Distinction Between Oil Expulsion History and Gas Expulsion History

Abstract

The process of organic matter transformation into oil and gas is also a balance process of hydrocarbon transformation. This article probes to distinguish the oil expulsion history from gas expulsion history based on the hydrocarbon generation, hydrocarbon residual, and hydrocarbon expulsion processes of the source rocks. In this method, the first step is to study the hydrocarbon expulsion rate by means of hydrocarbon generation potential method; the second step is to study the oil generation rate by means of the heating–pressuring experiment method; the third step is to study the oil residual rate by means of the mathematical method. The difference between the values of oil generation rate and oil residual rate is defined as the oil expulsion rate, while that between the values of hydrocarbon expulsion rate and the gas expulsion rate is defined as the gas expulsion rate. Then, combined with the geological parameters of source rocks, the oil and gas expulsion history can be obtained. This study on Es1 Source rocks, Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China shows that the primary expulsion period of Es1 source rocks is Guantao–Minghuazhen period.