| Title | Geochemical evidence for the internal migration of gas condensate in a major unconventional tight petroleum system |
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| Author | Wood, J M ; Cesar,
J; Haeri Ardakani, O; Rudra, A; Sanei, H |
| Source | Scientific Reports vol. 12, 7931, 2022 p. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11963-6  Open Access |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2022 |
| Alt Series | Natural Resources Canada, Contribution Series 20210704 |
| Publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf; html |
| Province | Alberta; British Columbia |
| NTS | 83C; 83E; 83F; 83G; 83J; 83K; 83L; 83M; 83N; 83O; 84B; 84C; 84D; 84E; 84F; 84G; 84L; 93I; 93O; 93P; 94A; 94B; 94G; 94H; 94I; 94J; 93P/16; 94A/01 |
| Area | Fort St. John; Peace River; Grand Prairie |
| Lat/Long WENS | -123.5000 -115.7500 59.0000 53.0000 |
| Subjects | fossil fuels; geochemistry; Science and Technology; Nature and Environment; petroleum resources; hydrocarbons; gas; condensate; oil; hydrocarbon migration; fluid migration; pressure-temperature
conditions; stable isotope studies; carbon isotopes; thermal maturation; geological history; burial history; crustal uplift; Lower Triassic; Montney Unconventional Petroleum System; Western Canada Sedimentary Basin; Phanerozoic; Mesozoic;
Triassic |
| Illustrations | location maps; geoscientific sketch maps; stratigraphic charts; geological time charts; plots |
| Program | Energy Geoscience Clean Energy Resources - Decreasing Environmental Risk |
| Released | 2022 05 13 |
| Abstract | Unconventional petroleum systems go through multiple episodes of internal hydrocarbon migration in response to evolving temperature and pressure conditions during burial and uplift. Migrated fluid
signatures can be recognized using stable carbon isotope and PVT compositional data from produced samples representative of in-situ petroleum fluids. Such samples, however, are seldom collected due to operational complexity and high cost. Here, we
use carbon isotope and PVT data from co-produced hydrocarbon gas and liquid to provide evidence for widespread migration of gas-condensate in the Montney unconventional petroleum system of western Canada. Extended C1-C33 isotopic profiles exhibit
convex upward signatures with C4-C5 maxima at low molecular weight, and increasing or nearly uniform signatures at high molecular weight. Additionally, recombination PVT compositional data show C6-C15 condensate concentrations are higher than
expected for unmodified oils. The combined convex upward and increasing or uniform isotopic signatures are interpreted as mixing profiles formed by the introduction of high-maturity gas-condensate (C1-C15) to shallower zones with in-situ hydrocarbon
fluids of lower thermal maturity. The recognition of widespread gas-condensate migration adds to the complex history of internal hydrocarbon migration within the Montney tight-petroleum system including previously identified migration episodes of
early oil and late-stage methane-rich gas. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
The Lower Triassic Montney Formation is one of the major Natural Gas resources in Canada and the main potential target for carbon capture, utilization,
and storage (CCUS). A better understanding of gas geochemistry and migration is critical for the success of any carbon storage program. The recognition of internal migration of gas-condensate sheds new light on the present-day distribution of
hydrocarbon fluids within the Montney Formation and will assist future economic evaluation and exploitation of this world-class tight-petroleum resource and exploring CCUS potentials. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 329726 |
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