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Evaluation of hydrocarbon generation of the Xiamaling Formation shale in Zhangjiakou and its significance to the petroleum geology in North China

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Abstract

The semi-closed pyrolysis simulation system under constant pressure was conducted to explore the characteristics and mechanisms of hydrocarbon generation from Xiamaling Formation shale in Xiahuayuan, North China. The experiment results indicate the oil generated by the Xiamaling Formation shale in oil window should be classified as “aromatic-intermediate” type, whereas the decreasing of dry coefficient can be ascribed to the cracking of residual bitumen in source rock in the stage of high to post maturity. The amount of hydrocarbon gas generated from residual bitumen can be up to 1–2 m3 per ton rock in high to post mature stage by calculating hydrogen contents in the kerogen, the expelled hydrocarbon, and the residual hydrocarbon. This reveals the importance of residual bitumen as a gas source during high to post mature stage of the kerogen evolution, and also as the broad exploration prospect of these gases. This research highlights the attention should be paid to oil/gas reservoirs sourced from residual bitumen of organic-rich source rock in high mature stage, even the primary oil/gas reservoirs considered as the main exploration targets in middle-upper Proterozoic sediments of North China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    LiuJuan Xie & YongGe Sun

  2. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    YongGe Sun, ZhongWei Yang, AiZhu Jiang & YongDong Zhang

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

    JianPing Chen & ChunPing Deng

  4. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    ZhongWei Yang, AiZhu Jiang & YongDong Zhang

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  1. LiuJuan Xie
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Correspondence to YongGe Sun.

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Xie, L., Sun, Y., Yang, Z. et al. Evaluation of hydrocarbon generation of the Xiamaling Formation shale in Zhangjiakou and its significance to the petroleum geology in North China. Sci. China Earth Sci. 56, 444–452 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-012-4538-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-012-4538-5

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