According to WPB, Russian researchers from Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry (GEOKHI RAS) of the Russian Academy of Sciences have established that the bitumen found in the kimberlite pipes of Yakutia, including the Mir pipe, is of biogenic origin. This means that the bitumen formed from ancient living organisms rather than chemical non-living activity.
Early searches of Yakutia diamond deposits had already found indications of bitumen and oil-type gases. During 1962, a gas leak in the Odachnaya pipe realized flows as high as 100,000 cubic meters per day, and at the Internationalnaya pipe, oil was discovered. These finds initially gave rise to disputes regarding the possibility of the production of oil by non-biological processes.
Studying the organic material in the kimberlites extensively with modern laboratory techniques like mass chromatography and carbon isotope mass spectrometry, researchers looked for biomarkers, certain molecules that confirm the presence of ancient life. Evidence indicates the bitumen could have originated from plankton, especially cyanobacteria, small organisms like algae. Carbon isotopic analysis also testified to the biological origin.
The study discovered that the bitumen had accumulated in zones of fractures, rock fractures that formed after intrusions of magma. This implies that the bitumen had migrated from oil- and gas-bearing adjacent sedimentary rocks. That is, the bitumen had not formed within the kimberlite itself, but had flowed into it from adjacent oil-bearing strata.
This observation has significant implications for bitumen exploration and potential use. The presence of bitumen in fractures suggests natural channels where oil once flowed. If enough bitumen has amassed, it would be locally accessible for asphalt production or industrial use, although commercial production would be a function of volume and quality. Safety remains an issue, as historical gas flow suggests the potential for pressure buildup within fractures, and hence monitoring and protection are needed.
Researchers suggest further sampling and analysis in the laboratory for measuring physical characteristics of the bitumen, such as viscosity and sulfur content, and for estimating recoverable volumes. Those characteristics can give clues on whether the bitumen could be directly used for road paving or other industrial applications.
The research underscores the importance of geochemical methods in the modern era in de-mystifying hidden hydrocarbon reservoirs and shows how ancient organic materials can be concentrated in unusual geological structures like kimberlite pipes.
By Bitumenmag
Bitumen, Asphalt, Science
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