Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration

We present evidence that hydrocarbon source rocks can be preconditioned for primary hydrocarbon migration at an early stage of catagenesis by pore-scale processes linked to silica diagenesis. The evidence comes from a detailed petrographic and geochemical study of the Jordan Oil Shale (JOS), an imma...

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Автори: Abu-Mahfouz, I, Cartwright, J, Idiz, E, Hooker, J, Robinson, S
Формат: Journal article
Мова:English
Опубліковано: Geological Society of America 2020
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author Abu-Mahfouz, I
Cartwright, J
Idiz, E
Hooker, J
Robinson, S
author_facet Abu-Mahfouz, I
Cartwright, J
Idiz, E
Hooker, J
Robinson, S
author_sort Abu-Mahfouz, I
collection OXFORD
description We present evidence that hydrocarbon source rocks can be preconditioned for primary hydrocarbon migration at an early stage of catagenesis by pore-scale processes linked to silica diagenesis. The evidence comes from a detailed petrographic and geochemical study of the Jordan Oil Shale (JOS), an immature to early mature Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene source rock developed on the platform regions of Jordan. Diagenesis of biogenic silica led to silicification of the source rock interval and the growth of chert nodules. Localization of bitumen veins in reaction rims around these nodules is used to argue that silica diagenesis promotes the early mobilization of hydrocarbons from the geochemically identical, disseminated bitumen within the host mudstones. We propose a model in which early-formed bitumen migrated into neo21 forming Mode 1 fractures that formed as a result of the crystallization pressure imposed from the growing chert nodule. Hydraulic fracturing occurred under elevated bitumen fluid pressures that approached lithostatic stress values under burial depths of the order of 1000 m. The recognition that silica diagenesis can promote the early migration of neo-forming bitumen raises the possibility that primary hydrocarbon migration may occur earlier and at shallower depths than predicted by solely kinetic modelling approaches wherever silica diagenetic reactions are coeval with catagenesis.
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spelling oxford-uuid:7d8d8c70-3e22-46b7-8ecb-9317e4c5887d2022-03-26T21:04:28ZSilica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migrationJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:7d8d8c70-3e22-46b7-8ecb-9317e4c5887dEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordGeological Society of America2020Abu-Mahfouz, ICartwright, JIdiz, EHooker, JRobinson, SWe present evidence that hydrocarbon source rocks can be preconditioned for primary hydrocarbon migration at an early stage of catagenesis by pore-scale processes linked to silica diagenesis. The evidence comes from a detailed petrographic and geochemical study of the Jordan Oil Shale (JOS), an immature to early mature Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene source rock developed on the platform regions of Jordan. Diagenesis of biogenic silica led to silicification of the source rock interval and the growth of chert nodules. Localization of bitumen veins in reaction rims around these nodules is used to argue that silica diagenesis promotes the early mobilization of hydrocarbons from the geochemically identical, disseminated bitumen within the host mudstones. We propose a model in which early-formed bitumen migrated into neo21 forming Mode 1 fractures that formed as a result of the crystallization pressure imposed from the growing chert nodule. Hydraulic fracturing occurred under elevated bitumen fluid pressures that approached lithostatic stress values under burial depths of the order of 1000 m. The recognition that silica diagenesis can promote the early migration of neo-forming bitumen raises the possibility that primary hydrocarbon migration may occur earlier and at shallower depths than predicted by solely kinetic modelling approaches wherever silica diagenetic reactions are coeval with catagenesis.
spellingShingle Abu-Mahfouz, I
Cartwright, J
Idiz, E
Hooker, J
Robinson, S
Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
title Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
title_full Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
title_fullStr Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
title_full_unstemmed Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
title_short Silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
title_sort silica diagenesis promotes early primary hydrocarbon migration
work_keys_str_mv AT abumahfouzi silicadiagenesispromotesearlyprimaryhydrocarbonmigration
AT cartwrightj silicadiagenesispromotesearlyprimaryhydrocarbonmigration
AT idize silicadiagenesispromotesearlyprimaryhydrocarbonmigration
AT hookerj silicadiagenesispromotesearlyprimaryhydrocarbonmigration
AT robinsons silicadiagenesispromotesearlyprimaryhydrocarbonmigration