ABSTRACT
Methane is an important greenhouse gas and energy resource generated dominantly by methanogens at low temperatures and through the breakdown of organic molecules at high temperatures. However, methane-formation temperatures in nature are often poorly constrained. We measured formation temperatures of thermogenic and biogenic methane using a "clumped isotope" technique. Thermogenic gases yield formation temperatures between 157° and 221°C, within the nominal gas window, and biogenic gases yield formation temperatures consistent with their comparatively lower-temperature formational environments (<50°C). In systems where gases have migrated and other proxies for gas-generation temperature yield ambiguous results, methane clumped-isotope temperatures distinguish among and allow for independent tests of possible gas-formation models.
Subject(s)
Euryarchaeota/metabolism , Methane/biosynthesis , Methane/chemistry , Oil and Gas Fields , Biodegradation, Environmental , Carbon Isotopes , Gases , Hot Temperature , Models, Theoretical , Oil and Gas Fields/microbiology , Petroleum/metabolism , TemperatureABSTRACT
Pyrolyzates similar to natural crude oils were generated from organic-rich shales by hydrous pyrolysis. With this type of pyrolysis it is possible to make more sophisticated correlations between crude oils and their source rocks, evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of a source rock, and elucidate the variables involved in the natural oil-generating process.
