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.
Claims23
A method of identifying the presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample near a hydrocarbon seep associated with the hydrocarbon reservoir;
- (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 Bacillacae, Altermomonadacea, Clostridiales, Cordoniaceae, Deferribacteraceae, Desulfohalobiaceae, Desulfovibironaceae, Eubactericea, Geobacteraceae, Halanaerobiaceae, Marinilabilaceae, Methonobacteraceae, Peptococcaceae, Petrotoga, Rhodocyclaceae, Spirochaeaceae, Synergistaceae, Syntrophobacteraceae, Thermotacaeae, and Termococcaceae;
- (d) using the signature to identify the hydrocarbon seep as being connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.