Application of headspace single-drop microextraction (HS-SDME) technique in geochemical exploration for petroleum

Zhao Jing, Liang Qianyong, Xiong Yongqiang, Li Yun, Fang Chenchen
2015 Petroleum Geology & Experiment  
All surface geochemical exploration methods for oil and gas are based on the theory that hydrocarbons generated and trapped at depth seep in varying but detectable quantities to the surface, and the main components detected are usually C 1 -C 5 hydrocarbons. The C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbons could come from degradation of organic mat鄄 ter by microbial organisms, while the gasoline range hydrocarbons are totally sourced from thermogenic proces鄄 ses. Therefore, the detection of gasoline range
more » ... in soils or sediments could be the most direct evi鄄 dence for hydrocarbon seepage and the method used to detect the C 6 -C 12 range hydrocarbons could be a useful technique for surface geochemical exploration method for petroleum. However, because the concentration of gaso鄄 line range hydrocarbons in the soils or sediments are usually very low, and the present techniques for detecting those hydrocarbons are not adequate, the gasoline range hydrocarbons have seldom been used in surface geo鄄 chemical exploration for oil and gas. In this study, the headspace single鄄drop microextraction ( HS鄄SDME) tech鄄 nique coupled with gas chromatography鄄flame ionization detection ( GC鄄FID) was employed to determine C 6 -C 12 gasoline range hydrocarbons in well drilling mud sample. The results show that the C 6 -C 12 hydrocarbons in the samples could be detected by HS鄄SDME, and the reservoir depth determined by the concentration of C 6 -C 12 hy鄄 drocarbons was the same with the actual petroleum reservoir depth, which indicated further that the HS鄄SDME method could be used in geochemical exploration for petroleum.
doi:10.7603/s40972-015-0034-2 fatcat:hcreu256qfgqtm4kn3rva7c7gm