Methods for identifying hydrocarbon reservoirs
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsA. Lucie N'Guessan, Aaron B. Regberg, Zarath M. Summers
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Abstract
A method of identifying hydrocarbon seeps that are connected to hydrocarbon reservoirs and for identifying in situ conditions of hydrocarbon reservoirs is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect microbial signatures that are specific to families associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs; and using the signature to determine whether the hydrocarbon seep is connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir and to identify properties of the hydrocarbon reservoir.
Claims19
A method of identifying the presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir in a subsurface comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample near a subsea hydrocarbon seep associated with the hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the sample is obtained from a location that is within a radius of 150 meters from the center of the location where the seep is emanating from the seafloor;
- (b) extracting nucleic acids from the sample;
- (c) analyzing the extracted nucleic acids to identify signatures that are indicative of organisms from one or more of the families selected from Bacillaceae, Alteromonadaceae, Gordoniaceae, Deferribacteraceae, Desulfohalobiaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Eubacteriaceae, Geobacteraceae, Halanaerobiaceae, Marinilabiliaceae, Methanobacteriaceae, Peptococcaceae, Petrotogaceae, Rhodocyclaceae, Spirochaetaceae, Synergistaceae, Syntrophobacteraceae, Thermotogaceae, and Thermococcaceae;
- (d) using the signature to identify the hydrocarbon seep as being connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir;
- (e) using the signature to identify a temperature of the hydrocarbon reservoir;
- and
- (f) using the temperature to determine the depth of the hydrocarbon reservoir in the subsurface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.