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Magnetic and mineralogical characteristics of hydrocarbon microseepage above oil/gas reservoirs of Tuoku region, northern Tarim Basin, China

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Abstract

The Tuoku region in northern Tarim Basin of China is a key area for studying oil/gas reservoir rocks. The magnetic and mineralogical parameters of well cuttings from two wells, well S7, situated on oil/gas field, and well S6, at an oil/water interface, were measured. The two wells are located in the same structure with similar strata and types of lithology, but well S6 is a showing well of oil and gas 5 km northwest of well S7. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility and distribution of secondary magnetic alteration that may have occurred due to hydrocarbon migration above an oil/gas accumulation. It is concluded that the magnetism of well cuttings from major strata in well S7, including source rocks, oil reservoir rocks and cap rocks, and in Quaternary (Q) soil is higher than that from well S6. The Cambrian oil-bearing strata and cap rocks have even higher magnetism in well S7. The shape and parameters of magnetic hysteresis loops indicate that soft (H c<20 mT,H s<0.3 T) ferrimagnetic components dominate the magnetic carriers within the strongly magnetic strata of well S7, whereas a mixed paramagnetic and ferrimagnetic distribution occurs in well S6 (for example, low coecivityH c and nonsaturating magnetized character). Analysis of heavy minerals shows that the contents of iron oxide (magnetite, maghemite and hematite) in well S7 are often higher than those in well S6. The magnetite content in samples of cuttings from Cambrian rocks can reach 9.7% in oil-bearing strata in well S7, and in strata Ekm and N1j are 1.215% and1.498%, respectively. Typical spherical magnetite grains are found within the main source rocks and the soils in well S7. By analysis of surface microtexture and of trace element contents, we infer that the spherical magnetite is composed of aggregates of ultrafine particles that are probably authigenic magnetite formed in a hydrocarbon halo background.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Geophysics, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China

    Qingsheng Liu, Zan Qu & Zhongxiang Xu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Oil/Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation of China, Chengdu Institute of Technology, 610059, Chengdu, China

    Shugen Liu

  3. Northwest Bureau of Petroleum Geology, 830011, Urumqi, China

    Weiguo Hou

Authors
  1. Qingsheng Liu
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  2. Shugen Liu
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  3. Zan Qu
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  4. Zhongxiang Xu
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  5. Weiguo Hou
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Additional information

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Geological Industry Foundation of China (Grant No. 49374216) and Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Oil/Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation of China (Grant No. 9608).

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Liu, Q., Liu, S., Qu, Z. et al. Magnetic and mineralogical characteristics of hydrocarbon microseepage above oil/gas reservoirs of Tuoku region, northern Tarim Basin, China. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 41, 121–129 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02932430

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02932430

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