Hydrocarbon fluid inclusions in the Argo salt, offshore Canadian Atlantic margin

Abstract

Fluid inclusions hosted in rock salt from the Triassic Argo Formation in the Canadian Atlantic continental margin were studied to investigate the nature and origin of petroleum fluids in them. Inclusions were studied in two wells: Glooscap-C63 and Weymouth-A45. The pillow-shaped salt body intersected by the Glooscap-C63 well is autochthonous, and the salt is transparent and colorless compared with that in the allochthonous, canopy–diaper-shaped body cut by the Weymouth-A45 well which is translucent and buff-colored. Aqueous (AFI), petroleum (PFI), and heterogeneously trapped, mixed petroleum – aqueous (MFI) fluid inclusions were identified using transmitted and fluorescent microscopy, and representative samples were analyzed microthermometrically. Petroleum-bearing fluid inclusions (PFI and MFI) are more common and contain more concentrated petroleum phases in the allochthonous salts of Weymouth-A45 well. Based on microthermometric studies, the AFI and MFI in Glooscap-C63 salt mostly belong to NaCl–H2O and NaCl–H2O–petroleum systems, respectively; in contrast, those of Weymouth-A45 belong to NaCl–MgCl2–H2O and (or) NaCl–CaCl2–H2O and NaCl–MgCl2–H2O–petroleum and (or) NaCl–CaCl2–H2O–petroleum systems, respectively. Each of the AFI, PFI, and MFI types consists of different phases. The medians of Tf (freezing temperature), Tim (initial melting temperature), Te (Eutectic temperature), Tm (final melting (peritectic) temperature), and Th (homogenization temperature) in the AFI and MFI in the salts of Glooscap-C63 well are (−82, −75 °C), (−39, −38 °C), (−25, −24 °C), (−1.8, −3 °C), and (291, 287 °C), respectively. The corresponding medians for the Weymouth-A45 well are (−71, −78 °C), (−52, −52 °C), (−37, −38 °C), (−2.7, −3 °C), and (122, 20 °C), respectively. The median Th of PFI in Glooscap-C63 and Weymouth-A45 salts are 79 and 23 °C, respectively. The most probable source rocks for the petroleum are the shales of the Late Triassic – Early Jurassic Eurydice Formation which is widely distributed at depth underlying the Argo salt.