Abstract
Michigan Basin oils from the Ordovician Trenton, Silurian Niagaran, and Devonian Dundee formations have been geochemically compared by GC, GC-MS, and carbon isotope mass spectrometry. One oil from each formation was selected for detailed analysis which included measurement of individual n-alkane δ13C values. The Ordovician and Devonian oils are strikingly similar to one another, yet clearly different from the Silurian oil. This pattern is unexpected because Ordovician and Devonian reservoirs are physically separated by the Silurian strata. From time-temperature considerations, the Devonian oil probably was formed in older strata and has migrated to its present location. Our analyses suggest a common source for the Devonian and Ordovician oils.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2287-2293 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1981 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Geochemistry and Petrology