Origin and geological control of desorbed gas in multi-thin coal seam in the Wujiu depression, Hailar Basin, China

Abstract

To understand the natural gas characteristics of multi-thin coal seam, this study selected the desorbed gas of coal seams in different layers of Well A in the Wujiu depression, Hailar Basin in northeast Inner Mongolia. The results show that the heavy hydrocarbon content of desorbed gas increases significantly with the increasing depth. Methane carbon (δ¹³C₁) and ethane carbon (δ¹³C₂) isotope values are vertically become heavier downwards, while the δ¹³{\mathrm{C}}_{{\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}_2} values did not change significantly. The kerogen is close to the III–II mixed type with the source rocks mainly deposited in a shore/shallow lake or braided-river delta front, and the gas produced has certain characteristics of oil associated gas. However, the characteristics of oil associated gas produced by the organic formed in the shallow-water environment (braided-river delta plain) are not obvious. The sandstone pore and fracture systems interbedded with multi-thin coal seam are well developed. And it is conducive to the migration of methanogenic micro-organisms to coal seams via groundwater, making it easier to produce biogenic gas under this geological condition. During the burial evolution of coal-bearing strata in the study area, when the burial depth reaches the maximum, there are significant differences in the paleotemperature experienced by different vertical coal seams, caused by a high-paleogeothermal gradient, increasing the δ¹³C₂ of desorbed gas with increasing depth. The above research indicates that there is less biogenic gas in the multi-thin coal seams with relatively developed mudstone, and the multi-thin coal seams with relatively developed sandstones have obvious biogenic gas characteristics. Therefore, for the exploration and development of biogenic gas in low-rank multi-thin coal seams, it is necessary to give priority to the layer with high sandstone content.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

multi-thin coal seam / origin of coalbed methane / desorbed gas / isotopes / geological control

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42130802, 42002193, and 42002186) and researchers Yanqiu Zhang, Wutao Hu, Haitao Lin, and Fengchun Li from Inner Mongolia Coal Geology Bureau for their help in sample acquisition. Thank anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions. Furthermore, we would like to thank Master Zhen Zhang from China University of Mining and Technology for his help in field work.

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