Unusual biomarker maturation ratio changes through the oil window, a consequence of varied thermal history

Saturated and aromatic biomarker ratios continue to change systematically through the oil window and into the gas-condensate window to high vitrinite reflectances (R_o = 1.16%) in mature marine and lacustrine Mesozoic clastic samples from a South African basin. Two of the ratios reverse above R_o = 0.9%. These unusual maturation effects result from isolated periods of high rates of maturation increase. The basin cooled regionally after the break-up of Gondwana but high heating rates prevailed during the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary, as Africa moved across a hotspot, and again in the late Tertiary as a result of a possible hotspot and hydrothermal event.     

Comparison of source rock geochemistry of selected rocks from the Schei Point group and Ringnes formation, Sverdrup basin, arctic Canada

Organic-rich from the Schei Point group (middle to late Triassic in age) and the Ringnes formation (late Jurassic) from the Sverdrup basin of the Canadian arctic archipelago have been geochemically evaluated for source rock characterization. Most samples from the Schei Point group are organic-rich (> 2% TOC and are considered as immature to mature oil-prone source rocks [kerogen types I, I–II (IIA) and II (IIA)]. These kerogen types contain abundant AOM1, AOM2 and alginite (Tasmanales, Nostocopsis, Leiosphaeridia, acritarch and dinoflagellate) with variable amounts of vitrinite, inertinite and exinite. Samples from the Ringnes formation contain dominant vitrinite and inertinite with partially oxidized AOM2, alginite and exinite forming mostly immature to mature condensate- and gas-prone source rocks [kerogen type II–III (IIB), III and a few II (IIA)]. Schei Point samples contain higher bitumen extract, saturate hydrocarbons and saturate/ aromatic ratio than the Ringnes samples. Triterpane and sterane (dominant C₃₀) distribution patterns and stable carbon isotope of bitumen and kerogen suggest that the analyzed samples from the Schei Point group are at the onset of oil generation and contain a mixture of sapropelic (algal) and minor terrestrial humic organic matter. Sterane carbon number distributions in the Ringnes formation also suggest a mixed algal and terrestrial organic matter type. There are some variations in hopane carbon number distributions, but these are apparently a function of thermal maturity rather than significant genetic differences among samples. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the two samples with similar maturity shows that the Schei Point sample generates three times more pyrolyzate than the Ringnes sample. Both samples have a dominant aliphatic character, although the Ringnes sample contains phenol and an aromaticity that is higher than that of the Schei Point sample.     

Generation and hydrocarbon entrapment within Gondwanan sediments of the Mandapeta area, Krishna-Godavari Basin, India

The discovery of hydrocarbons (mainly gas) in commercial quantities from Gondwanan sediments in the Mandapeta field of Krishna-Godavari Basin, India, provided impetus for intensified exploration in Mandapeta and the adjoining Kommugudem, Draksharama and Endamuru fields. Both oil and gas have been found in the reservoirs of Mandapeta (Triassic) and Golapalli (Early Cretaceous) formations. Mature, localised, basal shales (1.0–1.1% Ro) in the Mandapeta formation have sourced the oils from the Mandapeta Sandstone reservoir (Triassic). The oils being produced from Golapalli Sandstone reservoir (Early Cretaceous) are relatively less mature and have been sourced by the underlying shales in the Mandapeta Formation at a maturity level of 0.80–0.85% Ro. The source and maturity data preclude liquid hydrocarbon sourcing from the Kommugudem (Permian) sequence. Permian coals and shales of the Kommugudem Formation are the major source rocks for gaseous hydrocarbons in this area. The hydrocarbon generation started in Early Cretaceous in the Kommugudem Formation, but the intermittent tectonic activity (with associated structural developments) has resulted in reorientation and redistribution of the then existing trap configurations. The present day maturity level of the Permian sediments in the Mandapeta field is 1.2% Ro or greater, capable of generating gas dominantly. The Raghavapuram shale in the Mandapeta area is adequately mature and has good hydrocarbon potential for oil generation. The probability of finding hydrocarbon reserves in the sands of Raghavapuram shales and other suitable traps is high. Modern seismic information together with geologic models can give new exploration leads.     

Impact of high water pressure on oil generation and maturation in Kimmeridge Clay and Monterey source rocks: Implications for petroleum retention and gas generation in shale gas systems

This study presents results for pyrolysis experiments conducted on immature Type II and IIs source rocks (Kimmeridge Clay, Dorset UK, and Monterey shale, California, USA respectively) to investigate the impact of high water pressure on source rock maturation and petroleum (oil and gas) generation. Using a 25 ml Hastalloy vessel, the source rocks were pyrolysed at low (180 and 245 bar) and high (500, 700 and 900 bar) water pressure hydrous conditions at 350 °C and 380 °C for between 6 and 24 h. For the Kimmeridge Clay (KCF) at 350 °C, Rock Eval HI of the pyrolysed rock residues were 30–44 mg/g higher between 6 h and 12 h at 900 bar than at 180 bar. Also at 350 °C for 24 h the gas, expelled oil, and vitrinite reflectance (VR) were all reduced by 46%, 61%, and 0.25% Ro respectively at 900 bar compared with 180 bar. At 380 °C the retardation effect of pressure on the KCF was less significant for gas generation. However, oil yield and VR were reduced by 47% and 0.3% Ro respectively, and Rock Eval HI was also higher by 28 mg/g at 900 bar compared with 245 bar at 12 h. The huge decrease in gas and oil yields and the VR observed with an increase in water pressure at 350 °C for 24 h and 380 °C for 12 h (maximum oil generation) were also observed for all other times and temperatures investigated for the KCF and the Monterey shale. This shows that high water pressure significantly retards petroleum generation and source rock maturation. The retardation of oil generation and expulsion resulted in significant amounts of bitumen and oil being retained in the rocks pyrolysed at high pressures, suggesting that pressure is a possible mechanism for retaining petroleum (bitumen and oil) in source rocks. This retention of petroleum within the rock provides a mechanism for oil-prone source rocks to become potential shale gas reservoirs. The implications from this study are that in geological basins, pressure, temperature and time will all exert significant control on the extent of petroleum generation and source rock maturation for Type II source rocks, and that the petroleum retained in the rocks at high pressures may explain in part why oil-prone source rocks contain the most prolific shale gas resources.     

中华乌塘鳢(Bostrichthys sinensis) 和大弹涂鱼( Boleophthalmus pectinirostris) 成熟产卵过程中17a-羟基孕酮和前列腺素水平的研究

以酶联免疫吸附分析法测定了中华乌塘鳢和大弹涂鱼成熟产卵过程中卵巢液、精巢液、贮精囊液、雌鱼尿液和雄鱼尿液中的17α-羟基孕酮(17α-P)、前列腺素E2(PGE2)和前列腺素R2α(PGF2α)的含量。结果表明，中华乌塘鳢卵巢液中的17α-P和PGE，含量随着卵巢发育成熟而升高。性成熟前后卵巢液中的PGE，含量高于PGF2α。性成熟雄鱼尿液和贮精囊液中的PGE2含量显著高于精巢液或雌鱼尿液。性成熟前后雌鱼尿液中的17α-P、PGE2和PGF2α含量均显著高于卵巢液。性成熟和退化期雌鱼尿液中的PGE2含量明显高于PGF2α。性未成熟大弹涂鱼(第Ⅳ期)卵巢液中PGE2和PGF2α，含量极低；性成熟时(第V期)卵巢液中的PGE2、PGF2α和17α-P含量显著上升，PGF2α含量显著高于PGE2。     

Evaluation of the frequency of skipped spawning in Norwegian spring-spawning herring

Based upon an under-representation of second time spawners on the spawning grounds between 1935 and 1973, researchers have suggested that Norwegian spring-spawning (NSS) herring (Clupea harengus) frequently skip their second spawning event. In order to evaluate this claim with direct evidence, herring were collected over a period of three years from statutory surveys and commercial catches over a wide area covering the feeding, over-wintering and spawning grounds. The development stage of the ovaries was assessed and the intensity of atresia quantified. Only a negligible number of the analysed herring caught were considered likely to skip spawning, thus this phenomenon does not appear to be a common feature of the NSS herring stock at present. In addition, considering the reproductive strategy of herring, it seems doubtful that skipping the second spawning event has ever frequently occurred in this stock.     

Variation in organochlorine accumulation in relation to the life history of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

Members of the catadromous eel live in various fresh, brackish and marine habitats. Therefore, these eels can accumulate organic pollutants and are a suitable bioindicator species for determining the levels of organic contaminants within different water bodies. The ecological risk for organochlorine compounds (OCs) in Anguilla japonica with various migration patterns, such as freshwater, estuarine and marine residences, was examined to understand the specific accumulation patterns. The concentrations of HCB, ∑HCHs, ∑CHLs and ∑DDTs in the silver stage (maturing) eel were significantly higher than those in the yellow stage (immature) eel, in accordance with the higher lipid contents in the former versus the latter. The OC accumulations were clearly different among migratory types in the eel. The ecological risk of OCs increased as the freshwater residence period in the eel lengthened. The migratory histories and the lipid contents directly affected the OC accumulation in the catadromous eel species.     

斑节对虾亲虾卵巢催熟若干问题的探讨

对应用单边眼柄切除术促进斑节对虾雌虾卵巢成熟的技术和由此产生的某些现象,提出单边眼柄切除术、催熟的环境条件、蜕壳、再交配、人工精荚移植、早产和无节幼体质量及其影响因素等七个方面的问题进行讨论。     

Correlation, alteration, and origin of hydrocarbons in the GCA, Bahar, and Gum Adasi fields, western South Caspian Basin: geochemical and multivariate statistical assessments

Geochemical as well as multivariate statistical analyses (PCA) were carried out on 20 crude oil samples from ‘Middle’ Pliocene Production Series (MPPS) of Guneshli-Chirag-Azeri (GCA), Bahar, and Gum Adasi fields in the western South Caspian Basin (SCB). PCA analysis employed to source-specific biomarkers distinguishes the oils into two types one being divided into two sub-types; Type 1 (GCA oils), Type 2A (Bahar field oils) and Type 2B (Gum Adasi field oils). Indirect oil-to-source rock correlations to available source rock data from previous studies suggest that Type 1 oils, located in the Apsheron-Balkhans uplift area, are derived from basinal shales of the Oligocene-Lower Miocene Middle Maikop Formation. Type 2A and 2B oils, located in the Gum-deniz-Bahar-Shakh-deniz trend area, are more likely derived from shelf-edge shales of the Upper Maikop Formation and the Middle-Upper Miocene Diatom Suite, respectively.Biomarker maturity study reveals that Type 1 oils (mean %Rc=0.78) are more mature than Type 2 oils (mean %Rc=0.71). Source rocks, which generated these oils, were at generation depth interval between 5200 m (112 °C) and 7500 m (153 °C) at the time of expulsion. This indicates that the western SCB oils experienced significant long-range vertical migration along the deep-seated faults to accumulate in the MPPS reservoirs. Post-accumulation biodegradation process was only observed in the Guneshli field where bacterial alteration (level 4) began between 4.2 and 2.6 mybp and stopped with the deposition of the overlying impermeable Upper Pliocene Akchagyl Formation. Subsequent light hydrocarbon (C₁–C₁₆) charge into the Guneshli fields caused precipitation of asphaltenes, which is evidenced by high resin to asphaltene ratios for the present-day Guneshli oils. Evaporative-fractionation examined using the scheme of [Thompson, 1987] showed high correlations of the ‘aromaticity’ B parameter (=toluene/n-C₇) and ‘parafinicity’ F parameter (=n-C₇/MCH with the %Rc (maturity) and C₂₇/C₂₉ sterane ratio (organic matter type). This implies that Thompson's approach should be used with caution in the SCB. Among the several mechanisms, rapid and thick deposition of Pliocene sediments and subsequent high heating rate on the Maikop Formation and Diatom Suite is probably the most plausible way of explaining the origin of light hydrocarbons in the Guneshli and Bahar fields.     

Numerical investigation of the effect of volatilization and the supercritical state of pore water on maturation of organic matter in the vicinity of igneous intrusions

This study presents a numerical investigation of the effect of volatilization and the supercritical state of pore water on maturation of organic matter in host rocks based on the heat flow models assuming the instantaneous and finite-time intrusion mechanisms of magma. A 15 m thick, well-dated basic sill in the DSDP 41-368 hole near Cape Verde Rise, eastern Atlantic is selected as an example due to the sufficient thermophysical parameters of rocks and the definite burial and thermal history of the shale host rocks. Results indicate: (1) The effect of the temperature-dependent thermal properties of pore water at a hydrostatic pressure of 414 bar on the predicted vitrinite reflectance (Rr) is less than 0.1% no matter which intrusion mechanism of magma is assumed and can hence be ignored reasonably; (2) The consideration of volatilization of pore water can reduce the predicted Rr of host rocks significantly. In case of the instantaneous intrusion mechanism, the maximum deviation of the predicted Rr caused by pore-water volatilization reaches 1.3% at the location of half the sill thickness away from the contact (i.e. X/D = 0.5), and the deviation above 0.5% can occur in the region from 0.3 to 1.0 in the form of X/D. In case of the finite-time intrusion mechanism, the maximum deviation of the predicted Rr due to pore-water volatilization attains 1.15% at X/D = 0.25, and the region where the deviation is larger than 0.5% lies between 0.15 and 0.6 in the form of X/D; (3) If hydrothermal convection in the host rocks is allowed for, the predicted Rr of the overlying host rocks is less than that of the underlying host rocks at the same X/D in the inner region of the contact aureole of igneous intrusions, whereas the phenomenon is converse in the outer region. In contrast, the measured Rr profile shows that at the same X/D, Rr of the overlying host rocks is totally higher than that of the underlying host rocks. Thus, it is not the hydrothermal convection in the overlying host rocks that resulted in the asymmetry of the current Rr profiles below and above the sill; (4) The predicted Rr based on the heat conduction model assuming the finite-time intrusion mechanism and pore-water volatilization matches well with the measured one out of the region where the Rr geothermometer is unreliable due to the effect of volatilization of pore water. This demonstrates that the finite-time intrusion mechanism of magma, together with pore-water volatilization, possibly represents natural conditions.