Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (2): 462-477.doi: 10.11743/ogg20250209

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Adsorption characteristics and occurrence pattern of natural hydrogen in a continental scientific drilling well of the Songliao Basin

Shuangbiao HAN1(), Jin WANG1, Jie HUANG1, Chengshan WANG2   

  1. 1.College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering,China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing),Beijing 100083,China
    2.School of Earth Sciences and Resources,China University of Geosciences (Beijing),Beijing 100083,China
  • Received:2024-12-02 Revised:2025-03-04 Online:2025-04-30 Published:2025-04-27

Abstract:

High-content natural hydrogen has been discovered in well SK-2 of the Continental Scientific Drilling Project of the Cretaceous Songliao Basin. Hydrogen gas in reservoirs with varying lithologies exhibits different complex adsorption characteristics. Using experimental data from reservoirs with natural hydrogen anomaly shows in well SK-2 and molecular dynamics methodology, we investigate the adsorption characteristics of natural hydrogen in reservoirs with varying lithologies under different geologic conditions. Furthermore, we explore the occurrence variation pattern of natural hydrogen based on temperature, pressure, pore diameter, pore type, and competitive adsorption of gases. The results indicate that the reservoirs with natural hydrogen anomaly shows exhibit a hydrogen content of up to 26.89 %, a mineral composition dominated by clay and quartz and a relatively high organic matter content. Pores of organic matter and clay in these reservoirs absorb natural gas rich in hydrogen. Among them, pores with relatively small sizes (0.4 ~ 7.0 nm in diameter) may serve as the primary spaces for hydrogen gas occurrence. In pores larger than 0.5 nm that contain both hydrogen gas and methane, the adsorbed hydrogen gas content remains low, while the content of free hydrogen gas increases with pore size. Montmorillonite demonstrates the highest adsorption capacity for hydrogen gas. However, competitive adsorption for methane reduces the hydrogen gas content in pores, hindering its enrichment. An increase in pressure significantly enhances the adsorption capacity of pores for hydrogen gas, whereas a rising temperature intensifies their desorption process for hydrogen gas. As the temperature increases, adsorbed hydrogen gas in pores of quartz and illite is more prone to convert into free gas. Micropores manifest a relatively high adsorption capacity for hydrogen gas, serving as the primary spaces for the occurrence of adsorbed hydrogen gas. The deep iron-rich rocks or mantle activity in the study area ensure sufficient hydrogen gas supply, enabling natural hydrogen generated to accumulate in deep sedimentary reservoirs. The hydrogen gas content gradually decreases with the generation of hydrocarbon gases, the conversion of adsorbed hydrogen gas into free gas, and hydrogen gas dissipation, leading to the formation of hydrogen-rich natural gas accumulation zones dominated by methane.

Key words: adsorption characteristic, molecular simulation, occurrence pattern, continental scientific drilling, natural hydrogen, Songliao Basin

CLC Number: