--> New Technologies Improve Petroleum Source Typing and Process Delineation: Examples from Offshore Brazil, West Africa, U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Iraq, Moldowan, J. M.; Dahl, Jeremy E.; Saleh, Furat A.; Ekweozor, Chukwuemeka M.; Rangel, Mario; Chen, ZhengZheng; Mello, Marcio, #90100 (2009)

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New Technologies Improve Petroleum Source Typing and Process Delineation: Examples from Offshore Brazil, West Africa, U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Iraq

Moldowan, J. M.1
 Dahl, Jeremy E.2
 Saleh, Furat A.3
 Ekweozor, Chukwuemeka M.4
 Rangel, Mario5
 Chen, ZhengZheng6
 Mello, Marcio7

1Geological & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
2
Geballe Lab for Advanced Materials, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
3
Department of Applied Geology, Babylon University, Babylon, Iraq.
4
Oil &
Gas Academy, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
5
PETROBRAS/CENPES/PDEXP/GEOQ,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
6
ConocoPhillips,
Houston, TX.
7
High Resolution Technology and Petroleum,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Classical biomarker and bulk isotope analyses of oils and source rocks have provided a great boon to the industry for determining the active petroleum systems as the beginning data for making exploration plays, basin modeling and reservoir characterization. However, these classical analyses may provide only part of the whole picture. New high-resolution technologies can provide insights into oil provenance, migration history and its subsequent alteration in the reservoir not previously attainable. These novel methods are necessary to: (1) determine the age of a petroleum source directly from the oil without rock extracts, (2) properly define and make the best decisions on deep gas plays, (3) delineate multiply sourced petroleum systems, and (4) reveal and understand multiply-charged reservoirs with multi-staged biodegradation episodes. The methods to be described include age-related biomarkers, quantitative diamondoid analysis (QDA), compound specific isotope analysis of diamondoids (CSIA-D), compound specific isotope analysis of biomarkers (CSIA-B), and biomarker acid analysis (BAA).

QDA reveals the information about where deep thermal gas and condensate is being generated in the basin, suggesting favorable new opportunities for deep drilling. CSIA-D provides a way to identify the deep source of gas and condensate for use in building better basin models to pinpoint new prospects. The multiple sources of mixed oil generated in the oil window may be quantitatively delineated by using CSIA-B. Episodes of biodegradation in the reservoir beginning with the initial oil charge and continuing through repeated periods of fresh oil influx and biodegradation are quantitatively determined and sequenced by using biomarker acids.

Specific examples of the utility of these novel technologies in offshore
Brazil, West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, Iraq and other petroleum provinces will be presented in the talk.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90100©2009 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition 15-18 November 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil