Natural gas of radiolytic origin: An overlooked component of shale gas.

ABSTRACT: Natural gas is an important fossil energy source that has historically been produced from conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. It has been interpreted to be of microbial, thermogenic, or, in specific contexts, abiotic origin. Since the beginning of the 21st century, natural gas has been increasingly produced from unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs including organic-rich shales. Here, we show, based on a careful interpretation of natural gas samples from numerous unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs and results from recent irradiation experiments, that there is a previously overlooked source of natural gas that is generated by radiolysis of organic matter in shales. We demonstrate that radiolytic gas containing methane, ethane, and propane constitutes a significant end-member that can a

SUBMITTER: Naumenko-Dezes M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9169621 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature