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Utilising magnetic minerals to track and identify hydrocarbon migration pathways and source regions: a case study on the Beatrice Field, Inner Moray Firth, UK North Sea

Recent studies at Imperial College London have demonstrated that variations in magnetic mineralogy can be used to help track and quantify hydrocarbon migration. This work has built on past studies that identified strong magnetic anomalies associated with hydrocarbon accumulations, with several mechanisms suggested for their origin including: the influx of magnetic-mineral forming molecules creating new magnetic minerals; the formation of a reducing environment forcing chemical re-magnetisation of in situ minerals; and iron-forming bacteria biodegrading hydrocarbon organic matter. This study uses the connection between hydrocarbons and magnetic minerals to assist large-scale basin and petroleum systems modelling to answer a question that has existed since the 1970s – how did Beatrice Field in the Inner Moray Firth get charged?

Details

Author
Joseph Richard Perkins, Adrian Muxworthy, Al Fraser
Institutionen
Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Veranstaltung
GeoKarlsruhe 2021
Datum
2021
DOI
10.48380/dggv-qz21-bz27
Geolocation
UK