Origins of natural gas and the main controlling factors of gas accumulation in the Middle Ordovician assemblages in Jingxi area, Ordos Basin

Abstract

During the progressive exploration of the Jingbian Gas Field in the Ordos Basin, multiple gas-bearing regions have been discovered in the dolomite reservoirs in the Middle Ordovician assemblages of Lower Paleozoic in Jingxi area, but these gas-bearing regions and intervals are significantly different in terms of gas enrichment degrees. So far, however, the reasons for the difference have not been figured out. In this paper, the origin and source of natural gas in the Middle Ordovician assemblages in Jingxi area was investigated on the basis of geochemical data (e.g. natural gas composition and carbon isotope), and then the main factors controlling the gas accumulation were analyzed. It is shown that the natural gas in the Middle Ordovician assemblages in the Middle Ordovician assemblages in Jingxi area is similar to that in the Upper Ordovician assemblages and Upper Paleozoic reservoir in terms of genesis and sources, and they are mainly the Upper Paleozoic coaliferous gas with some oil-derived gas. Under the influence of hydrocarbon generation center of coal source rocks and the source–rock–reservoir contact relationship, the proportion of coaliferous gas increases areally from the north to the south and vertically from Ma55 sub-member of the Lower Ordovician Majiagou Fm. It is concluded that the natural gas enrichment degree is controlled by the gas charging capacity at the hydrocarbon-supplying windows. Second, the vertical migration and distribution of natural gas is dominated by the differences of Ma55−Ma510 transport pathways. And third, the lateral migration direction of natural gas and the range of gas accumulation are controlled by the superimposition relationship between structures and reservoirs.