Methane-dominated thermochemical sulphate reduction in the Triassic Feixianguan Formation East Sichuan Basin, China: towards prediction of fatal H2S concentrations

Abstract: New sour pools have recently found in the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Fm carbonate reservoirs in the East Sichuan Basin in China with H2S up to 17.4% by volume. A recent blowout from a well drilled into this formation killed hundreds of people as a result of the percentage concentrations of H2S. In order to assess the origin of fatal H2S as well as the cause of petroleum alteration, H2S concentrations and the isotopes, δ34S and δ13C have been collected and measured in gas samples from reservoirs. Anhydrite, pyrite and elemental sulphur δ34S values have been measured for comparison. The high concentrations of H2S gas are found to occur at depths >3000m (temperature now at ∼100°C) in evaporated platform facies oolitic dolomite or limestone that contains anhydrite nodule occurrence within the reservoirs. Where H2S concentrations are greater than 10% its δ34S values lie between +12.0 and +13.2‰ CDT. This is within the range of anhydrite δ34S values found within the Feixianguan Fm (+11.0 to +21.7‰; average 15.5±3.5‰ CDT). Thus H2S must have been generated by thermochemical sulphate reduction (TSR) locally within the reservoirs. Burial history analysis and fluid inclusion data reveal that the temperature at which TSR occurred was greater than about 130–140°C, suggesting that the present depth-temperature minimum is an artifact of post-TSR uplift. Both methane and ethane were actively involved in TSR since the petroleum became almost totally dry (no alkanes except methane) and methane δ13C values become significantly heavier as TSR proceeded. Methane δ13C difference thus reflects the extent of TSR. While it is tempting to use a present-day depth control (>3000m) to predict the distribution of H2S in the Feixianguan Fm, this is an invalid approach since TSR occurred when the formation was buried some 1000–2000m deeper than it is at present. The likelihood of differential uplift across the basin means that it is important to develop a basinal understanding of the thermal history of the Feixianguan Fm so that it is possible to determine which parts of the basin have been hotter than 130–140°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]