Origin and migration of hydrocarbon gases and carbon dioxide, Bekes Basin, southeastern Hungary

J.L. Clayton; C. W. Spencer; I. Koncz; A. Szalay

doi:10.1016/0146-6380(90)90002-h

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Origin and migration of hydrocarbon gases and carbon dioxide, Bekes Basin, southeastern Hungary

J.L. Clayton·C. W. Spencer·I. Koncz·A. Szalay

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Abstract

The Békés Basin is a sub-basin within the Pannonian Basin, containing about 7000 m of post-Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. Natural gases are produced from reservoirs (Precambrian to Tertiary in age) located on structural highs around the margins of the basin. Gas composition and stable carbon isotopic data indicate that most of the flammable gases were derived from humic kerogen contained in source rocks located in the deep basin. The depth of gas generation and vertical migration distances were estimated using quantitative source rock maturity-carbon isotope relationships for methane compared to known Neogene source rock maturity-depth relationships in the basin. These calculations indicate that as much as 3500 m of vertical migration has occured in some cases. Isotopically heavy (> − 7 > 0 ) CO 2 is the predominant species present in some shallow reservoirs located on basin-margin structural highs and has probably been derived via long-distance vertical and lateral migration from thermal decompositon of carbonate minerals in Mesozoic and older rocks in the deepest parts of the basin. A few shallow reservoirs (< 2000m) contain isotopically light (−50 to −60% 0 ) methane with only minor amounts of C 2+ homologs (< 3% v/v). This methane is probably mostly microbial in origin. Above-normal pressures, occuring at depths greater than 1800 m, are believed to be the principal driving force for lateral and vertical gas migration. These pressures are caused in part by active hydrocarbon generation, undercompaction, and thermal decomposition of carbonates.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 46.21785176740299° to 47.010225655683485° latitude; 20.621337890625° to 21.6925048828125° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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J.L. Clayton, C. W. Spencer, I. Koncz, A. Szalay. 1990. Origin and migration of hydrocarbon gases and carbon dioxide, Bekes Basin, southeastern Hungary. https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6380(90)90002-h

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