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AAPG Bulletin

Abstract

AAPG Bulletin, V. 88, No. 2 (February 2004), P. 241-251.

Copyright copy2004. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Relationship between magnetic anomalies and hydrocarbon microseepage above the Jingbian gas field, Ordos basin, China

Qingsheng Liu,1 Lungsang Chan,2 Qingsong Liu,3 Haixia Li,4 Fang Wang,5 Shuangxi Zhang,6 Xianghua Xia,7 Tongjin Cheng8

1Department of Geophysics, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; email: [email protected]
2Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
3Institute for Rock Magnetism, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, 55455
4Department of Geophysics, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
5Department of Geophysics, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
6Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
7Institute of Petroleum Geochemistry, China National Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC), Hefei 220023, China
8Institute of Petroleum Geochemistry, China National Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC), Hefei 220023, China

AUTHORS

Qingsheng Liu received his early training in applied geophysics at Beijing Geological College. He is a professor of geophysics at the China University of Geosciences. His research interests are magnetic response of hydrocarbon microseepage above oil and gas reservoir and magnetic structure of the continental crust.

Lungsang Chan is an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong. He received a B.S.Sc degree (1978) in geography at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and an M.A degree (1980) and a Ph.D. (1984) in geology at the University of California, Berkeley. His major research interests concern paleomagnetism and geophysics of engineering and the environment.

Qingsong Liu is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota. His major is application of rock magnetism to both paleoclimatic and paleomagnetic studies.

Haixia Li received a B.S. degree (2001) and an M.S. degree (2003) in geophysics from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and is currently in the Department of Earth Sciences of Kunming University of Science and Technology. Her research interest is environmental geophysics.

Fang Wang received a B.S. degree (2001) and is now a graduate student majoring in geophysics at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). Her major research interest is interpretation of aeromagnetic anomaly.

Shuangxi Zhang received a B.S. degree (1983) and an M.S. degree (1986) in applied geophysics from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and a Ph.D. (2003) in earth sciences at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests are in seismic prospecting and its applications to the geophysics of engineering and petroleum.

Xianghua Xia is a researcher at the Hefei Institute of Petroleum Geochemical Exploration, SINOPEC. He obtained his B.S. degree (1986) in geochemistry at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and a Ph.D. (2003) in petroleum geology at Chengdu University of Technology. His research interest is oil and gas geochemical exploration.

Tongjin Cheng received a B.S. degree (1978) in petroleum geology from Chengdu University of Technology. He is a professor at the Institute of Petroleum Geochemical Exploration, Heifei, SINOPEC. His specialization is in oil/gas migration and geochemical exploration.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 49874026) for support of this study and thank Deet Schumacher, Peter J. Hatgelakas, and Donald F. Saunders for the very helpful comments to improve this manuscript.

ABSTRACT

In this study, soil magnetic measurements (susceptibility and hysteretic parameters) and soil hydrocarbon analyses were conducted on samples from three profiles (profiles I and II run across, and profile III runs parallel to the trend of the Jingbian gas field in the Ordos basin, central China) to determine the relationship between the magnetic anomalies (e.g., volume-specific magnetic susceptibility k) and the hydrocarbon seepage environments. The results document a strong correlation between magnetic susceptibility and soil-gas hydrocarbon concentration. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of k and hydrocarbon anomalies correlate with those of the gas field. In addition, magnetic minerals in the soils with higher susceptibility are predominantly magnetite, with little or no substitution of titanium compared to that of samples with lower susceptibility (lt7 times 10minus5 SI [International Unit of susceptibility]). These results provide strong evidences for the formation of highly magnetic minerals in close association with hydrocarbon seepage. Recognition of such seepage-induced magnetic anomalies can be used to facilitate the exploration for oil and gas in China and elsewhere.

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