Geochemical Characteristics of Naphthides From the Vendian-Lower Cambrian Carbonate Deposits of the Central Part of the NepskoBotuobinskaya Oil and Gas Bearing Area

The paper discusses the peculiarities of group, molecular and elemental compositions of bitumens and oils of Usolskaya and Teter Formations of three fields of the central part of Nepsko-Botuobinskaya oil and gas bearing area. Oil (light and heavy) and bitumens (asphaltites and kerites) were studied. In addition to the standard study of free chloroform bitumoids “A”, bound chloroform bitumoids “C”, as well as products of ‘soft’ thermolysis of oil asphaltenes were isolated and analysed at the molecular level. Total ion current chromatograms of saturated fractions of naphthides of all studied samples (except for thermolysate of oil asphaltenes) are characterised by a clear predominance of n-alkane peaks, iso-alkanes, including isoprenoid ones – in subordinate amounts. In all samples of the studied naphthides a number of alkane and terpane facial-genetic molecular parameters indicate the unity of the type of initial bioproducers and reductive conditions of early diagenesis of source rocks. However, in the composition of some samples the increased content of cholestanes and rearranged steranes was registered which are not typical for ancient naphthides of the studied area. Specific HCs – 25-norhopanes C27-C32(C34), adamantanes C10-C14, dialkyl-substituted alkanes (presumably odd C21-C31) and normal α-olefins C14-C29 (in the thermolysate of oil asphaltenes) – were detected in the composition of the studied samples. The data on molecular parameters were processed by the principal component method, which showed differentiation of naphthides in terms of their confinement to the fields, as well as their type, presumably caused by a more intensive impact of thermal and migration factors in the Yuzhno-Danilovskoye and Danilovskoye fields. In general, according to the set of studies performed, it is assumed that the formation of the modern composition of the studied naphthides is also due to recharge of the deposits with new portions of hydrocarbon gases or methane oils. Additional studies of probable source rocks are planned to identify sources of naphthides generation in the studied area.

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