Origin of Light Hydrocarbons in Carbonate Oolites

Ferguson, J.; Ibe, A. C.

doi:10.1111/j.1747-5457.1981.tb00526.x

Cited by 17 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Shearman & Skipwith (1965) suggested that the mucilaginous jackets which surround most shallow-water carbonate grains may indeed be the source of much of the kerogen in carbonate rocks. Later, Ferguson & Ibe (1981) analysed the light hydrocarbons in the shallow-water oolites off the coast of Abu Dhabi, and surprised earlier workers when they obtained much higher results than those reported by Evans & Bush (1970) from the tidal delta sediments (average values 0.27 wt%). However, these higher values seem to have been produced by doubtful analytical techniques, as pointed out by Kenig et al (1989Kenig et al ( , 1991.…”

Section: Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 88%

An historical review of the Quaternary sedimentology of the Gulf (Arabian/Persian Gulf) and its geological impact

Evans

2010

Quaternary Carbonate and Evaporite Sedimentary Facies and Their Ancient Analogues

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The Arabian Gulf is a foreland basin that lies between the Arabian Shield and the Zagros fold belt. Today, it is being infilled at its northern head by the Tigris-Euphrates-Karun delta, receives further detrital sediment from Iran on its NE flank, and along its Arabian flank is the site of carbonate and evaporite sedimentation. Other than a few preliminary surveys by officers of the Indian Geological Survey and other minor geological studies associated with archaeological excavations on the Mesopotamian Plains, prior to the 1950s the Quaternary deposits of the region received little attention. However, since the publication of pioneering sedimentological studies in the late 1950s and early 1960s, these sediments have attracted considerable interest. Today, the Arabian Gulf is quoted as a model for foreland basin sedimentation, carbonate evaporite-dune-fan associations and carbonate ramps. It has become a classic area for open-water spontaneous precipitation of calcium carbonate (whitings), formation of hardgrounds, ooid production, dolomite precipitation and, most famously, for the development of shallow-water carbonate-evaporite associations. The surprise discovery of anhydrite forming in the supratidal coastal plain sediments and not in the subaqueous environment of the Gulf had a profound effect on interpretations of ancient evaporites. This discovery caused considerable re-examination and reconsideration of these deposits.

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Section: Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 88%

An historical review of the Quaternary sedimentology of the Gulf (Arabian/Persian Gulf) and its geological impact

Evans

2010

Quaternary Carbonate and Evaporite Sedimentary Facies and Their Ancient Analogues

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“…Much of the evidence on which this opinion was based was circumstantial. However, the organic geochemical work of Ibe, 1980;Ferguson and Ibe, 1981;1982;Ibe, 1982, 1983a, 1983band Ibe et al, 1983 experimental backing for such an opinion. This is further supported by the results of the case study above, which are consistent with an in situ origin for the petroleum found in most oolite reservoirs.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Formation of Petroleum in Oolites‐ Ii: A Case Study of the Arab Formation Oolite Reservoirs

Ibe

1985

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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In Part I, (Journ. Petrol. Geol. 7 (3) 267–276) a scheme for the in situ generation and accumulation of hydrocarbons was presented. It was concluded that the indigenous origin of petroleum in oolites, which preculdes a long and wasteful primary migration process, affords another explanation for the exceptionally rich petroleum accumulations which characterise oolite reservoirs. The present paper now tests the validity of that proposal by a selected case study. For an unequivocal discussion of an oolite reservoir productive of petroleum generated in situ, it would be necessary to describe in some detail those formations either underlying, overlying or lateral to the formation of interest which, because of their hydrocarbon content in the general region, might perhaps be supposed to have been the original source of the petroleum now found in the oolites. such an account would be more detailed than space permits. The need arises, therefore, for the selection of an example which allows the least number of alternative possibilities. This was the guiding principle behind the choice of the prolific Arab Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Saudi Arabia as a case study (Fig. 1)

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“…D Thesis was accepted in 1980 as a Publication of the University of London. Writing in the Journal of Petroleum Geology, Ferguson and Ibe (1981) noted;…”

Section: The Accidental Geochemistmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the study of carbonates, it gave the erroneous impression that carbonates are organic matter poor. (see Ibe, 1980;Ferguson and Ibe, 1981, for detailed discussion of organic matter extraction techniques).…”

Section: Hydrocarbon Indicator In Greenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Source Rocks And Sorcerers: Decoding The Origin Of The Niger Delta Petroleum

Ibe

2015

PNgAS

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Against the present-day credo of the organic origin of petroleum, it may be difficult to believe that in the early days of the oil industry, the abiogenic (inorganic) origin of petroleum held sway. In 1877, Russian Scientist Mendeleev (of the Periodic Table fame) proposed that metal carbides deep within the earth reacted with water at high temperatures to form acetylene which subsequently condensed to form heavier hydrocarbons (as is readily demonstrated in the lab). CaC2 + 2H2O = C2H2 + Ca(OH)2 In 1890, Sokoloff propounded that `bitumina', originated from meteorites and that this petroleum was extruded from the earth's interior into the surface sediments. They were the first Sorcerers. Others (eg. Vernadsky, Kudryavtsev) were to follow with differing concepts of the Inorganic Origin of petroleum including Volcanic Origin Theory, Earthquake Outgassing, etc. Their views received great support from their peers (and still linger in some quarters!). Then came the period in the early 1900s when advances in the knowledge of the composition of petroleum saw the ascendancy of the Theory of Organic Origin. In particular, the discovery of the optical activity of petroleum (Walden, 1906) and of the presence of chlorophyll porphyrins (Treibs, 1934) confirmed the low temperature origin and history of petroleum and thus cemented the Organic Theory. Subsequently, the search for petroleum moved to the great sedimentary basins of the world. The successes scored seemed to put paid to the inorganic Theory. The organic Sorcerers seemed to have won. Or did they? In the 1990s, a new set of Sorcerers led by T. Gold reignited the Inorganic Theory. Largely supported by the state-owned Swedish electricity utility Vattenfall, he caused a deep well (6.5 km by 1997) to be drilled into the crystalline basement rocks in Sweden in search of predicted petroleum of inorganic origin but the outcome was a dry hole. Was that the end of the Inorganic Theory? Perhaps, not.

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Origin of Light Hydrocarbons in Carbonate Oolites

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

An historical review of the Quaternary sedimentology of the Gulf (Arabian/Persian Gulf) and its geological impact

An historical review of the Quaternary sedimentology of the Gulf (Arabian/Persian Gulf) and its geological impact

In Situ Formation of Petroleum in Oolites‐ Ii: A Case Study of the Arab Formation Oolite Reservoirs

Source Rocks And Sorcerers: Decoding The Origin Of The Niger Delta Petroleum

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