US 12,436,140 B2
Determining source rock maturity based on hydrogen isotopes
Feng Hu Lu, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Oct. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/483,256.
Application 18/483,256 is a division of application No. 17/520,980, filed on Nov. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,815,503.
Prior Publication US 2024/0036024 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 33/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/246 (2013.01) [G01N 33/241 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer, a measured wetness of and a measured δ2H value associated with a test gas sample from a hydrocarbon formation, wherein the measured wetness which is a molar ratio of heavy gas compounds over a total gas within the measured sample;
receiving, by the computer, a plurality of calculated wetnesses of and a plurality of calculated δ2H values associated with a plurality of gas samples taken from one or more analogous hydrocarbon reservoirs that are analogous to the hydrocarbon formation, wherein the calculated wetness is a molar ratio of heavy gas compounds over a total gas within each of the plurality of gas samples;
identifying, from among the plurality of calculated wetnesses, the measured wetness received for the test gas sample;
determining, by the computer, a corresponding δ2H value from among the plurality of calculated δ2H values that corresponds to the measured wetness of the test gas sample;
determining, by the computer, a predicted sample VRo (vitrinite reflectance equivalent) for the test gas sample based on the corresponding δ2H value and a correlation of δ2H values to VRo values, the VRo values correlating with gas maturity; and
producing hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon formation, by a hydrocarbon production system, based on the predicted sample VRo.