Statistical and geostatistical study of Rn and hydrocarbon components of a soil gas monitoring system: an application to surface hydrocarbon exploration

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: 2016-04-17
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4154/gc.2016.21
Keywords:
Rn monitoring, hydrocarbon reservoirs, factor analysis, sequential Gaussian simulation

Main Article Content

Janos Geiger
University of Szeged
Noémi Jakab
University of Szeged
Bálint Csökmei
University of Szeged
Zsolt Horváth
MOL Plc (MOL Group)
Balázs Gellért
MOL Plc (MOL Group)

Abstract

This work addresses three topics: (1) the study of the joint areal distribution of the Rn and hydrocarbon components of soil gases over a large region overlying some known hydrocarbon reservoirs in the southern part of Hungary; (2) the relationships between the positive anomalies of Rn and hydrocarbon components of soil gases to the existing reservoirs; (3) suggestions for new targets for surface hydrocarbon exploration based on the results. Given the very low correlation coefficients between the Rn and hydrocarbon components of the soil gases, factor analysis was used to reveal a background process controlling the common migration of hydrocarbon and Rn components. The lateral distribution of the factor scores were studied using sequential Gaussian distribution. The E-type grid generated from 100 realizations indicated several positive anomalies at the surface. Indications with a larger than 0.7 probability were kept for further analysis. Seismic sections of a 3D survey support the comparison of the surface locations of these anomalies and the surface projections of the known reservoirs. The results proved the connection between the known reservoirs and the Rn and HC components of soil gases. From the positive verification, regions with a high probability positive anomaly of factor scores, but without any reservoir counterparts may be suggested as targets for further surface hydrocarbon exploration.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 69 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Original Scientific Papers

Authors have copyright and publishing rights on all published manuscripts.

Author Biographies

Janos Geiger, University of Szeged

Department of Geology and Paleontology

associate professor

Noémi Jakab, University of Szeged

Department of Geology and Paleontology

PhD student

Bálint Csökmei, University of Szeged

Department of Geology and Paleontology

research fellow

Zsolt Horváth, MOL Plc (MOL Group)

expert

Balázs Gellért, MOL Plc (MOL Group)

expert

References

ARMSTRONG, F.E. & HEEMSTRA, R.J. (1973): Radiation halos and hydrocarbon reservoirs: a review.-- U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, 52 p.

BUTTAFUOCO, G. TULLARICO, A. & FALCONE, G. (2007): Mapping Soil Gas Randon Concentration: A Comparative Study of Geostatistical Methods.-- Environmental Monitoring Assessment 131:135-151. doi: 10.1007/s10661-006-9463-7.

CASTILLO, P.I.C, TOWNLEY, B.K., EMERY, X., F. PUIG, Á.F., &

DECKART, K (2015):Soil gas geochemical exploration in covered terrains of northern Chile: data processing techniques and interpretation of contrast anomalies.-- Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, May 2015, 15, 222-233.

CHILD, D. (2006). The essentials of factor analysis.-- Bloomsbury Academic Publ. 192 p.

CIOTOLI, G., LOMBARDI, S., & ANNUNZIATELLIS, A. (2007): Geostatistical analysis of soil gas data in a high seismic intermontane basin: Fucino Plain, Central Italy.--Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, B05407, doi:10.1029/2005JB004044

DYCK, W. & JONASSON, I.R. (2000): Radon.—In: HALE, M (ed): Geochemical Remote Sensing of the Sub-Surface. Elsevier, 353-394.

GHAGREMANI, D.T. (1985): Radon prospecting for hydrocarbon: potential strategy for devonian shale gas in N.E. Ohio.—Unpubl. PhD thesis, Department of Geological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 259 p.

JÖRESKOG, K.G., KLOVAN, J.E. & REYMENT, R.A. (1976): Geological factor analysis.-- Methods in Geomathematics 1. 180 p. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co.

KLUSMAN, R. W. (1993), Soil Gas and Related Methods for Natural Resource Exploration-- John Wiley, New York, 483 p.

KRISTIANSSON. K. & MALMQVIST, L (1982): Evidence for nondiffusive transport of Rn in the ground and a new physical model for the transport.—Geophysics, 47, 1444-1452.

LANDRUM, J.H., RICERS, D.M., MAXWELL, L.E. & FALLGATTER W. (1989): A comparative hydrocarbon soil-gas study of the Flathead Valley and Townsend Valley areas, Montana.-- Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 34.3. 303-335. doi: 10.1016/0375-6742(89)90119-2-

LI, Y.L., YUAN, G.J., & PENG, D. (2006): Discussion on geochemical exploration predicts the depth of oil reservoir (Chinese).-- Wutan Huatan Jisuan Jushu 28 (4), 367-371.

MALDONATO, T.J. & CAMPBELL, G.E. (1992): An Evaluation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Data.-- Proceedings of the Focus Conference on Eastern Regional Ground Water Issues. October 13-15, 1992. Boston Marriott Newtown. Newtown, Massachusetts. http://info.ngwa.org/GWOL/pdf/920157297.pdf

MALVIC, T. (2008): Kriging, cokriging or stochastical simulations, and the choice between deterministic or sequential approaches.-- Geologia Croatia. 61, 1, 37-47.

McDONALD, R.P. (1985). Factor analysis and related methods.-- Hillside, N. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

MORSE, J.G., RANA, M.H., & MORSE, L, 1982. Radon mapping as indicators of subsurface oil and gas.-- Oil Gas J. 80, 227-246

MORSE, J.G. & ZINKE, R. (1995): The origin of radiometric anomalies in petroleum basins-a proposed mechanism.-- Oil and Gas Journal, 36-38, June 5, 1995

MUCSI, L., GEIGER, J. & MALVIC, T. (2013): The Advantages of Using Sequential Stochastic Simulations when Mapping Small-Scale Heterogeneities of the Groundawater Level -- Journal of Environmental Geography. 6, 3-4, 39-47

OLIVIER, M.A. & KHARYAT, A.L. (1999): Investigating the spatial variation of radon in soil geostatistically.-- In: DIAZ, J, TYNES, R., CALCWELL, D and EHLEN, J. (eds): GeoComputation CD-ROM. ISBN 0-9533477-1-0. http://www.geocomputation.org/1999/095/gc_095.htm.

PALACIOS, D. at al (2013): Radon measurements over a natural-gas contaminated aquifer.-- Radiation Measurements. 50, 116-120, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2012.10.016.

PATRICK, R., FRÉDÉRIC, P., BHARAT, P.K., FRÉDÉRIC, G., MUKUNDA, B., SOMA, N.S. (2011): Temporal signatures of advective versus diffusive Radon transport at a geothermal zone in Central Nepal.-- Journal of Environmental Radioactivity.102, 88-102.

PIRSON, S.J. (1969): Geological, geophysical, and geochemical modifications of sediments in the environment of oilfields.-- SMU Symposium 1 on Unconventional Methods in Exploration for Petroleum and Natural Gas. 1969, Dallas.

SAUNDERS, D.F., BURSON, K.R., BROWN, J.J., & THOMPSON, C.K. (1993): Combined geological and surface geochemical methods discovered Agaritta and Brady Creek fields, Concho County, Tex.-- AAPG Bull. 77, 7, 1221-1239

STEVENS, J. P. (2002). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences--. Hillsdale, NS: Erlbaum. 641 p.

TADESCO, S.A. (1995): Surface Geochemistry in Petroleum Exploration.-- Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-615-2660-5. ISBN 9781-4613-6142-8.

THURSTONE, L.L. (1931): The Measurement of Social Attitudes.-- Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 27, 249-269.

VÁRHEGYI, A., GORJÁNÁCZ, Z. & HORVÁTH, ZS. (2008): Komplex radiometriai módszer alkalmazása a hazai szénhidrogén-kutatásban (Application of a complex readimetriy method in hydrocarbon exploration, in Hungarian).-- Bányászati és Kohászati Lapok. 141, 3, 64-70.

WRIGLEY, M.J., STOLPMANN, H., Al-JENAIBI, M., & van LAER, P. (2012): A Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator Method and Results of a Demonstration of Capabilities in Abu Dhabi.-- AAPG Search and Discovery Article #40895 (2012). Posted March 31, 2012