Origin and mixing of crude oils in Triassic reservoirs of Mahu slope area in Junggar Basin, NW China: Implication for control on oil distribution in basin having multiple source rocks

摘要

The origin of crude oils and their varied geochemical features along the western and northern slope of the Mahu depression in the Junggar Basin has been controversial. Based on the molecular and isotopic geochemistry of hydrocarbons from 46 drill-stem test crude oil samples and 36 core samples, three oil groups (I, II, III) and five subgroups (I-1, I-2, II, III1 and III2) have been recognized and oil-source correlations have been established. The subgroup II oils originated mainly from lower Permian Fengcheng (P(1)f) carbonate source rocks, subgroup I-2 from P(1)f mudstone source rock and group II oils from Middle Permian Wuerhe (P2w) mudstone source rock whose potential was underestimated in the past. Group HI consists of mixed oils, i.e., subgroup IIIl received contributions from P(1)f carbonates and P(2)w mudstones and subgroup III2 is a mixture of oils from Pif mudstones and P(2)w-generated oils. In order to determine the main source rocks, the laboratory oil mixing experiments were carried out. Tricyclic terpane biomarker parameters (lTs) were used to quantify the source contributions. Whole oil carbon isotope ratios were also used to verify the proportions of different oils in each mixture. The results show that subgroup III1 oils have diverse mixing ratios in different reservoir, subgroup III2 oils are mainly from P(1)f mudstones and P(2)w source rock contributes little. Finally, the accumulation process of oil fields along the northern slope of the Mahu depression was analyzed and the contributions from different sources were revealed. This study provides an effective quantitative method to identify contributions from different lacustrine source rocks to mixed oils in the Mahu depression, which could be helpful in predicting location and composition of undiscovered oils. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.