The components of natural gas are reactive in the deep subsurface and may not survive under all conditions. The stability of natural gas in reservoirs of various lithologies is studied using a combined theoretical and experimental approach.

A computer program uses real gas data to calculate equilibrium in multicomponent (up to 50), multiphase (up to 30) systems simulating subsurface conditions to 12 km (40,000 ft). This program predicts the stability of hydrocarbons in sandstone reservoirs by first considering clean sands and then sequentially adding feldspars and clays, carbonate cements, and iron oxides. In all examples, equilibrium compositions have been computed for low, average, and high geothermal gradients; hydrostatic and lithostatic pressures; and with and without graphite. Graphite is present when deep gases are generated by the cracking of oil but is absent in reservoirs originally filled with dry gas. Similar calculations have also been made for limestone and dolomite reservoirs with various combinations of c ays, iron minerals, anhydrite, and sulfur, again with and without graphite. Natural gas shows considerable stability in sandstone reservoirs under most conditions, but its concentration in deep carbonates is more variable and tends to a hydrogen sulfide-carbon dioxide (H₂S-CO₂) mixture except when an appreciable concentration of iron is present. Hydrogen is present at the 1 to 2% level for most lithologies.

A multicolumn gas chromatograph is used to analyze inorganic and organic gases released by crushing rock samples in a Teflon ball-mill. Gas samples from deep wells in the Anadarko basin and southern Louisiana have been analyzed and the compositions compared with those predicted from the computer program.

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