The migration fractionation: an important mechanism in the formation of condensate and waxy oil

Fault-initiated pressure release within reservoirs and the injection of external excessive dry gas may result in occurrence of oil and gas phases. Because of different partitioning coefficients of compounds in two phase flow, lower-molecular-weight components are easier to dissolve in gas phase, yielding condensates, while higher-molecular-weight components are retained in the oil phase, yielding waxy oil cumulations. The fractionation process causes extensive compositional variability in aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbon ratios, molecular compound distributions and carbon isotope ratios that are traditionally considered to be related to the source organic matter or the thermal maturity.