Organic Matter and Elemental Composition of Mudstones in the Member 3 of Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Depression , Eastern China

The organic matter distribution and hydrocarbon generation potential as well as element distribution in the lacustrine mudstones of lower Member 3 of Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying depression, eastern China were investigated using methods of Rock-Eval pyrolysis, inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer. The results show that most of the samples are high-quality source rocks with high TOC and S2, and the oil shale samples are excellent source rocks with the TOC and S2 greater than 5.0% and 20.0 mg/g, respectively. A freshwater depositional environment in the deep lake for the mudstones was indicated by lower values of biomarker ratios gammacerane/C30 Hopane and C35 Hopane/C34 Hopane. With the lacustrine regression, the ratios Ca/U, Ca/Ba, Ca/Mg, Ca/B, Ca/Li, Ca/Sr and Sr/Ba decrease, while Fe/(Ca + Mg) increases. In the section 3330 3370 m with enrichment of oil shale, the organic matter and inorganic elements present strong fluctuation. The quantitative relations among U, U/Th and TOC, S2, %Ca are divided into two parts at boundary values of 7.0%, 32 mg/g and 11% for TOC, S2 and %Ca, respectively.


Introduction
Dongying Depression is a typical negative rift tectonic unit located at the southern part of the Bohai Bay Basin and characterized as northern faulted, southern overlapped and opening shaped (Figure 1) [1].The depression developed from ancient Paleozoic bedrock with various tectonic movements, and covers an area of 5700 km 2 [2].A set of clastic materials were deposited in the Paleogene system and dominated by mudstone intermixed with sandstone, carbonate and gypsum-salt rocks [3].Under the influence of tectonic movement, the Paleogenesediments underwent three sedimentary processes, namely: salted lake, deep lacustrine and river delta.Dark mudstone and shale were mainly deposited in the lower parts of Member 3 ( 1 3 Es ) of the Paleogene Shahejie Forma- tion.The study on geochemistry of inorganic elements and organic matter can help to improve the understanding of the sedimentary environment and hydrocarbon generation potential of these mudstones.In lake basin, the symbiotic relationship of uranium and organic matter has been an important topic [4]- [6].Uranium (U) and Organic-richdeposits form under different lake conditions regardless of lake depth, but large anoxic lakes provide the most favorable environment [7].Highly preserved organic matter deposits are most likely to form in deep, alkaline lakes during humid and warm climate intervals, which are periods of high lake levels [8] [9].U found in environmental systems predominantly exists as U(IV) and U(VI) in variable subsurface sediments [10], and U(IV) is primarily found in reduced environments as the mineral uraninite [UO 2 (s)]; other U(IV) species have also been reported to exist in reduced environments [10] [11].There used to be thought that under reducing environments, the capacity of OM to adsorb U increases with increasing in total organic carbon content (TOC) [5] [12], as strongly acidic environments are conducive to the enrichment of U 4+ , which is hydrolyzed to U 6+ when the level of acidity is decreased [4] [6].Reducing sedimentary environment seems to be beneficial to the enrichment of both uranium and organic matter, while detail and quantitative relationship between U and TOC was rarely recorded.
The Dongying Depression is a typical terrestrial rift lake basin in China that holds large amounts of lacustrine mudstones in the Paleogene Member 3 [1] [2].In this study, we investigate geochemistry of organic matter and element compositions on the samples from a continuous core section of mudstones in a well in this depression.The data show the relationships among U, organic carbon, and inorganic elements (e.g., Ca) and provides a high-resolution record of the fluctuations in the paleo sedimentary environment of the terrestrial lake basin.

Samples and Experiment Methods
The samples were collected from the N-38 Well is located in the south part of Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China (Figure 1).This well was continuously cored from mudstones in the interval 3190 -3376 m.This interval was in a strongly reducing deep-lake environment, developed dark gray mudstone, calcareous mudstone and various fossils, including abundant ostracods, sporopollenin and algae [1].A set of samples from the cores were tested and analyzed.The organic and inorganic geochemistry of the mudstones as well as the relationships among U, organic carbon, and inorganic elements (e.g., Ca) were investigated.
A total of 124 samples were analyzed via Rock-Evalpyrolysis.Among these, 21 samples with inorganic element contents were tested by using an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer, 14 samples with kerogen contents were examined with micro components, and 20 samples were detected with biomarkers.
The Rock-Eval pyrolysis method has been extensively used for oil and gas explorations in sedimentary basins worldwide.This method involves estimating the petroleum potential of sedimentary rocks by heating samples in an open pyrolysis system under non-isothermal conditions.The released hydrocarbons are monitored by using a flame ionization detector, which forms the so-called peaks S 1 (thermovaporized free hydrocarbons) and S 2 (pyrolysis products from cracking of organic matter).The temperature at which the maximum amount of S 2 hydrocarbons is generated is called T max .T max represents the temperature at which the maximum release of hydrocarbon from the cracking of kerogen occurs during pyrolysis (top of S 2 peak).T max indicates the maturation stage of organic matter.Several pyrolytic parameters were calculated directly.Oil production potential, which represents residual hydrocarbon generation potential, is directly calculated as Pg = S 1 + S 2 .The hydrogen index (I H = [100 × S 2 ]/TOC) is a parameter used to characterize organic matter origin.The production index (I P ) ( ) is used to characterize the evolution level of organic matter.
Dichloromethane was used as solvent for 72 h of continuous extraction at a constant temperature of 70˚C in a Soxhlet apparatus.The solvent was evaporated until it dried out.Approximately 10 -15 mg extract was dissolved by adding petroleum ether (100 mL), repeatedly washed, transferred in a flask, left to stand for 24 h and filtered.The soluble portion was a mixture of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons.
In the biomarker analysis, chloroform was used as solvent for 72 h of continuous extraction at a constant temperature of 70˚C in a Soxhlet apparatus and then evaporated to dryness.A silica-alumina column was used to separate the saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and nonhydrocarbons from the soluble extract.
An HP-Chemstation gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyzer was used (GC model HP-5890 II and MS model HP-5890A; column, DB5-MS; column length, 60 m; and internal diameter, 0.25 mm).The initial temperature of 100˚C was increased to a final temperature of 320˚C at a heating rate of 4.0˚C/min.The temperature of gasification and the transmission line was 310˚C, the ion source temperature was 250˚C, and the pre-column pressure was 170 kPa.The split ratio was 20: 1, and helium was the carrier gas.The electron energy was 70 eV, the scan rate was 0.46 can/s, and electron-impact ionization was employed.Biomarkers were identified using the mass fragmentogram and relative retention time in comparison with the standard sample.Biomarkers were quantified using the peak area responses of specific mass chromatogram peaks (m/z 191 and m/z 217).
Gamma ray (GR) logging and natural gamma spectrometry (NGS) logging were performed in the Niu-38 well by the Sinopec Shengli oilfield co., LTD, which provides the data of U, Th and GR.The GR and U curves were drawn from the logging data in the Es 3 .

U and Th Distribution
The radioactive elements U and thorium (Th) are in the range of 2.12 -5.21 ug/g and 3.56 -9.19 ug/g with average values of 3.52 ug/g and 7.0 ug/g, respectively.The logging curves of GR, U and Th display significant variation curve.Comparatively, the oil shale shows characteristics of high natural gamma ray and uranium content, high resistivity (RT), high interval transit time, low density and Th contents on the well logging curves, especially the high content of U in the oil shale is remarkable (Figure 2).This is because organic matter is conducive to the enrichment of U, as oil shale usually has higher content of organic matter than massive mudstone.

Inorganic Element Distribution
The concentrations of Ca, Sr, Ba and B in the 3330 -3370 m are higher compared to those in the 3190 -3330 m, and the average content of Ca, Sr, Ba and B are 9.14%, 667.1 ug/g, 487.1 ug/g and 52.6 ug/g, respectively; the concentrations of Mg, Fe, Li and Zn in the 3330 -3370 m are lower, and their averages are 0.87%, 2.61%, 1.47 ug/g and 51 ug/g, respectively (Figure 3).As depth decreases in 3190 -3330 m, the concentrations of Ca and Sr Overall the measured elements in the 3330 -3370 m show characteristics of frequent change in the vertical distribution with burial depth, which indicates a fluctuation deposition of deep lake facies.The element ratios also show volatile changes (Figure 4).In the 3190 -3330 m, except Fe/(Ca + Mg), the ratios Ca/U, Ca/Ba, Ca/Mg, Ca/B, Ca/Li, Ca/Sr and Sr/Ba all display overall gradual decrease with decreasing burial depth.

Distributions of TOC, S 1 , and S 2
The results of TOC and Rock-Evalparameters are presented in Figure 5. TOC values vary from 1.02 to 13.75%, with an average of 3.65%.The S 1 and S 2 distributed at the ranges 0.15 -8.75 mg/g and 2.11 -64.74 mg/g with averages of 1.95 and 18.68 mg/g, respectively.Most samples show values of TOC and S2 being more than 2.0% and 10 mg/g, respectively, indicating the mudstone as effective source rocks.The parameters I H and I P distributed at 206.8 -619.8 mg/g and 0.039 -0.167 with average values of 496.2 mg/g and 11.1 respectively.The T max distributed at 434˚C -448˚C, reflecting the mudstone and shale being moderately mature.Microscopic components of organic matter showed that the sapropel components are in high content (72.7% -99.7%), and was dominated with organic matter of type I, and some of II1 type (Figure 6).With increasing depth, the samples show an overall increase in the content of sapropel and decrease in the content of exinite and vitrinite, and the inertinite remains at a very low content.This indicates that, on the whole, the quality of the hydrocarbon source rocks is getting better and better with increasing burial depth.

Biomarkers
The

Fluctuation of Sedimentary Environment
The inorganic elements and element ratios indicated a sedimentary process of deep lake gradually evolution to half deep lake with the uplift of lake basin and retreat of lake water (Figure 4).Take the Fe/(Ca + Mg) as an example.Fe is relatively enriched in terrigenous clastic rocks, whereas Ca and Mg mainly occur in mudstone and carbonate rocks in deep water [15].Thus, the Fe/(Ca + Mg) ratio can also reflect the changes in water depth, with a high Fe/(Ca + Mg) value indicating deep water.The data here shows that Fe/(Ca + Mg) generally increase in the 1 3 Es with decreasing burial depth with few exceptional abnormal data, indicating uplift of the lake basin and the gradually decreases of water depth.The organic and inorganic geochemistry parameters show the deposition of these deep lake sediments is not stable, and this is supported by the sedimentary structure of the fine sediments in the 1 3 Es , which are mixed of laminated mudstone and shale with thin layers of siltstone, fine sandstone, or argillaceous siltstone.

Source Rocks Characteristic
The type of organic matter in petroleum source rocks can be characterized from I H and T max .The intersection chart of T max with I H shows all samples are I or II1 type of organic matter, and is at the mature stage (Figure 8(a)).The intersection chart of S 2 and TOC shows that most of the samples TOC and S 2 are greater than 2.0% and 10.0 mg/g, respectively, suggesting very good source rocks; a lot of samples even shows the TOC and S 2 are greater than 5.0% and 20.0 mg/g, respectively, indicating excellent source rocks (Figure 8(b)).However, the macroscopic heterogeneity distribution of organic matter is also very significant, even in the layer with high TOC, the distribution of organic carbon have larger discrete.In the 3330 -3370 m, TOC and S 2 distribute in the range from 2.11% -13.75% and 10.46 -64.14 mg/g, respectively, reflecting a strong fluctuation.Oil shale shows relatively higher TOC and hydrocarbon generation potential and the TOC, S 2 and I H are greater than 5.0%, 10 mg/g and 500 mg/g, showing the thin layers of oil shale with high TOC are high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks.

Redox Conditions and U Enrichment
Research shows the enrichment of U can be accelerated under an anoxic environment because organic matter adsorption capacity of the U will increase under this condition [12] [16].For example, a strongly acidic environment is conducive to the enrichment of U 4+ , which is hydrolyzed to U 6+ when the level of acidity weakens [4] [6].It is possible to distinguish redox environments by evaluation TOC and I H .This study presents a high TOC and S 2 distribution in the studied interval, which are generally greater than 2.0% and 100 mg/g rock, especially in the burial depth more than 3250 m, although there is heterogeneity in their distributions.The high TOC and S 2 reflect that the organic matter type are dominated by types I and II1, which manifested an anoxic environment with favorable preservation conditions for organic matter.An interesting observation is that the correlation between the elevated U, U/Th and TOC, S 2 , %Ca is divided into two parts, and every part is positive (Figure 9).The second part with higher U enrichment is separated from the first part in the boundary values of 7.0%, 32 mg/g and 11% for the TOC, S 2 and %Ca, respectively.The second part corresponding to the higher TOC, S 2 and %Ca is almost for the oil shale samples.The obvious two separated quantitative relations imply that the U enrichment in the oil shale is likely to be different from the U enrichment in the normal mudstone as they reflect different redox environments.The oxidation-reduction potential is the main factor in the reversible transformation between U 4+ and U 6+ .The amount of U 4+ that is absorbed to sediment surfaces can be reduced to absorbed U 6+ phases [17].Under oxic conditions, U 4+ in rocks is oxidized into U 6+ , which is released into groundwater; hence, the U content of rocks decreases, while that of groundwater increases [12].Under reduced conditions, U 4+ is reduced to U 6+ and precipitates; hence, the U content of groundwater decreases, while that of rocks increases [18].

Conclusions
The lacustrine mudstone and shales of the lower part of Paleogene Shahejie Formation from the N-38 well in Dongying depression were investigated with organic matter and element distribution.Most of the samples show high TOC and S 2 , with TOC and S 2 greater than 2.0% and 10.0 mg/g, respectively; the oil shale samples show the TOC and S 2 are greater than 5.0% and 20.0 mg/g, respectively.The organic matter was dominated with organic matter of type I, and some of II1 type, indicating most of samples are good source rocks and the oil shale are excellent source rocks.The lower value of biomarker ratio gammacerane/C 30 H and C 35 H/C 34 H indicates a freshwater depositional environment in the deep lake.
The element geochemical data from the studied mudstone and shales reveal the response of certain major and trace elements related to the lake basin evolution, as the decrease in buried depth from 3330 -3190 m.The ratios Ca/U, Ca/Ba, Ca/Mg, Ca/B, Ca/Li, Ca/Sr and Sr/Ba overall gradually decrease, and Fe/(Ca + Mg) increases.In the section 3330 -3370 m with the oil shale developed, the geochemistry of organic matter and element suggest a reducing depositional environment with strong fluctuation.
The data here provided quantitative relations between the elevated U, U/Th and TOC, S 2 , %Ca.An interesting observation is that the correlation between the elevated U, U/Th and TOC, S 2 , %Ca is divided into two parts, and the boundary values of 7.0%, 32 mg/g and 11% for the TOC, S 2 and %Ca, respectively.The obvious two separated quantitative relations imply that the U enrichment is different in the oil shale and the normal mudstone as they reflect different redox environments.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Sketched map showing the location and field geology of the Dongying Depression.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Inorganic elements of mudstones in the lower Member 3 of Paleogene Shahejie Formation of N38 well.

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Element ratios of mudstones in the lower Member 3 of Paleogene Shahejie Formation of N38 well.

Figure 7 .
Figure 7. Distribution of biomarker parameters in the lower Member 3 of Paleogene Shahejie Formation of the N38 well.

Figure 8 .
Figure 8. Cross plot of I H and T max (a) or TOC and S 2 (b) for the lacustrine mudstones and shales of the N38 well at depths 3190 -3376 m.

Figure 9 .
Figure 9. Quantitative correlations of U, U/Th to TOC, S 2 , and Ca% in the Niu-38 well at depths 3190 -3376 m.