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Anomalies and genetic mechanism of ethane carbon isotope in the Ordovician carbonate reservoirs in the Jingbian gas field, Ordos Basin, China

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Abstract

The Ordos Basin is one of the most petroliferous basins in China, and the cumulative gas yield of the Jingbian gas field was 91.36 × 109 m3, accounting for nearly 30% of total gas production in the Ordos Basin. The ethane carbon isotopic value of gases in the Ordovician carbonate reservoirs in the Jingbian gas field is abnormally depleted (δ13C1 > δ13C2 < δ13C3), which has directly led to the controversy over the source and genetic types of natural gas in the Jingbian gas field. To find out the genetic mechanism of anomalies of ethane carbon isotope, components and carbon isotopic values of natural gas in the Jingbian gas field were measured. On this basis, natural gas components and stable carbon isotopic values of the Wushenqi and Jingbian gas field were comprehensively measured and compared. The results show that higher thermal maturity leads to further cracking of the oil generated earlier and the residual kerogen. These secondary cracked gases mixed with the early generated gases lead to the anomalies of ethane carbon isotope. When thermal maturity reaches a critical value, it will have different effect on carbon isotopic values of methane and ethane. The carbon isotopic value of methane will continue to increase; however, that of the ethane will gradually decrease, which will eventually lead to the anomalies of ethane carbon isotope. Migration fractionation will also lead to the abnormally depleted of carbon isotopic values of ethane.

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[diagram based on Bernard et al. (1978) and Whiticar (1999)]

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[diagram based on Dai (1992)]

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[modified after Xia et al. (2013)]

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[diagram based on Dai (1992)]

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[modified after Dai (2016) and Dai et al. (2016)]

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[Data of the Wushenqi gas field from Dai (2016)]

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially funded by the Shandong Postdoctoral Innovation Project (Grant No. 201902032) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41772120).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China

    Wen-xue Han & Xiang-chun Chang

  2. Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Wen-xue Han & Xiang-chun Chang

  3. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing, 100083, China

    Wen-xue Han & Shi-zhen Tao

  4. Exploration and Development Research Institute of PetroChina Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an, 710021, Shaanxi, China

    Wei-wei Yang & Jing-li Yao

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Han, Wx., Chang, Xc., Tao, Sz. et al. Anomalies and genetic mechanism of ethane carbon isotope in the Ordovician carbonate reservoirs in the Jingbian gas field, Ordos Basin, China. Carbonates Evaporites 35, 21 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-020-00558-9

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