Carbon isotopic composition of methane and its origin in natural gas from the Petišovci-Dolina oil and gas field (Pannonian Basin System, NE Slovenia) – a preliminary study

Abstract

The carbon isotopic composition of methane (δ13CCH4) in natural gas from the Petišovci-Dolina oil and gas field (NE Slovenia) was measured for the first time in August and September 2021. The gas samples from different depths were taken from three wells: Dolina-deep (Pg-6) from the depth interval 3102–3104 m, Petišovci-deep (Pg-5) from the depth interval 2772–2795 m, and Petišovci-shallow (D-5) from the depth interval 1212–1250 m. According to the available composition dataset of gas, available from the Petrol Geo d.o.o. documentation, the “deep” gases sampled from the Pg-6 and Pg-5 wells consist of 85 % methane (C1), 11 % hydrocarbons heavier than methane (C2–C6) and 4 % CO2. The “shallow” gas from well D-5 contains more than 89 % methane, up to 11 % C2–C6 gases, while the CO2 content is negligible. The “deep« gas from the Pg-6 and Pg-5 wells has δ13CCH4 -36.7 ‰ and -36.6 ‰, respectively, while the “shallow” gas from the D-5 well has the δ13CCH4 of -38.6 ‰. The methane from the “shallow” gas is slightly enriched in the lighter 12C isotope. δ13CCH4 in the range from -38.6 to -36.6 ‰ clearly indicates the thermogenic origin of methane formed during the catagenesis phase of gas formation.