Biogenic gas(?) in fluid inclusions from sandstones in contact with oil-mature coals
- University of Oslo, Oslo (Norway). Dept. of Geoscience
This study was initiated to investigate if coals on the Norwegian offshore continental shelf (NOCS) expel petroleum and in which form. The results revealed that equally isotopically light methane (C{sub 1}) was released from fluid inclusions in sandstones and from adjacent coal (-60.9 to -72.7 parts per thousand). The analyzed samples were collected from cored northern North Sea and mid-Norwegian shelf wells in the depth interval 3924-5095 m. The vitrinite reflectance (R{sub o}) values of the coals range between 0.53 and 1.12%, with most values between 0.8 and 1.0%. The light C{sub 1} isotope values released both from the coals and from the fluid inclusions in the adjacent sandstones suggest that the origin of the gas is the coal, and that no isotope fractionation occurs during release of the gas in nature. Traditional isotope interpretation schemes suggest the C{sub 1} to have a biogenic origin, whereas recently published data also show the possibility for an early mature thermogenic origin. The isotope values represent averages of the total gas released from all the individual disintegrated fluid inclusions in each sample. These did not form simultaneously, but during multiple events potentially covering several million years. We speculate that significant volumes of isotopically light C{sub 1} have been expelled from the analyzed coals over time. The expelled isotopically light C{sub 1}, may mix with mature thermogenically produced gas and skew the overall methane isotope values of gas accumulations toward lighter values, thus explaining the isotopically lighter-than-expected gas accumulations on the NOCS (e.g., Troll, Frigg, and Draugen fields).
- OSTI ID:
- 20939735
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin, Vol. 91, Issue 5; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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