Formation mechanisms of heavy oils in the Liaohe Western Depression, Bohai Gulf Basin

Abstract

The Liaohe Oilfield in the Liaohe Western Depression of the Bohai Gulf Basin is the third-largest oil producing province and the largest heavy oil producing oilfield in China. A total of 65 oil samples, 35 rock samples and 36 reservoir sandstone samples were collected and analyzed utilizing conventional geochemical and biogeochemical approaches to unravel the mechanisms of the formation of the heavy oils. Investigation of the oils with the lowest maturity compared with the oils in the Gaosheng and Niuxintuo oilfields indicates no apparent relation between the maturity and physical properties of the heavy oils. It is suggested that the heavy oil with primary origin is not likely the main mechanism responsible for the majority of the heavy oils in the Liaohe Western Slope. The absence and/or depletion of n-alkanes etc., with relatively low molecular weight and the occurrence of 25-norhopane series in the heavy oils as well as the relatively high acidity of the oils all suggest that the majority of the heavy oils once experienced secondary alteration. The fingerprints of the total scanning fluorescence (TSF) of the inner adsorbed hydrocarbons on the reservoir grains and the included hydrocarbons in fluid inclusions are similar to that of the normal oils in the area but are different from the outer adsorbed and reservoired free oils at present, further indicating that most of the heavy oils are secondary in origin. Analyses of bacteria (microbes) in 7 oil samples indicate that anaerobic and hyperthermophilic Archaeoglobus sp. are the dominant microbes relevant to oil biodegradation, which coincides with the shallow commercial gas reservoirs containing anaerobic bacteria derived gas in the Gaosheng and Leijia teotonic belts. The biodegradation most likely occurs at the water/oil interface, where the formation water is essential for microbe removal and nutrient transportation. We think that biodegradation, water washing and oxidization are interrelated and are the main mechanisms for the formation of the heavy oils. Biodegradation was the predominant process with water washing being a prerequisite, and oxidization acting as a metabolic manifestation. This study provides unique approaches for further investigation of the formation mechanisms of heavy oils in general, and may provide some important insight for the exploration of shallow biogas in the area.