资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Considerable attention has been directed to the Devonian Horn River Formation in western Canada with respect to geochemical evaluation of gas-generation and storage potential. Because organic geochemical analyses are not always useful for characterizing the type and amount of original organic matter, we surmise the original kerogen type and original hydrogen index (HIo) and subsequently estimate a reliable original total organic carbon (TOCo) based on a combination of inorganic and organic geochemical data. Productivity (SiO2 and Ba) and terrestrial input (Al2O3, Hf, Nb, and Zr) proxies are used to estimate original kerogen types, which suggest that the Evie and Muskwa Members formed under conditions of high productivity and minor terrestrial input. These members also formed under reducing conditions, as indicated by the redox proxies (Mo, U, and Th/U). Under such conditions, primarily type II kerogen was preserved.

By considering the fraction of biogenic silica, the estimated HIo values (400-500 mg hydrocarbon/g total organic carbon [TOC]) for the middle Otter Park Member are lower than that for Evie and Muskwa Members and higher than the upper and lower Otter Park Member. The stronger correlation between TOCo and trace elements suggests that HIo is useful for reconstructing the coherent variation in TOCo. Based on the original kerogen type and TOCo, the gas-generation and storage potentials of the Evie, middle Otter Park, and Muskwa Members are higher than those of other members. The source-rock potential is excellent for the Evie Member with an approximately 75% difference between TOCo and measured present-day TOC.