The Use of Noble Gases to Constrain Subsurface Fluid Dynamics in the Hydrocarbon Systems

Frontiers in Earth Science

卷:10

Yan Li¹  Chunhui Cao⁴  Hongyu Hu⁵  Huanfang Huang⁶ 

[1] College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China;

[2] College of Resources and Environment, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China;

[3] Guangdong Research Center for Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control of Agricultural Producing Areas, Guangzhou, China;

[4] Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China;

[5] School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China;

[6] State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Water Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, China;

关键词: hydrocarbon migration;    noble gases;    groundwater;    fluid interaction;    subsurface;   

DOI  :  10.3389/feart.2022.895312

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Geochemical techniques have been widely applied to study the generation and migration of hydrocarbons in sedimentary basins over the last several decades. Diagnostic biomarkers and stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes (such as δ13C and D) are generally used to identify the sources and thermal maturity of hydrocarbons and to reveal the accumulation process and mechanism of oil and gas reservoirs. However, some questions, such as secondary migration processes and pathways of oil and gas, and the relationship between groundwater flow and hydrocarbon transport, remain unclear and challenging. The low abundance and chemical inertness properties allow noble gases to serve as robust tools for tracing subsurface fluid flow. Additionally, they can be used for identifying and quantifying the role of the concomitant groundwater related to the generation and migration of hydrocarbons. This paper reviews the previous modeling work on using noble gases to study the fluid flow, flow paths, and gas/oil-water interactions in hydrocarbon systems. Noble gases from various sources can be readily identified due to their distinct isotopic and elemental signatures. Atmosphere-derived noble gases can be used to evaluate the amount of involved aquifer water associated with the hydrocarbon system and determine the groundwater migration paths and flow rates. Radiogenic noble gases accumulate over time, providing information about the subsurface fluid residence time. Questions concerning the specific trapping sites and mechanisms that affect heavy noble gas adsorption into organic sediments are still unresolved. Investigating the hydrocarbon generation, migration, and subsurface crustal fluid interactions in the hydrocarbon reservoirs can improve our understanding of noble gases as useful tracers in the subsurface environment and provide valuable geological evidence for the exploration and production of petroleum sources.

【 授权许可】

Unknown