Statistical analysis as a tool for assisting geochemical interpretation of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, Central China

The Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin is the most important petroleum play not only for conventional oil and gas accumulations, but also for newly emerging shale oil and tight gas resources. The molecular characterization of the basinwide source rocks predicts three groups of generative petroleum types: Paraffinic High Wax Oil, mixed base (Paraffinic-Naphthenic-Aromatic) Low Wax Oil, and Gas and Condensate. Supplementary to previous work, 68 samples including the crude oils, source bitumens and reservoir extracts from the Yanchang petroleum play are analyzed. The distribution of two terpane classes (eight tricyclic terpanes and eight pentacyclic terpanes) are determined with subsequent simultaneous RQ-mode factor analysis for a composite data set of these samples alongside 216 published crude oils worldwide with known facies descriptions. Thermal maturity has been evaluated as a consistent distribution at first using a combined method of a maturity-related biomarker [Ts / (Ts + Tm)] and aromatic parameters (Methyldibenzothiophene Ratios) to alleviate the maturity differences effect when discussing geochemical characterization. The R-mode factor analysis consists of the first two factors that are describing 45 present of the cumulative total variance in the data set, and presents a sample grouping pattern in Q-mode factor analysis which is determined by different contributions of terpane associations, i.e., the tricyclic C21 coupled with pentacyclic C26, C27, C28 and C30, in the same factor space. Three terpane associations, the C26 and C28 terpanes, the C21 and C30 terpanes and the C27 pentacyclic terpenes, are respectively responsible for discriminating crude oil, reservoir extracts and source bitumens in RQ-mode factor analysis. Molecular compositions further address more detailed interrelationships among three sample groups that crude oils and reservoir extracts are sharing close genetic relationships both in depositional environment typing and C27-C28-C29 sterane distribution. Samples from source rocks vary much significantly. A mixing process which occurs after oils has been expelled from host source rocks into carrier units during accumulation. In addition, the migration-contamination of C29 sterols when oils are cross through the Chang 7-2 unit along migration pathways might also explain this lack of correlation between source rocks and oil-reservoir system.