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Chemical and isotopic evidence of thermochemical sulphate reduction by light hydrocarbon gases in deep carbonate reservoirs

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Abstract

Large H2S accumulations in deep carbonate reservoirs have been attributed to thermochemical sulphate reduction. Although organic matter has been invoked as the reducing agent, individual reactants in specific environments have hitherto not been identified. Carbon isotope data reveal that light hydrocarbon gases have been effective reducing agents in some Palaeozoic foothill reservoirs of western Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada

    H. Roy Krouse

  2. Shell Canada Limited, P.O. Box 2506, Calgary, Alberta, T2P3S6, Canada

    Christian A. Viau & Leslie S. Eliuk

  3. Mitsubishi Metal Corporation, Central Research Institute, 1-297 Kitabukuro, Omiya, Saitama, 330, Japan

    Akira Ueda

  4. Marie Curie-Sklodowska University, Institute of Physics, Lublin, Poland

    Stan Halas

Authors
  1. H. Roy Krouse
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  2. Christian A. Viau
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  3. Leslie S. Eliuk
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  4. Akira Ueda
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  5. Stan Halas
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Krouse, H., Viau, C., Eliuk, L. et al. Chemical and isotopic evidence of thermochemical sulphate reduction by light hydrocarbon gases in deep carbonate reservoirs. Nature 333, 415–419 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/333415a0

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