Enrichment of nitrogen and 13C of methane in natural gases from the Khuff Formation, Saudi Arabia, caused by thermochemical sulfate reduction

Because the relative abundance of hydrogen sulfide is not a fully reliable extent of reaction parameter, we have attempted to assess the extent of TSR using plots of methane δ13C versus log(N2/CH4). Observed variations in these parameters can be fitted using simple Rayleigh models with kinetic carbon isotope fractionation factors between 0.98 and 0.99. We calculate that TSR may have destroyed more than 90% of the original methane charge in the most extreme instance. The possibility that methane may be completely destroyed by TSR has important implications for deep gas exploration and the origin of gases rich in nitrogen as well as hydrogen sulfide.