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- Title
Molecular evolution of nitrogen-containing compounds in highly mature organic matter: Implications for the hydrocarbon generation potential.
- Authors
Zhang, Jingkun; Cao, Jian; Hu, Wenxuan; Xiang, Baoli; Zhou, Ni; Ma, Wanyun
- Abstract
Evaluating the hydrocarbon generation potential of highly mature organic matter is a key and critically challenging area of research in petroleum geochemistry. To explore this issue, we used negative ion electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry to investigate the molecular evolution of N-containing compounds in Carboniferous-lower Permian source rocks with a range of maturities in the northwestern Junggar Basin, China. The N1 compounds formed from on-fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites (NCCs), which record the characteristics of the residual soluble organic matter. These components remain in the source rocks after hydrocarbon generation and expulsion, and enable evaluation of the hydrocarbon generation potential. The newly defined indexes of molecular evolution, which are the polymerization index P1 ([DBE 18+DBE 15]/[DBE 12+DBE 9]_N1) and alkylation index R1 (RC6–35/RC0–5), combined with the vitrinite reflectance (VRo) and paleo-salinity index (β-carotane/nCmax), can identify the factors that control the evolution of highly mature organic matter. The main factor for source rocks deposited in a weakly saline environment is the maturity, but for a highly saline environment both the maturity and salinity are key factors. The high salinity inhibits the molecular polymerization of organic matter and extends the oil generation peak. Given the differences in the bio-precursors in saline source rocks, we propose a new model for hydrocarbon generation that can be used to determine the oil generation potential of highly mature organic matter.
- Subjects
CHINA; ORGANIC geochemistry; MOLECULAR evolution; ORGANIC compounds; HYDROCARBONS; ANIONS; VITRINITE
- Publication
SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, 2023, Vol 66, Issue 4, p781
- ISSN
1674-7313
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11430-022-1029-5