Advances in Re-Os Isotopic Dating in Geochronology of Hydrocarbon Accumulation

Rhenium-Osmium (Re-Os) isotopic dating applied to the geochronology of hydrocarbon accumulation has been the forefront of international research in the last 10 years and has achieved significant achievements. However, our current researches are lacking in Re-Os isotopic chronology on the geochronology of hydrocarbon accumulation. The successful application of the Re-Os geochronology has enabled the determination of accurate and precise depositional ages for Organic-Rich Sedimentary rocks (ORS), the establishment of timing constraints of oil generation or migration, and the fingerprinting of the source of oil. On the basis of literatures study both at home and abroad, this article mainly dealt with the principle of Re-Os isotopic dating and analyzed the accumulation processes of Re and Os in a seawater-sediment system. Meanwhile, the test samples, sample preparation and analytical methodology of Re-Os isotopic dating were summarized. The results revealed that the initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio could constrain the age of oil generation or migration, and effectively evaluated the relationship between source rock and oil. The radiogenic ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio showed a positively correlated relationship with source rock age. This article proposed that hydrocarbon mature, biodegradation and water washing had minimal or no effect on data scatter about Re-Os isochron. However, the effects of postdepositional mobility of Re and Os, variations in the initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio, and thermochemical sulfate reduction could result in data scatter. The reproducibility and accuracy of Re-Os age was also closely related to the sample particle size and sample amount. Compared with other isotopic dating, the biggest advantage of Re-Os isotopic dating is to study geological body related to accumulation process, and to obtain direct evidence of hydrocarbon accumulation period. From what was discussed above, the article discussed the existing problems and put forward the future hot research and development direction of Re-Os isotope system, so as to promote the deep development of relative theory and technology of Re-Os isotopic dating.