Abstract
Calibration of thermal histories in basin modeling usually relies on matching temperature and vitrinite reflectance distribution in wells. The four main variables that can be adjusted to improve such a match are heat flow, surface temperature, maximum depth of burial (or eroded overburden), and thermal conductivity of the individual layers of rocks. This last parameter can be used to match the fine structure of the vertical temperature distribution, thermal gradient changes and heat anomalies.
Thermal conductivity values depend, among other variables, on the type of fluid filling the pores of the sediment. Although water usually is assumed as the pore fluid, we have experimented with using decreased conductivity resulting from high gas saturation in the pore space of specific formations in our modeling. One such case study is the Alberta Deep Basin in western Canada, where a large part of the lower Cretaceous section is thought to be gas saturated, underneath a water-saturated seal. Another case study comes from northwestern Siberia, where the largest gas accumulations on earth have been discovered.
Results show that the thermal effect of gas in pores, as opposed to water, is significant and cannot be neglected in basin modeling. Gas saturation can explain frequently observed sudden increases in vitrinite reflectance gradients or so-called “kinky” reflection profiles. The gas effect also can be used to model heat anomalies in past geologic periods where hypothetical increased heat-flow events cannot be justified.
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Poelchau, H.S., Zwach, C., Hantschel, T., Welte, D.H. (1999). Effect of Oil and Gas Saturation on Simulation of Temperature History and Maturation. In: Förster, A., Merriam, D.F. (eds) Geothermics in Basin Analysis. Computer Applications in the Earth Sciences. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4751-8_11
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