Condensates and light oils are generally characterized by high maturity, low concentration of sterane and terpane biomarkers and low content of non-hydrocarbon fraction. As a result, some commonly-used sterane, terpane and carbazole migration parameters in conventional oil reservoirs may have a certain limitation in condensate and light oil reservoirs for their poor signal-noise ratios in the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Naphthalene, phenanthrene and their methylated substituents, however, are present in significant concentrations in condensates and light oils. Taking the Fushan depression (in the Beibuwan Basin, Northern South China Sea) as an example, this paper attempts for the first time to use polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-related parameters to trace migration directions and filling pathways for condensate and light oil reservoirs. The result shows that TMNr (i.e. 1, 3, 7-TMN/(1, 3, 7-TMN + 1, 2, 5-TMN), TMN: trimethylnaphthalene)), MPI-1 (i.e. 1.5×(2-MP + 3-MP)/(P + 1-MP + 9-MP), P: phenanthrene MP: methyiphenanthrene), MN/DMN (∑methylnaphthalene/∑dimethylnaphthalene, %) and MN/TMN (∑nethylnaphthalene/∑trimethylna- phthalene, %) can be used to trace the filling pathways of condensate and light oil reservoirs. These parameters, together with geological consideration and other bulk oil properties (e.g. the gas to oil ratio and density), suggest that the condensates and light oils in the Huachang oil and gas field are mainly sourced from the Bailian sag that is located to the northeast of the Huachang uplift in the Fushan depression.
LI MeijunWANG TieguanLIU JuZHANG MeizhuLU HongMA QinglinGAO Lihui
The Markit Slope is an important area for the petroleum exploration in the Tarim Basin. Elucidation of the oil filling history of discovered oilfields has great significance for recognizing the accumulation processes of the whole region. Using molecular geochemistry, fluid inclusion techniques and basin modeling, we studied the oil filling process of the Bashituo Oilfield that is located in the west of the Markit Slope. The molecular migration indexes, such as the methyldibenzothiophene ratio (4-/1-MDBT), trimethylnaphthalene ratio (TMNr) and pyrrolic nitrogen compounds content, decrease from west to east, indicating that the charging direction and migration pathways are from west to east. Lithological analysis and homogenization temperatures of saline fluid inclusions accompanied with oil fluid inclusions suggest that two charging periods occurred in the Devonian oil reservoir. Combining the burial history and heating history of well BT4, Basinmod 1D software modeling shows the two oil filling periods are from 290 Ma to 285 Ma and from l0 Ma to 4 Ma, respectively, and later oil filling dominates. This study may be helpful to understand the accumulation process and provide useful references for oil and gas exploration in the Markit Slope.
Cui JingweiWang TieguanLi MeijunOu GuangxiGeng FengHu Jian