New evidence for the origin of natural gas in Ordos Basin from hydrocarbons of oil water

Abstract

The chief aim of the present work is to investigate the controversy origin of natural gas in the Ordos Basin by using the hydrocarbons of oil water. New evidence has been found: There is relatively high content of light hydrocarbons and low content of heavy components in the hydrocarbons fraction of oil water in the middle gas field of the Majiagou Formation, Ordovician reservoir. The hydrocarbons of oil water in Well Shan 12 and Well Shan 78 have relatively high abundance of tricyclic terpane. Tricyclic terpane/hopane of the two samples are 1.48 and 0.36, respectively. They also show that pregnane and hompregnane are in relatively high abundance with lower hopane/sterane ratio. Pr/Ph is less than 2.0. These characteristics reflected the source input of marine carbonate sedimentary environment. In contrast, the hydrocarbon of Well Shan 81 is lack of tricyclic terpane series and pregnane. It has a high hopane/sterane ratio and Pr/Ph is 3.27. These parameters are typical character of terrestrial organic matter. Furthermore, the hydrocarbons of oil water in Well Shan 37 and Well Shan 34 is between the two typical situations. They have little content of tricyclic terpanes. They may be derived from a mixing source of marine carbonate and terrestrial organic matter input. Similarly, the maturity parameters approve this suggestion. The samples of Well Shan 12 and Well Shan 78 which derived from marine carbonate have relatively high maturity and samples derived from terrestrial organic matter have lower maturity. The maturity of the hydrocarbons of mixing source is between these two situations. The suggestion coincides with the geological background and source rocks distribution.