Advanced Geochemistry Technology Explained

Over the past five years, a revolution in petroleum system geochemistry has taken place. New Advanced Geochemical Technology (AGT) has been developed in the laboratories of Biomarker Technologies, a partner of Brazil Petroleum Studies (BPS). AGT allows for better predictions of source-rock presence, origin, distribution and generation characteristics.

These new analytical methods include quantitative diamondoid analyses (QDA), compound specific isotope analyses of biomarkers (CSIA-B) and diamondoids (CSIA-D), and quantitative extended diamondoid analysis (QEDA). They have been shown to be very effective tools in identifying the source-rock systems, filling histories and migration routes of the giant Barra field in the deep-water Sergipe Basin and the supergiant lacustrine pre-salt section of the Santos Basin using only oil samples.

The integration of AGT analyses with previously used techniques, such as biomarker and isotope analyses, is especially important where deep source-rock systems have been poorly sampled or have not been drilled. These analyses provide the means to identify, characterize and disentangle complex oil mixtures that are composed of black oil and highly-cracked condensates from very deep source-rock horizons as well as predict their paleoenvironmental organic facies.