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Mechanisms Underlying the Bromine Anomaly in the Brine of the **gbian Gas Field, Ordos Basin, Northwestern China

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Abstract

Bromine (Br) is a vital chemical raw material primarily obtained from marine brine. The bromine/chlorine (Br/Cl) ratio serves as a crucial indicator for predicting marine potash mineralization in evaporites. As salinity increases, bromine gradually accumulates through evaporation in residual brine. During the process of brine evaporation to the potassium salt stage, the bromine content in the brine can exceed 1000 ppm. The marine brine sourced from the weathering crust reservoir at the top of the Ordovician Majiagou Formation in the **gbian gas field, Ordos Basin, in northwestern China, displays an exceptionally high bromine content (averaging 1590 ppm), surpassing levels found in contemporary seawater. Based on analysis of major compositions, only brine evaporates to the gypsum stage. Despite extensive exploration in the region, large-scale potassium salt deposits have not been identified. This heightened concentration of bromine in low salinity brine suggests supplementation from additional organic bromine sources. The strata adjacent to the high-bromine oil field water in the **gbian gas field, Ordos Basin, consist of the Ordovician marine evaporite strata of the Majiagou Formation and the overlying Carboniferous and Permian marine and continental deposits rich in fossil algae. Interactions between hydrocarbons and oilfield water contribute to the notable bromine anomaly observed in the **gbian gas field in the Ordos Basin. Elevated bromine levels have also been noted in brine from various oil fields worldwide. Through an analysis of the major compositions of brines and bromine, this study will elucidate the reasons behind the presence of high bromine brines.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the Basic Frontier Scientific Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. ZDBS-LY-DQC021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Bei**g, 100037, China

    Fu Fan

  2. Nan**g Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nan**g, 210008, China

    Fanwei Meng

  3. School of Earth and Resources, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Fanwei Meng

  4. Qinghai Institute of Salt Lake Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ** Bao & Zhanrong Ma

  5. Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

    Saif Ur Rehman

Authors
  1. Fu Fan
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  2. Fanwei Meng
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  3. Yunqi Ma
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  4. Hong** Bao
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  5. Zhanrong Ma
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  6. Saif Ur Rehman
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Contributions

A:Dr. Fu Fan; B; Professor Fanwei Meng; C: Professor Yunqi Ma; D: Hong** Bao; E：Zhanrong Ma; F: Saif Ur Rehman A wrote the draft of this paper, and B proposed the idea of this paper and revised the draft. C helped test the brine samples, and senior engineers D and E were responsible for collecting the samples for this study, as well as the geological background information. F participated in the discussion and revision of the paper, as he is an expert in sedimentology. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Fanwei Meng.

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Fan, F., Meng, F., Ma, Y. et al. Mechanisms Underlying the Bromine Anomaly in the Brine of the **gbian Gas Field, Ordos Basin, Northwestern China. Aquat Geochem (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-024-09431-w

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