Investigation on the Geochemical Properties of Potential Source Rocks in South Pars Field

رخساره‌های رسوبی

Article 1, Volume 1, Issue 1, February 2009, Pages 45-60   

Document Type: مقالات پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/sed.facies.v1i1.667

Authors

Roshanak Sonei¹; Hossain Rahimpour-Bonab^{* 1}; Mahmud Memariyani²; Ashkan Asadi-Eskandar¹

¹Departement of Geology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Iran

²Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Based on enormous gas reserves and good potential for production from oil-bearing layers (Upper Dariyan, Lower Dariyan and Sarvak Formations), South Pars Field is one of the most important hydrocarbon reserves in the Iran. The goal of this study is to determine the geochemical properties, such as quantity, quality and thermal maturity of the organic matters, of possible source rocks that might have a role in generation of hydrocarbon in the past. Therefore, core and cutting samples of the Surmeh, Fahliyan and Gadvan Formations from three exploratory oil wells in the South Pars Field, namely A, B and C, were analyzed using Rock-Eval pyrolysis and burial history reconstruction. The results of Rock-Eval pyrolysis show that such beds are not good sources and have poor to fair content of organic matter in which the total organic carbon richness (TOC) ranged between 0.1 and 0.64 Wt%. These three formations generally contain kerogen type II and III. Most of the studied samples are mainly gas-oil-prone organic matter (OM) with hydrogen index (HI) ranged between 150 and 300, associated with gas prone (OM) of (HI) 300. The maturity of these source beds ranges from immature to early mature-oil window in these three wells, as inferred from the production index (PI), Tmax. Thus, no potential gas/oil source intervals were encountered in three wells. Burial history reconstruction indicates that at the end of the Cretaceous time, Permian to Cretaceous sediments remained immature in the Qatar Arch. Therefore, Surmeh, Fahliyan and Gadvan Formations could not be the source rock of the oils in this field.

Keywords

Possible source rock; thermal maturity; Rock-Eval Pyrolysis; hydrogen index; oil window; burial history

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