilization of a ¹³C-depleted carbon source (i.e., methane). The interpretation of carbon isotope signatures of marine lipids must be based on principles derived from piezophilic bacteria.     

Geochemical implications of induced changes in C13 fractionation by blue-green algae

The photosynthetic fractionation of carbon isotopes by blue-green algae in laboratory culture is dependent in a non-linear fashion on the CO₂ concentration in the feed gas. For the three species tested, the minimum fractionation occurred at a CO₂ concentration of 0.2% in air and was approximately zero for the two marine species tested. Enrichment of C¹² in the reduced carbon is not an inevitable result of photosynthetic carbon fixation. Temperature and pH had no detectable effect on fractionation. The maximum fractionation observed in the laboratory cultures or in recent blue-green algal mats was 18‰. Differences in the isotope ratio of coexisting oxidized and reduced carbon in Precambrian stromatolites are as great as 31‰. Present carbon isotopic evidence is not consistent with the idea that blue-green algae were major contributors to the organic matter in Precambrian sediments.     

天然气成因碳同位素指标评述

地球排气过程和费-托合成反应中碳同位素分馏作用使其具有非常大的变化范围,覆盖了目前所说的有机成因气和无机成因气,要求人们重新审视目前判别无机成因气的碳同位素指标。天然气水合物中甲烷和二氧化碳较轻碳同位素值表明,无机成因天然气可以有更宽的同位素分布范围．碳同位素不是天然气成因唯一的判别方法,利用甲烷伴生气体的组分含量、天然气运移方式、赋存特征、与构造作用的关系都可以判断天然气的无机成因．