TY - JOUR
T1 - The behavior of lithium and its isotopes in oilfield brines
T2 - Evidence from the Heletz-Kokhav field, Israel
AU - Chan, Lui Heung
AU - Starinsky, Abraham
AU - Katz, Amitai
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Twenty-four brine samples from the Heletz-Kokhav oilfield, Israel, have been analyzed for chemical composition and Li isotope ratios. The chemical composition of the brines, together with geological evidence, suggests derivation from (Messinian) seawater by evaporation that proceeded well into the gypsum stability field but failed to reach the stage of halite crystallization. The present salinity of the samples (18-47 g Cl/L) was achieved by dilution of the original evaporitic brine by local fresh waters. Like brines from other sedimentary basins, the Li/Cl ratios in the Heletz-Kokhav samples show a prominent Li enrichment (five-fold to eight-fold) relative to modern seawater. The isotopic ratios of Li, expressed in the δ 6Li notation, vary from -26.3 to - 17.9‰, all values being significantly higher than that of modern seawater (-32‰) irrespective of their corresponding Li concentration (1.0-2.3 mg/L). The isotopic composition of Li and the Li/Cl ratio in the oilfield brines were acquired in two stages: (a) The original evaporated seawater gained isotopically light Li during the diagenetic interaction between the interstitial Messinian brine and the basin sediments. A parent brine with an elevated Li/Cl ratio was formed. The brine was later diluted in the oilfields. (b) The δ 6Li values of the final brines were determined during epigenetic interaction with the Heletz-Kokhav aquifer rocks. At the same time, the Li/Cl ratio inherited from stage (a) remained largely unchanged. This work represents the first use of lithium isotopic composition to elucidate the origin and evolution of formation waters in sedimentary basins.
AB - Twenty-four brine samples from the Heletz-Kokhav oilfield, Israel, have been analyzed for chemical composition and Li isotope ratios. The chemical composition of the brines, together with geological evidence, suggests derivation from (Messinian) seawater by evaporation that proceeded well into the gypsum stability field but failed to reach the stage of halite crystallization. The present salinity of the samples (18-47 g Cl/L) was achieved by dilution of the original evaporitic brine by local fresh waters. Like brines from other sedimentary basins, the Li/Cl ratios in the Heletz-Kokhav samples show a prominent Li enrichment (five-fold to eight-fold) relative to modern seawater. The isotopic ratios of Li, expressed in the δ 6Li notation, vary from -26.3 to - 17.9‰, all values being significantly higher than that of modern seawater (-32‰) irrespective of their corresponding Li concentration (1.0-2.3 mg/L). The isotopic composition of Li and the Li/Cl ratio in the oilfield brines were acquired in two stages: (a) The original evaporated seawater gained isotopically light Li during the diagenetic interaction between the interstitial Messinian brine and the basin sediments. A parent brine with an elevated Li/Cl ratio was formed. The brine was later diluted in the oilfields. (b) The δ 6Li values of the final brines were determined during epigenetic interaction with the Heletz-Kokhav aquifer rocks. At the same time, the Li/Cl ratio inherited from stage (a) remained largely unchanged. This work represents the first use of lithium isotopic composition to elucidate the origin and evolution of formation waters in sedimentary basins.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036181315&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0016-7037(01)00800-6
DO - 10.1016/S0016-7037(01)00800-6
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AN - SCOPUS:0036181315
SN - 0016-7037
VL - 66
SP - 615
EP - 623
JO - Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
JF - Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
IS - 4
ER -