Geochemistry and origin of deep-seated cracked gas on the northern slope of the Dongying Sag, Shandong Province

Deep-seated cracked gas exploration was achieved great breakthrough in Es4L of the Minfeng area on the northern slope of the Dongying Sag. Carbon isotopic and molecular compositions studies revealed the characteristics of wet gas and a normal trend of carbon isotopic composition. Empirical cutoff points of δ13C2 and δ13C3 and light hydrocarbon compositions distinguished the cracking gas as sapropelic gas. Variations in i/nC5, i/nC4 and δ13C2 fur-ther confirmed that the gas was cracked from residual kerogen. Source characteristics indicated that the gas was de-rived from mature-highly mature source rocks of Es4 with kerogen type II being dominant mixed with some oil-cracking gas. Burial history modeling indicated that there were two hydrocarbon charging periods in Es4L reser-voirs. The first period refers to the Guantao-Minghuazhen stage dominated by oil charging, while the second period refers to the Minghuazhen stage and has been dominated by cracked gas charging till now.