AAPG Bulletin, V. 83 (1999), No. 4 (April 1999), P. 553-577.

Oil Families and Their Potential Sources in the Northeastern Timan Pechora Basin, Russia¹

Michael A. Abrams,² Anna M. Apanel,³ Olga M. Timoshenko,⁴ and Natalia N. Kosenkova⁴
 

©Copyright 1999.  The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.  All Rights Reserved
 

¹Manuscript received July 3, 1997; revised manuscript received August 24, 1998; final acceptance November 18, 1998.
²Exxon Production Research Company, P.O. Box 146, Houston, Texas 77001; e-mail: michael.a.abrams.exxon.sprint.com
³Exxon Ventures (CIS), Inc., P.O. Box 4480, Houston, Texas 77210.
⁴Arkhangelskgeologia, 163001 No. 137 pr. Vinogradova, Arkhangelsk, Russia.

We thank Exxon Exploration Company, Exxon Ventures (CIS), Inc., and Arkhangelskgeologia for permission to publish this study. We also thank Valeri Rassomakhin, Ron Kleist, Eric Schmidtke, Jerry Jameson, and Istvan Barany, who assisted in sample collecting and geological discussions. Nadia Patent and Gary Guy provided graphics support. Allen Young, Jim Allan, Alan James, Lloyd Wenger, Debbie Gilbert, Barbara Rassman, Paul Mankiewicz, and Glenn Hieshima provided assistance and technical consultations. Rock samples were analyzed by Advanced Technology Center Core Laboratories, Inc., in Dallas, Texas, except the pyrolysis-GC and kinetics, which were done by Exxon Production Research Company. Manuscript was reviewed by Steve Creaney and Al Young. 
 

ABSTRACT

Oil and rock samples collected throughout the northeastern Timan Pechora basin identify key oil families and correlate these oil families to stratigraphic units that sourced them based on distinctive molecular characteristics. Three distinctive hydrocarbon systems have been identified within the northeastern Timan Pechora basin. Hydro carbons, both oil and gas, are found in clastic and carbonate reservoirs from the Lower Silurian to the Triassic.

Three major oil families have been identified based on physical properties, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. Family A oils are found in Permian-Silurian reservoirs within the Sorokin swell and Upper Devonian reservoirs within the eastern and western edges of the Khoreyver depression. This oil family is sourced from an Upper Devonian bitumen-laminated carbonate mudstone informally known as the domanik facies. Family B oils are found only in Upper Devonian reservoirs within the central Khoreyver depression. This oil family is most likely sourced from Upper Devonian hypersaline marine mudstones with significant bacterial input. Many of the family B oils were generated at temperatures less than that for peak oil generation. Family C oils are found in Carboniferous-Lower Devonian reservoirs within the northern Sorokin swell. This family is sourced from marine mudstones that have Gloecapsamorpha prisca, as well as other marine algae, present. Organic-rich Lower Devonian and Silurian shales contain similar molecular characteristics and are potential sources for the family C oils.