Assessment of Hydrocarbon Potential Conversion in Source Rocks in the Southwestern Flank of the Korotaikha Depression, Timan–Pechora Basin

Abstract

The 1-D burial and thermal history of the Korotaikha depression in the Timan–Pechora basin was numerically simulated for the sedimentary sequences of three wells: Korotaikhinskaya 1, Labogeyskaya 15, and Khavdeiskaya 1. This made it possible to numerically assess the conversion history of the hydrocarbon (HC) potential of source rocks in the southwestern flank of the Korotaikha depression in the northeastern Timan−Pechora basin. The modern modified kinetic spectrum of vitrinite maturation was used in calculations of the vitrinite reflectance to clarify the thermal history of the sedimentary cover of the study area. The occurrence of episodes of hydrothermal activity follows from comparison of the calculated and measured values of the vitrinite reflectance and explains the jumps in the maturity of organic matter at the boundaries of the unconformity of Quaternary and Triassic sediments, as well as the Permian and Carboniferous sediments. The simulations suggest a high conversion of the initial HC potential of the source rocks of the Silurian and Domanic horizons, Tournaisian, and Visean ages in the Korotaikhinskaya and Labogeiskaya areas and moderate generation in the Havdeyskaya area. The simulation shows that the high grades of the catagenesis (MC5 and higher) of the main source rocks and the significant role of secondary cracking of liquid HC fractions in the central part of the Korotaikha depression (wells Korotaikhinskaya 1 and Labogeyskaya 15) suggest that the possible HC accumulations should contain only gas. Accumulations in the southern part of the depression (Khavdeiskaya area), where secondary cracking was minimal and source rocks occur within the oil window, should contain both oil and gas (due to Permian rocks with terrigenous organic matter).