Quantifying the helium and hydrocarbon accumulation processes using noble gases in the North Qaidam Basin, China

Zhang, Wen; Li, Yuhong; Zhao, Fenghua; Han, Wenzhong; Zhou, Jing; Holland, Greg; Zhou, Zheng

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.07.020

Cited by 22 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…1). It is high, low and broad in the west and narrow in the east, with an elevation of 2600-3000 m, east-west length of 850 km, north-south width of 150-300 km, and an area of 121,000 km 2 (Zhang et al, 2019;Liu and Sun, 2020). The area of sedimentary rocks is 96,000 km 2 , accounting for 79.3% of the total.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reservoir Characteristics of Fine‐grained Sedimentary Rocks in Saline Lakes in the Cenozoic Upper Ganchaigou Formation, Southwestern Qaidam Basin, NW China

Sheng

Liu

et al. 2022

Acta Geologica Sinica (Eng)

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Cenozoic fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in the southwestern Qaidam Basin, as typical salinized lacustrine sediments, are significantly different from those in other freshwater lakes under the impact of the high salinity in the lake. Many fine‐grained sedimentary rock samples were selected from the lower member of Neogene (N1) in the Gaskule Oilfield, Qaidam Basin, northwest China, with the aim to analyze and test their petrology, pore structure, and organic geochemical characteristics and determine its genesis and geological significance. Based on previous results, a new genesis of mixed sedimentary rocks is proposed. The Cenozoic lacustrine fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in SW Qaidam Basin belong to mixed sedimentary rocks, which can be divided into three types, including carbonate and terrigenous clastic‐bearing mudstone, carbonate‐bearing to terrigenous clastic mixed sedimentary rocks, and carbonate‐terrigenous clastic mixed sedimentary rocks. The geneses of mixing are quite different from that of mixed marine rocks. According to the sedimentary characteristics of the salinized lakes, three new geneses of mixed deposits are proposed: syn‐sedimentary mixing, varve interbedded mixing, and biogenic mixing. The reservoir spaces of the Cenozoic lacustrine fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in SW Qaidam Basin include residual intergranular pores, intercrystalline pores, microfractures, and minor dissolved pores. The reservoirs have super‐low porosity and ultra‐low permeability, with a porosity of 1.82%–21.04%, averaging 7.71%, and permeability of (0.0028–254.86) × 10–3 μm2, averaging 2.82 × 10–3 μm2. The test results of total organic carbon (TOC) content show that the highest content of organic carbon reached 1.41%, and those of vitrinite reflectance show that Ro ranges from 0.525%–0.824%, with an average of 0.806%. The organic geochemical characteristics show that the fine‐grained mixed sedimentary rocks of SW Qaidam Basin have the potential for self‐generation and self‐storage. As an unconventional reservoir, it has potential industrial value. This is the first study of fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in the Qaidam Basin, which offers certain theoretical and practical values.

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Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reservoir Characteristics of Fine‐grained Sedimentary Rocks in Saline Lakes in the Cenozoic Upper Ganchaigou Formation, Southwestern Qaidam Basin, NW China

Sheng

Liu

et al. 2022

Acta Geologica Sinica (Eng)

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“…It is clear that there is no addition of mantle-derived helium in these basins and all helium is of crustal origin. The R/Ra values in natural gases from Tarim Basin, Junggar Basin, Qaidam Basin and Turpan-Hami Basin in Western China are between 0.01 and 0.55, with an average of 0.06 (Xu et al, 1998;Liu et al, 2009;Liu et al, 2012;Xu et al, 2017;Tao et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2019). Some samples show trace amount of helium from mantle source, and helium is also of crustal origin in general (Figure 2).…”

Section: Helium Genetic Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Types, Distribution Patterns and Enrichment Mechanisms of Helium in China’s Petroliferous Basins

Qin

et al. 2022

Front. Earth Sci.

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Helium is a strategic resource with many scientific, technical and industrial applications. However, despite its importance and scarcity, there is a lack of understanding on its origin, migration and accumulation processes. In view of this, the distribution patterns and enrichment mechanisms of helium are studied based on systematic analysis of the genetic types of helium in petroliferous basins in China. The helium in the petroliferous basins in China is mainly radiogenic, which involves the decay of U and Th. As expected, we found that, in one gas field, the helium content in natural gas increases with the age of reservoir rock, and in the same layer of the same structure within one reservoir, the helium content in natural gas in high altitude part of the structure is higher than that in the lower part. Enrichment of helium is closely related to old deep groundwater. The helium produced by radioactive decay in old strata is dissolved in water and transported and enriched through water migration. Due to large uplift of the structure during the Himalayan period, the helium dissolved in water was exsolved and accumulated with natural gas in the trap above the water. And thus, the helium-rich natural gas reservoirs formed. So, the helium contents in natural gas fields increase gradually along the flow direction of groundwater. The area with large range of uplift often shows higher helium content. This study not only provides a basis for the study of helium enrichment research, but also provides a new idea for industrial helium resource exploration.

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Tracers for Oil and Gas Reservoirs

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Dunkle²

2020

Analytical Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry for Environmental Monitoring

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Quantifying the helium and hydrocarbon accumulation processes using noble gases in the North Qaidam Basin, China

Cited by 22 publications

References 54 publications

Reservoir Characteristics of Fine‐grained Sedimentary Rocks in Saline Lakes in the Cenozoic Upper Ganchaigou Formation, Southwestern Qaidam Basin, NW China

Reservoir Characteristics of Fine‐grained Sedimentary Rocks in Saline Lakes in the Cenozoic Upper Ganchaigou Formation, Southwestern Qaidam Basin, NW China

Genetic Types, Distribution Patterns and Enrichment Mechanisms of Helium in China’s Petroliferous Basins

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