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Helium and argon isotope geochemistry of natural gases in China’s petroliferous basins

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Abstract

The age-accumulation effect of 40Ar in hydrocarbon source rocks was discussed in accordance with the decay law of radioactive elements. In terms of the mean values of 40Ar/36Ar, the old Sinian gas reservoirs (mean values of 40Ar/36Ar: 7009) were definitely distinguished from the Permian gas reservoirs (mean values of 40Ar/36Ar: 1017) in Weiyuan, Sichuan Province, and the gas source of the Permian gas reservoir (mean values of 40Ar/36Ar: 5222) in well Wei-7 with the Weiyuan structure is defined as the Sinian system. Based on the values of 40Ar/36Ar, the coal-type gases (The source rocks are of the C-P system; mean values of 40Ar/36Ar: 1125) are definitely distinguished from the oil-type gases (The source rocks are of the Tertiary system; mean values of 40Ar/36Ar: 590) in the Tertiary reservoirs of the Zhongyuan Oilfield. Besides, 40Ar/36Ar values also have a positive effect on the oil-source correlation of oil reservoirs in ancient hidden mountains. According to the crust-mantle interchange information reflected by 3He/4He values, petroliferous provinces in China can be divided into three major tectonic regions. (1) The eastern active region: The crust-mantle volatile matter exchanges actively, and the 3He/4He values are mainly around 10−6, partly around 10−7. (2) The central stable region: The 3He/4He values are all around 10−8. (3) The western sub-stable region: The 3He/4He values are mainly around 10−8, and around 10−7 on the edges of the basins. Helium contents of some gas wells in China’s eastern petroliferous region reach the industrial abundance (He≈0.05%–0.1%), the 3He/4He values reach 10−6, and the equivalent values for the mantle-source components in helium gas can reach 30%–50%. As viewed from this, a new type of crust-mantle composite helium resources has been proposed. Geneses of some CO2 gas reservoirs in the east of China and some issues concerning mantle-source methane were discussed in the light of the helium and carbon isotopes of CO2 and CH4 in natural gases. In the discussion on helium isotopic characteristics of inclusions in the reservoirs, it was discovered that the 3He/4He values are close to those in natural gases. That is to say, this phenomenon is related to regional tectonism. The 3He/4He, CO2/3He and CH4/3He data were used to discuss the tectonic activities of fault zones in a certain number of regions in China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources Research, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Wenhui Liu, Yongchang Xu, Mingxin Tao & Xiaobao Zhang

  2. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Production, SINOPEC, Beijing, 100083, China

    Wenhui Liu

  3. Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster of Ministry of Education, College of Resource Science and Technology, Beijing Norma University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Mingxin Tao

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  1. Wenhui Liu
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  2. Yongchang Xu
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  3. Mingxin Tao
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  4. Xiaobao Zhang
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Correspondence to Yongchang Xu.

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Liu, W., Xu, Y., Tao, M. et al. Helium and argon isotope geochemistry of natural gases in China’s petroliferous basins. Chin. J. Geochem. 30, 19–32 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-011-0483-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-011-0483-9

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