CRUDE OIL GEOCHEMISTRY AND SOURCE ROCK POTENTIAL OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS – EOCENE SUCCESSION IN THE BELAYIM OILFIELDS,CENTRAL GULF OF SUEZ,EGYPT

This study evaluates the petroleum potential of source rocks in the pre‐rift Upper Cretaceous – Eocene succession at the Belayim oilfields in the central Gulf of Suez Basin. Organic geochemical and palynofacies investigations were carried out on 65 cuttings samples collected from the Thebes, Brown Limestone and Matulla Formations. Analytical methods included Rock‐Eval pyrolysis, Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatography and Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry. Four crude oil samples from producing wells were characterised using C₇ light hydrocarbons, stable carbon isotopes and biomarker characteristics. The results showed that the studied source rocks are composed of marine carbonates with organic matter dominated by algae and bacteria with minimal terrigenous input, deposited under reducing conditions. This conclusion was supported by n‐alkane distributions, pristane/ phytane ratios, homohopane and gammacerane indices, high concentrations of cholestane, the presence of C₃₀ n‐propylcholestanes, and low diasterane ratios. The source rocks ranged from immature to marginally mature based on the Rock‐Eval T_max together with biomarker maturity parameters. The analysed crude oil samples are interpreted to have been derived from source rock intervals within the Eocene Thebes Formation and the Upper Cretaceous Brown Limestone. The similarity in the geochemical characteristics of the crude oils suggests that there was little variation in the organofacies of the source rocks from which they were derived.     

南黄海盆地碳酸盐岩碳氧同位素特征及意义

对南黄海盆地碳酸盐岩烃源岩(P₁q-T₁q)进行了碳氧同位素测定及孢粉相等分析,研究海相碳酸盐岩有效烃源岩的形成和控制因素.通过对样品δ13C与δ18O相关性等的分析,发现碳氧同位素组成基本保留了原始海洋的同位素组成.栖霞组δ13C相对青龙组偏重,预示着较高的生物生产力,更有利于烃源岩的发育.栖霞组δ13C以均值为基准可以划分为3个演化阶段,并与孢粉相的变化相对应,表明不同层段烃源岩发育具有差异性.WX5-ST1井青龙组δ13C_PDB(均值3.83‰)明显比CZ24-1-1井(均值-1.34‰)的偏重,并与高无定形孢粉相相对应,表明同一层段不同区域烃源岩形成也具有差异性.对比碳氧同位素和孢粉相资料,发现生物生产力与保存条件有效的匹配是烃源岩发育的有利层段.      

酒西盆地下白垩统赤金堡组烃源岩孢粉相特征及其石油地质意义

酒西盆地是中国最早开发的陆相含油气盆地之一,下白垩统是盆地主要的烃源岩。通过对旱峡地区下白垩统赤金堡组烃源岩孢粉相进行系统研究,首次识别出木质-丝炭组合（孢粉相A）、无定形组合（孢粉相B）和无定形-木质组合（孢粉相C）3个孢粉相,分别发育在赤金堡组的下部、中部与顶部、上部。孢粉相A以丰富的木质组织和较多的丝炭为特征,孢粉相B以无定形为主要组分,含较多孢粉体和木质组织,孢粉相C以木质和无定形为主。有机质母质来源自下而上表现出从以陆源高等植物输入为主到低等水生生物为主,再到显示混源特征,最终又变为以低等水生生物为主的演化特征。赤金堡组中部及顶部孢粉相B段烃源岩有机质类型以Ⅱ₁型为主,具有较好的生油潜力;而下部和上部孢粉相A段和孢粉相C段烃源岩有机质类型以Ⅲ型为主,生油能力差。孢粉相分析揭示赤金堡组沉积期湖盆经历了断陷形成、强烈扩张、充填收缩和再次凹陷4个演化阶段,沉积环境依次为近源冲积扇—滨浅湖相、半深湖相—深湖相、扇三角洲相和局部半深湖相—深湖相。其中,沉积中期强烈凹陷阶段和末期断陷复活阶段的深水缺氧环境中发育了较好的烃源岩。     

HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS SUCCESSION AT WELL 16/U‐1, ONSHORE QAMAR BASIN,EASTERN YEMEN

An Upper Cretaceous succession has been penetrated at onshore well 16/U‐1 in the Qamar Basin, eastern Republic of Yemen. The succession comprises the Mukalla and Dabut Formations which are composed of argillaceous carbonates and sandstones with coal layers, and TOC contents range up to 80%. The average TOC of the Mukalla Formation (24%) is higher than that of the Dabut Formation (1%). The Mukalla Formation has a Rock‐Eval T_max of 439–454 °C and an HI of up to 374 mgHC/gTOC, pointing to kerogen Types II and III. The Dabut Formation mainly contains kerogen Type III with a T_max of 427–456°C and HI of up to 152 mgHC/gTOC. Vitrinite reflectance values ranging between 0.3 and 1.0% and thermal alteration index values between 3 and 6 indicate thermal maturities sufficient for hydrocarbon generation. Three palynofacies types were identified representing marine, fluvial‐deltaic and marginal‐marine environments during the deposition of the Mukalla and Dabut Formations in the late Santonian — early Maastrichtian.     

HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE LATE CRETACEOUS GONGILA AND FIKA FORMATIONS,BORNU (CHAD) BASIN,NE NIGERIA

The hydrocarbon potential of possible shale source rocks from the Late Cretaceous Gongila and Fika Formations of the Chad Basin of NE Nigeria is evaluated using an integration of organic geochemistry and palynofacies observations. Total organic carbon (TOC) values for about 170 cutting samples range between 0.5% and 1.5% and Rock-Eval hydrogen indices (HI) are below 100 mgHC/gTOC, suggesting that the shales are organically lean and contain Type III/IV kerogen. Amorphous organic matter (AOM) dominates the kerogen assemblage (typically >80%) although its fluorescence does not show a significant correlation with measured HI. Atomic H/C ratios of a subset of the samples indicate higher quality oil- to gas-prone organic matter (Type II-III kerogens) and exhibit a significant correlation with the fluorescence of AOM (r²= 0.86). Rock-Eval T_max calibrated against AOM fluorescence, biomarker and aromatic hydrocarbon maturity data suggests a transition from immature (<435°C) to mature (>435°C) in the Fika Formation and mature to post-mature (>470°C) in the Gongila Formation. The low TOC values in most of the shales samples limit their overall source rock potential. The immature to early mature upper part of the Fika Formation, in which about 10% of the samples have TOC values greater than 2.0%, has the best oil generating potential. Oil would have been generated if such intervals had become thermally mature. On the basis of the samples studied here, the basin has potential for mostly gaseous rather than liquid hydrocarbons.     

Petroleum Source Rock Characteristics of the Lower Tertiary Formations in the Ereğli-Ulukışla Basin,Southern Central Anatolia,Turkey

Abstract

Potential source rocks in the Ere?li-Uluk??la basin include Campanian-Maastrichtian limestones and marls, Upper Paleocene-Lower Eocene deep-marine shales, and Middle-Upper Eocene continental slope deposits, including shales and sandstones. Organic geochemical analyses and palynofacies observations show that the organic components in Upper Paleocene-Upper Eocene sediments are mainly coaly and woody, with minor herbaceous and algal-amorphous-like organic matter, indicating that they are terrigenous (mainly Type III and Type IV kerogen). The organic carbon content of these rocks ranges from 0.04 to 0.73%, and they have marginal source rock quality for oil generation. A plot of HI versus T-max values implies that the Upper Paleocene-Lower Eocene samples are in the early stage of oil generation, while the Middle-Upper Eocene samples are thermally immature. The pristane/phytane ratio for Tertiary samples corresponds to a transition from anoxic to oxic depositional conditions.     

酒西盆地下白垩统赤金堡组烃源岩孢粉相特征及其石油地质意义

酒西盆地是中国最早开发的陆相含油气盆地之一,下白垩统是盆地主要的烃源岩。通过对旱峡地区下白垩统赤金堡组烃源岩孢粉相进行系统研究,首次识别出木质-丝炭组合(孢粉相A)、无定形组合(孢粉相B)和无定形-木质组合(孢粉相C)3个孢粉相,分别发育在赤金堡组的下部、中部与顶部、上部。孢粉相A以丰富的木质组织和较多的丝炭为特征,孢粉相B以无定形为主要组分,含较多孢粉体和木质组织,孢粉相C以木质和无定形为主。有机质母质来源自下而上表现出从以陆源高等植物输入为主到低等水生生物为主,再到显示混源特征,最终又变为以低等水生生物为主的演化特征。赤金堡组中部及顶部孢粉相B段烃源岩有机质类型以Ⅱ₁型为主,具有较好的生油潜力;而下部和上部孢粉相A段和孢粉相C段烃源岩有机质类型以Ⅲ型为主,生油能力差。孢粉相分析揭示赤金堡组沉积期湖盆经历了断陷形成、强烈扩张、充填收缩和再次凹陷4个演化阶段,沉积环境依次为近源冲积扇—滨浅湖相、半深湖相—深湖相、扇三角洲相和局部半深湖相—深湖相。其中,沉积中期强烈凹陷阶段和末期断陷复活阶段的深水缺氧环境中发育了较好的烃源岩。