Abstract
In this study, by analyzing CH4 concentration and in soil-gas profiles, the potentials of CH4 gas transfer from ground to atmosphere were studied at four representative sectors in the Yakela condensed gas field in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. These are: 1) the oil-gas interface sector, 2) fault sector, 3) oil-water interface sector, 4) an external area. Variation in CH4 in soil-gas profiles showed that CH4 microseepage resulted from the migration of subsurface hydrocarbon from deep-buried reservoirs to the earth’s surface. It was found that CH4 from deep-buried reservoirs could migrate upwards to the surface through faults, fissures and permeable rocks, during which some CH4 was oxidized and the unoxidized methane remained in the soil or was emitted into the atmosphere. The lowest level of CH4 at the soil-gas profile was found at the CH4 gas-phase equilibrium point at which the CH4 migration upwards from deep-buried reservoirs and the CH4 diffusion downwards from the atmosphere met. The and ethane, propane in soil gas exhibited thermogenic characteristics, suggesting the occurrence of CH4 microseepage from deep-buried reservoirs. A linear correlation analysis between CH4 concentrations in soil gas and temperature, moisture, pH, Eh, Ec and particle size of soil indicated that both soil Eh and soil temperature could affect CH4 concentration in soil gas while soil pH could indirectly influence soil methanotrophic oxidation via impacting soil Eh.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Abrams MA. Significance of hydrocarbon seepage relative to petroleum generation and entrapment. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 2005. 22(4): 457–477
Chen L, Zhu G Y, Zhang B, et al. Control factors and diversities of phase state of oil and gas pools in the Kuqa petroleum system. Acta Geologica Sinica. 2012. 86(2): 484–496
Deng Q, Molnar P, Brown E T, et al. Latest activity and slip rate of Kuerchu segment of north Lutai fault in south edge of Tianshan, China since late Pleistocene. Inland Earthquake. 2001. 15: 289–298
Etiope G GEM—Geologic emissions of methane, the missing source in the atmospheric methane budget. Atmospheric Environment. 2004. 38: 3099–3100
Etiope G and Milkov A V. A new estimate of global methane flux from onshore and shallow submarine mud volcanoes to the atmosphere. Environmental Geology. 2004. 46(8): 997–1002
Etiope G, Lassey K R, Klusman R W, et al. Reappraisal of the fossil methane budget and related emission from geologic sources. Geophysical Research Letters. 2008. 35(9), L09307
Etiope G Natural emissions of methane from geological seepage inEurope. Atmospheric Environment. 2009. 43(7): 1430–1443
Etiope G and Ciccioli P. Earth’s degassing: A missing ethane and propane source. Science. 2009. 323(5913): 478–478
Etiope G and Klusman R W. Microseepage in drylands: Flux and implications in the global atmospheric source/sink budget of methane. Global and Planetary Change. 2010. 72(4): 265–274
Hilkert A W, Douthitt C B, Schlüter H J, et al. Isotope ratio monitoring gas chromatography / mass spectrometry of D/H by high temperature conversion isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 1999. 13(13): 1226–1230
Hunt J M. Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology. York: W H Freeman Limited. 1996. 743
Klusman R W. Soil Gas and Related Methods for Natural Resource Exploration. UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 1993. 483
Klusman R W and Jakel M E. Natural microseepage of methane to the atmosphere from the Denver-Julesburg Basin, Colorado. Journal of Geophysical Research. 1998. 103(21): 28041–28045
Klusman R W, Leopold M E and LeRoy M P. Seasonal variation in methane fluxes from sedimentary basins to the atmosphere: Results from chamber measurements and modeling of transport from deep sources. Journal of Geophysical Research. 2000. 105 (D20): 24661–24670
Laubmeyer G A new geophysical prospecting method: Especially for deposits of hydrocarbons. Petroleum. 1933. 29(18): 1–4
Lelieveld J, Crutzen P J and Dentener F J. Changing concentration, lifetime and climate forcing of atmospheric methane. Tellus Series B Chemical and Physical Meteorology. 1998. 50(2): 128–150
Liang D, Chen J, Zhang B, et al. The Hydrocarbon Generation of Terrestrial Facies in the Kuche Depression, Tarim Basin. Petroleum Industry Press. 2004. 52 (in Chinese)
Rice A L, Gotoh A A, Ajie H O, et al. High-precision continuous-flow measurement of δ13C and SD of atmospheric CH4. Analytical Chemistry. 2001. 73(17): 4104–4110
Rust F E. Ruminant methane delta (13C/12C) values: Relation to atmospheric methane. Science. 1981. 211: 1044–1046
Song Y, Dai J X, Li X Q, et al. Main characteristics of geochemistry and geology in China’s medium-large gas fields. Acta Petrolei Sinica. 1998. 19(1): 1–5 (in Chinese)
Stevens C M and Engelkemeir A. Stable carbon isotopic composition of methane from some natural and anthropogenic sources. Journal of Geophysical Research. 1988. 93 (D1): 725–733
Stevens C M. Isotopic abundances in the atmosphere and sources. In: Khalil M A K (ed.), Atmospheric Methane: Sources, Sinks and Role in Global Change. New York: Springer-Verlag. 1993. 62–88
Tang J H, Bao Z Y, Xiang W, et al. An on-line method for measurement of the carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric methane and its application to atmosphere of Yakela Condensed Gas Field. Environmental Science. 2006. 27(1): 14–18 (in Chinese)
Tang J H, Bao Z Y, Xiang W, et al. Daily variation of natural emission of methane to the atmosphere and source identification in the Luntai fault region of the Yakela condensed oil/gas field in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. Acta Geologica Sinica. 2007. 81(5): 801–840
Tang J H, Bao Z Y, Xiang W, et al. Geological emission of methane from the Yakela condensed oil/gas field in Talimu Basin, Xinjiang, China. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 2008. 20(9): 1055–1062
Tang J H, Bao Z Y and Xiang W. Natural emissions of methane and source identification from oil-water interface of the Yakela condensed oil/gas field. Earth Science. 2009. 34(5): 769–777 (in Chinese)
Tang J H, Yin H Y, Wang G J, et al. Methane microseepage from different sectors of the Yakela condensed gas field in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. Applied Geochemistry. 2010. 25(8): 1257–1264
Tang Y P and Liu Y L. Study on the geochemical effects of vertical hydrocarbon micromigration and their mechanism. Petroleum Geology & Experiment. 2002. 24(5): 431–436 (in Chinese)
Thielemann T, Lücke A, Schleser G H, et al. Methane exchange between coal-bearing basins and the atmosphere: The Ruhr Basin and the Lower Rhine Embayment, Germany. Organic Geochemistry. 2000. 31(12): 1387–1408
Tyler S C. Measurements and modeling of atmospheric methane using stable carbon isotopes. IGACtivities. 1999. 3–7
Wahlen M, Tanaka N, Henry R, et al. Carbon-14 in methane sources and in atmospheric methane: The contribution from fossil carbon. Science. 1989. 245(4915): 286–290
Whiticar M J. Carbon and hydrogen isotope systematics of bacterial formation and oxidation of methane. Chemical Geology. 1999. 161(1–3): 291–314
Yang T F, Yeh G H, Fu C C, et al. Composition and exhalation flux of gases from mud volcanoes in Taiwan. Environmental Geology. 2004. 46(8): 1003–1011
Zhu G Y, Cui J, Su J, et al. Accumulation and reformation of Silurian reservoir in the northern Tarim Basin. Acta Geologica Sinica. 2012. 86(1):209–225
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tang, J., Wang, G., Yin, H. et al. Methane in soil gas and its transfer to the atmosphere in the Yakela condensed gas field in the Tarim Basin, Northwest China. Pet. Sci. 10, 183–189 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-013-0265-6
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-013-0265-6