About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract

AAPG Bulletin, V. 102, No. 2 (February 2018), P. 267-291.

Copyright ©2018. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1306/0424171518217073

The application of diamondoid indices in the Tarim oils

Yun Li,1 Yongqiang Xiong,2 Qianyong Liang,3 Chenchen Fang,4 Yuan Chen,5 Xiaotao Wang,6 Zewen Liao,7 and Ping’an Peng8

1State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China; [email protected]
2State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China; [email protected]
3Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, 188 Guanghai Street, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510760, PR China; [email protected]
4PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, 20 Xueyuan Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, PR China; [email protected]
5State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China; [email protected]
6State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China; [email protected]
7State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China; [email protected]
8State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China; [email protected]

ABSTRACT

This study presents new data for the identification of the source and assessment of the thermal maturity of oils based on the diamondoid indices of oils from the Tazhong and Luntai uplifts in the Tarim Basin in northwest China. The oil samples were divided into three groups according to biomarker characteristics and the abundance and distribution of diamondoids. Group I oils are located along the Tazhong No. 1 fault zone, which contained abundant diamondoids and are of high thermal maturity, suggesting they are late-charged hydrocarbons that were derived from a Middle–Upper Ordovician source. Group II oils are mainly located in blocks close to the Tazhong No. 1 fault zone and are dominated by early formed hydrocarbons from Cambrian–Lower Ordovician source rocks. Group III lacustrine oils comprise relatively low concentrations of diamondoids compared with group I and group II oils. Group III oils were sourced from Jurassic or possibly Triassic units and are hosted by the low-relief Yingmaili section of the Luntai uplift. The thermal maturity of the oils in each group was evaluated using diamondoid parameters; a few group I oils exhibit intense thermal cracking. To estimate the extent of oil cracking using the concentrations of diamondoids in oils, this study proposes a practical approach that facilitates the determination of baseline 4- and 3-methyldiamantane concentrations. Application of this method indicates that the Tarim Basin marine oils contain a baseline concentration of approximately 69 ppm.

Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24

AAPG Member?

Please login with your Member username and password.

Members of AAPG receive access to the full AAPG Bulletin Archives as part of their membership. For more information, contact the AAPG Membership Department at [email protected].