Mechanisms of carbon isotopic fractionation in the process of natural gas generation: Geochemical evidence from thermal simulation experiment

摘要

Low maturity coal samples were taken from the Ordos Basin to conduct gold tube thermal simulation experiment in a closed system, and the characteristics of the products were analyzed to find out the fractionation mechanism of carbon isotopes and the causes of abnormal carbon isotopic compositions of natural gas. At the heating rates of 2 °C/h (slow) and 20 °C/h (rapid), the low maturity coal samples of the Ordos Basin had the maximum yields of alkane gas of 302.74 mL/g and 230.16 mL/g, theδ13C1ranges of ?34.8‰ to ?23.6‰ and ?35.5‰ to ?24.0‰;δ13C2ranges of ?28.0‰ to ?9.0‰ and ?28.9‰ to ?8.3‰; andδ13C3ranges of ?25.8‰ to ?14.7‰ and ?26.4‰ to ?13.2‰, respectively. Alkane gas in the thermal simulation products of rapid temperature rise process showed obvious partial reversal of carbon isotope series at 550°C, and at other temperatures showed positive carbon isotope series. In the two heating processes, theδ13C1turned lighter first and then heavier, and the non-monotonic variation of theδ13C1values is because the early CH4is from different parent materials resulted from heterogeneity of organic matter or the carbon isotope fractionation formed by activation energy difference of early enriched12CH4and late enriched13CH4. The reversal of carbon isotope values of heavy hydrocarbon gas can occur not only in high to over mature shale gas (oil-type gas), but also in coal-derived gas. Through thermal simulation experiment of toluene, it is confirmed that the carbon isotope value of heavy hydrocarbon gas can be reversed and inversed at high to over mature stage. The isotope fractionation effect caused by demethylation and methyl linkage of aromatic hydrocarbons may be an important reason for carbon isotope inversion and reversal of alkane gas at the high to over mature stage.