Assessment of natural gas chemistry alteration by extent of H2S production and evidences for multiple stages of TSR in two gas fields in Gavbandi-High, Iran
Authors: Gholizadeh Hamidreza , Krasnova Elizaveta , Rabbani Ahmadreza 
Published: February 2023

Coastal Fars is the main gas-bearing region in Iran, where the reservoir units are dedicated to the Paleozoic hydrocarbon system. Geochemical explorations in this region indicate that natural gas is commonly associated with elevated non-hydrocarbon components, especially hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Previously it was shown that the Thermochemical Sulfate Reduction (TSR) is the most probable mechanism, accounting for H2S occurrence in Permo-Triassic reservoirs in this region; however, its effect on the accumulated gas&#8217;s chemistry transformation has not been studied thoroughly. In this study, the molecular and isotopic composition of 12 gas samples in addition to the previously-published results of integrated analyses on rock and condensate, were utilized to trace potential alterations caused by the given phenomenon exhaustively. A slight increase in aromatic to saturate hydrocarbon components ratio with the extent of TSR and the presence of reported sulfur-rich pyrobitumen (Saberi, et al., 2014) indicate liquid hydrocarbon involvement in the primary stage of the sulfate reduction process. Further, the differential increase of &#948;13C of gas components, decrease of &#948;13C (methane) - &#948;13C (ethane) (from -4.3 to -13.1&#8240;), and increase in carbon-dioxide concentration with the increase of hydrogen sulfide along with gas dryness (from 91 to 96%) show the dominancy of C2-C4 hydrocarbon gas components in the second stage of TSR. Comparative low reservoir temperature (~90&#176;C) does not correspond to the contribution of methane into the given phenomenon; however, a noticeable increase in &#948;13C (methane) (from -41.7 to -34.7&#8240;) with the increase of hydrogen sulfide was seen. Thermochemical Sulfate Reduction impact on studied parameters is analogous to thermal maturation, but the process from heavy-hydrocarbon-dominated TSR to methane-dominated TSR presents different trends of &#948;13C (methane) - &#948;13C (ethane), ln(C1/C2) from those of maturation (Hao, et al., 2008). Simultaneous carbon-dioxide content increase and decrease in its isotopic composition with the extent of TSR indicate its presence relevancy to the given phenomenon; however, carbon isotope values of CO2 (from -5.92 to -13.93&#8240;) are too heavy to verify this idea. According to Dai et.al (Dai, et al., 1996) it can be concluded that carbonate's dissolution has contributed to carbon-dioxide gas. Hence, a series of TSR corresponding to condensate, wet gas, and dry gas stages, respectively, has led to higher aromatic/saturate ratios, heavier hydrocarbon components, lighter carbon dioxide molecules, and relative gas dryness in the studied fields.&#160;BibliographyDai, J. X., Song, Y., Dai, C. S. & Wang, D. R., 1996. Geochemistry and Accumulation of Carbon Dioxide Gases in China. AAPG Bulletin, 80(10), pp. 1615-1626.
Hao, F. et al., 2008. Evidence for multiple stages of oil cracking and thermochemical sulfate reduction in the Puguang gas field, Sichuan Basin, China. AAPG Bulletin, 92(5), pp. 611-637.
Saberi, M. H., Rabbani, A. & Ahmadabadi, K. A., 2014. The Age and Facies Characteristics of Persian Gulf Source Rocks. Petroleum Science and Technology, Volume 32, pp. 371-378.
&#160;