Martin Blumenberg

Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe | BGR · Organic Geochemistry and Gas Geochemistry

The Permian–Triassic and Triassic–Jurassic critical intervals are among the most significant ecological upheavals in the Phanerozoic. Both evolutionary junctures are characterized by environmental deterioration associated with a marked biodiversity decline. In this study, Permian–Triassic and Triassic–Jurassic boundary sections from South China and...

During the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian; ‘German Wealden’), the Lower Saxony Basin (LSB) in northern Germany was characterized by non-marine deposits in a restricted intercontinental setting (Schneider et al. 2017). New insights into these Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks can be gained from a recently drilled core (KB Rehburg-2, Lower Saxony, Ger...

Peats formed widespread early after the Last Glacial Maximum around the coast of the Dogger Bank, the central high of the now flooded “Doggerland” (central North Sea). Here we present biomarker and gas geochemical insights into near-surface peat cored at 43 m water depth. Based on their probable age of ~10 ka before present (BP), the peats are like...

During the late Paleocene to early Eocene, clas-tic fluvial sediments and coals were deposited in northern high latitudes as part of the Marga-ret Forma tion at Stenkul Fiord (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada). Syn-sedimentary tectonic movements of the Eurekan deformation continuously affected these terrestrial sediments. Different volcanic ash la...

During the late Paleocene to early Eocene, clastic fluvial sediments and coals were deposited in northern high latitudes as part of the Marga­ret Formation at Stenkul Fiord (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada). Syn-sedimentary tectonic movements of the Eurekan deformation continu­ously affected these terrestrial sediments. Different volcanic ash lay...

Methane emissions along the natural gas supply chain are critical for the climate benefit achievable by fuel switching from coal to natural gas in the electric power sector. For Germany, one of the world’s largest primary energy consumers, with a coal and natural gas share in the power sector of 35% and 13%, respectively, we conducted fleet-convers...

This study focuses on seafloor methane seep sites and their distribution in the northwestern part of the German North Sea. Methane seepage is a common phenomenon along marine shelves and known to occur in the North Sea, but proof of their existence was lacking in the study area. Using a ship-based multibeam echosounder we detected a minimum of 166...

The Olga Basin is a Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary basin in the northern Barents Sea. Gas seepage at the basin’s margins indicate active but so far poorly understood petroleum systems. Despite the consensus that late Cenozoic uplift and erosion must have strongly influenced petroleum systems in this region, the amount of erosion is controversia...

Methane emissions along the natural gas supply chain are critical for the climate benefit achievable by fuel switching from coal to natural gas in the electric power sector. For Germany, one of the world’s largest primary energy consumers, we conducted fleet-conversion modelling taking domestic and export country specific emissions in the natural g...

Numerous hydrocarbon seep sites at the continental shelf, slope, and in the deep water basin are known to feed the Black Sea water reservoir of dissolved methane. In this study, we identified the likely sources of gas and oil that are emitted at four sites located on the continental slope offshore Georgia in the Eastern Black Sea at 830 to 1,140 m...

The Khatyspyt Lagerstätte (~544 Ma, Russia) provides a valuable window into late Ediacaran Avalon‐type ecosystems with rangeomorphs, arboreomorphs, and mega‐algae. Here, we tackle the geobiology of this Lagerstätte by the combined analysis of paleontological features, sedimentary facies, and lipid biomarkers. The Khatyspyt Formation was deposited i...

The maximum burial depth and thermal maturity of a hydrocarbon source rock controls the generation of petroleum, and data on rock maturity are necessary for an understanding of a petroleum system. Rock-Eval pyrolysis is an established method to assess the hydrocarbon generation potential, the type of organic matter (kerogen type), but also the ther...

The northern Norwegian Barents Sea is an under-explored region, for which significant petroleum potential is expected, but little direct geochemical information on petroleum systems is available. The analysis of bound (adsorbed) gas in near-surface sediment, established more than 80 years ago, is a tool frequently applied in hydrocarbon exploration...

Conventional studies of petroleum basins associate oil generation with the gradual burial of organic-rich sediments. These classical models rely on the interplay between pressure, temperature, and the time required for organic matter transformation to oil and gas. These processes usually occur over geological timescales, but may be accelerated by r...

Investigation of fault rocks is crucial for the evaluation of sealing properties of rock formations considered as oil and gas storage or for the disposal of heat-generating radioactive waste. Even in tight rock formations, fluid flow may concentrate along brittle faults. The present study focuses on the sealing properties of faulted Lower Cretaceou...

Delineation of stratigraphic sequences and their component systems tracts in mudstone‐dominated successions is challenging due to the relatively homogenous, fine‐grained nature of the strata. High‐resolution elemental intensity data from X‐ray fluorescence core scanning is used in order to develop a sequence stratigraphic framework for the Lower Cr...

In the southern part of the Norwegian Barents Sea extensive hydrocarbon exploration and drilling has led to several oil and gas discoveries, yet little is known on the petroleum systems and potential hydrocarbon reservoirs in the northern Norwegian Barents Sea. If hydrocarbons generated by thermogenic processes deep in the subsurface migrate to the...

The Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary interval of northern Germany is characterised by non-marine deposits attributed to the Purbeck and Wealden facies. These organic-rich sediments were deposited under restricted, brackish-lacustrine conditions in a palaeogeographically isolated basin (Lower Saxony Basin). Rock-Eval and δ ¹³ C org measurements were per...

Since the appearance of trees in the Devonian, coal preservation in the geological rock record considerably increased and since then terrestrial coals are an extraordinary large sink for carbon in the geosphere. In Munindalen near Pyramiden (Dickson Land, Svalbard), low mature middle to upper Devonian strata (Mimerdalen Subgroup) crop out, which be...

During the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian; Wealden 3–4), Northwestern Germany was covered by an east–west elongated tentatively brackish lake in which locally more than 700 m-thick black shales were deposited. While the distribution of organofacies’ in the basin is relatively well documented, the paleoenvironmental conditions in the basin center (e.g...

Methane was detected in all wells with 34% < 0.001 ml/l and 14% > 1 ml/l (with 80% < 0.1 ml/l). A decreasing regional trend of methane concentrations from the North West towards South East was observed. Highest concentrations are encountered in marshes and lowlands although numerous exceptions are noted. Methane is prevalently of biogenic origin, a...

The geochemistry of seep gases is useful for an understanding of the local petroleum system. Here it was tested whether individual light hydrocarbons in seep gases are representatively entrapped in authigenic carbonates that formed near active seep sites. If applicable, it would be possible to extract geochemical information not only on the origin...

Available under: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gbi.12284 Fossil derivatives of isorenieratene, an accessory pigment in brown‐colored green sulfur bacteria, are often used as tracers for photic zone anoxia through Earth's history, but their diagenetic behavior is still incompletely understood. Here, we assess the preservation of isor...

Geochemical analyses were used to classify 39 Zechstein (Late Permian, Lopingian) Main Dolomite (Ca2) crude oil samples from fields in the eastern and southern sector of the Southern Permian Basin (SPB) of Europe and to provide new insights into the origin of the oil. Geochemical data indicate that Ca2 oils were generated in the early-to-late oil w...

This poster summarized the preliminary results of my master thesis, combined with molecular fossil data by Martin Blumenberg. The research revolved around the nannoflora of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in the Northern Calcareous Alps, focusing on changes in nannofossil abundance, composition and preservation as well as their implications on pale...

The Norwegian Barents Sea is located between the Proterozoic East-European Craton in the south and Cenozoic passive margins in the north and the west. This region has experienced multiple changes of the stress regime including Paleozoic continental collision, multi-stage late Paleozoic to Mesozoic rifting and Pliocene/Pleistocene uplift and erosion...

Since the demand for hydrocarbon and geothermal exploitation, as well as underground storage capacities is still rising, environmental aspects increased in significance for permissioning as well as public perception and acceptance. A crucial related element is a potential leakage of gaseous hydrocarbons into upper aquifers, but an understanding req...

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A reconnaissance study of potential hydrocarbon source rocks of Paleozoic to Cenozoic age from the highly remote New Siberian Islands Archipelago (Russian Arctic) was carried out. 101 samples were collected from outcrops representing the principal Paleozoic-Cenozoic units across the entire archipelago. Organic petrological and geochemical analyses...

Franz Kockel has been significantly involved, when BGR performed elaborate investigations in the late 1980s on the petroleum systems existing in the Lower Saxony Basin (LSB). In this paper, focus is placed on geochemical data of oilassociated gases from oilfields with striking properties. Compositions of gaseous hydrocarbons as well as stable isoto...

Evidence of aerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification has been provided for different freshwater environments, whereas the significance of this process for the marine realm has not been adequately investigated. The goal of this study was to investigate the methane-related reduction of nitrate/nitrite in a marine environment (salinity 8.5...

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2016.07.015. The Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Chia Gara Formation, a proven marine source rock characterised by predominance of amorphous organic matter (AOM) is known from few outcrops in NE Iraq and a number of exploration wells in the Zagros Fold Belt. This study presents comprehensive organic petrographic and...

Shortly after the deposition of black shales in the Rhaetian Sea (Central European Basin, CEB), the Triassic/Jurassic (TO) boundary witnessed one of the Big Five mass extinction events in Earth's history. Aiming at a better understanding of paleoenvironmental changes in the (geochemically) less well-known middle to late Rhaetian (German subdivision...

Rock-Eval pyrolysis data are used for assessments of the quality and maturity of potential hydrocarbon source rock, but is also often applied among shale oil studies to estimate the so-called “total oil” for Oil In Place (OIP) calculations. However, for these approaches Rock-Eval may underestimate total oil due to a “carryover effect”, a bias which...

The Barents Sea is considered as an important target for oil and gas exploration, but the petroleum potential of its shelf and slope regions is unknown. Here we present results of a research cruise to the Northern Hinlopen Margin at the transition to the Southern Nansen Basin and the Eastern Yermak Plateau. Multichannel reflection seismic data acqu...

Abstract More than 90% of Germany´s domestic gas production and reserves are located in Lower Saxony, North Germany. Recently, research has been intensified with respect to unconventional shale gas, revealing a large additional resource potential in northern Germany. However, many concerns arise within the general public and government/political in...

More than 90% of Germany´s domestic natural gas production and reserves are located in Lower Saxony, North Germany. Recently, research has been intensified with respect to unconventional shale gas, revealing a large additional resource potential in northern Germany. However, many concerns arise within the general public and government/political ins...

The arctic region is one of the main frontier areas for hydrocarbon exploration. An accurate assessment of the arctic petroleum systems requires detailed knowledge of the regional occurrences of source rocks and their hydrocarbon generation potential, which can be investigated with samples from outcrops in the area. Source rocks in the Arctic compr...

On Svalbard coals from the Late Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and Paleogene are known. However, their geochemistry is not well understood. During BGR-expeditions to Svalbard coals from the Lower Carboniferous (Billefjorden Group), Cretaceous (Helvetiafjellet Fm.), and Paleocene (Firkanten Fm.) were sampled. Maceral and biomarker analyses demonstrated th...

Organic-rich shales of the Cretaceous Wealden Formation in the Lower Saxony Basin (LSB) of Germany are an important target for oil and gas exploration (e.g. Rippen et al., 2013). Initial studies on facies and thermal maturity on the well site Isterberg 1001, in the western part of the LSB, have shown that the Wealden sediments are oil prone and are...

Unconventional plays for oil and gas may be crucial energy resources for our immediate and long time future. In the frame of the NiKo-project, the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources investigated the potential of shales in Germany for shale oil and gas production. Among other potential plays (most notably the Posidonia (L...

More than 90% of Germany´s domestic gas production and reserves are located in Lower Saxony, North Germany. Recently, research has been intensified with respect to unconventional shale gas, revealing a large additional resource potential in northern Germany. However, many concerns arise within the general public and government/political institution...

Phototrophic mats (microbial mats with a phototrophic top layer) are complex systems in terms of microbial diversity, biogeochemical cycles and organic matter (OM) turnover. It has been proposed that these mats were a predominant life form in Proterozoic shallow water settings, prior to the emergence of bioturbating organisms in the Ediacaran-Cambr...

Peculiar carbonate bodies occur in distinct marl layers of the Marnes Bleues Formation (Aptian-Albian, Vocontian Basin, Southern France). The carbonate conduits exhibit pipe- or sausage-like forms and a central channel. Their sizes range between 30-60 cm in length and 5-10 cm in diameter. The conduit carbonates consist of automicrite authigenically...

Carbonates are widespread at methane and petroleum seeps and are often precipitated as consequence of an alkalinity increase due to the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) or, less often reported, of higher hydrocarbons. These carbonates are taphonomic windows into Earth’s history, because they excellently protect the in situ formed microbial sign...

The major bacterial triterpenoids of the hopane series are made of a C30 triterpene hopane moiety and an additional non-terpenic C5 side chain derived from D-ribose and linked via its C-5 carbon atom to the hopane side chain. Bacteriohopanetetrol and aminobacteriohopanetriol are the most common representatives of this natural product series, adenos...

Gravel-sized chips of immature organic-rich Posidonia Shale (Toarcian, Lower Jurassic) core sample from the Wickensen well in the Hills Syncline, Federal State of Lower Saxony were artificially matured in hydrous pyrolysis experiments at 315°C and 120 bars pressure for time periods of up to 10 days to examine processes accompanying generation of ga...

In the today's Arctic, coals were repeatedly deposited during Earth's history. On Svalbard, coal seams are known from the Lower Carboniferous, Jurassic, Cretaceous and the Paleocene, and are still mined for export and the local energy supply. However, their geochemistry is not well understood (e.g. Abdullah et al., 1988; Van Koeverden et al., 2011)...

The Shibantan Member (Dengying Formation, Ediacaran Period) is one of only few carbonate settings with Ediacara-type fossils worldwide (e.g. Ding & Chen, 1981; Sun, 1986; Xiao et al., 2005; Shen et al., 2009; Chen et al., 2014). However, only little is known about the sedimentology and biogeochemistry of the environments in which these organisms th...

Cold seep carbonates were studied from two locations (Dongsha and Chiasian) in the northern South China Sea and on Taiwan island. Lipid biomarkers and their stable carbon isotopic compositions extracted from these seep carbonate samples were analyzed in this study and the results pointed at the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) as responsible fo...

The water column of the Landsort Deep, central Baltic Sea, is stratified into an oxic, suboxic, and anoxic zone. This stratification controls the distributions of individual microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. In summer 2011, particulate organic matter was filtered from these zones using an in situ pump. Lipid biomarkers were extrac...

The water column of the Landsort Deep, central Baltic Sea, is stratified into an oxic, suboxic, and anoxic zone. This stratification controls the distributions of individual microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. In summer 2011, particulate organic matter was filtered from these zones using an in situ pump. Lipid biomarkers were extrac...

The influence of hydrodynamic events on the distribution of methane and its microbial turnover was investigated during the period from August 2011 to August 2013 along a transect from the eastern (EGB) to the western Gotland Basin (WGB), central Baltic Sea. The water column was characterized by a pronounced methane concentration gradient between th...

The Shibantan Member (Dengying Formation, South China) represents one of only two carbonate settings with Ediacara-type organisms and offers a rare opportunity to study the biogeochemistry of these ecosystems. To evaluate possibilities and limitations for future biomarker studies on fossil-bearing outcrop samples of the Shibantan Member, we analyse...

Despite the importance of palaeoecosystems with Ediacara-type fossils for the early evolution of metazoans, only little is known about the interplay of geological and biological processes in these environments. The reason is that sedimentary structures, biogenic structures and (bio-) geochemical signatures (e.g. hydrocarbon biomarkers) are commonly...

Among alginite macerals bituminite is one of most frequently occurring maceral types in oil shales. It can occur as irregularly-shaped layers, laminations, lenses, wisps or as shreds. The largely amorphous bituminite maceral may also form mineral-bituminous groundmass (ICCP, 1993). Within the framework of ongoing study on the Gas and Oil Potential...

Symbiont-bearing and non-symbiotic marine bivalves were used as model organisms to establish biosignatures for the detection of distinctive symbioses in ancient bivalves. For this purpose, the isotopic composition of lipids (δ13C) and bulk organic shell matrix (δ13C, δ34S, δ15N) from shells of several thiotrophic, phototrophic, or non-symbiotic biv...

Application of confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM) to qualitative and quantitative examination of liptinite and solid bitumens in the Posidonia Shale (Toarcian, Lower Jurassic) of Northern Germany J. Kus, Ch. Ostertag-Henning, M. Blumenberg Sub-Department 1.5, “Resource Geochemistry”, BGR, Hannover Abstract The Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shal...

The taphonomic and diagenetic processes by which organic substances are preserved in animal remains are not completely known and the originality of putative metazoan biomolecules in fossil samples is a matter of scientific discussion. Here we report on biomarker information preserved in a fossil whale bone from an Oligocene phosphatic limestone (El...

Microwave, ultrasound and Bligh & Dyer extraction methods were tested for the yield of bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) from sediments and their potential to bias compound distributions. Differences in the concentration of abundant BHPs were not apparent for the three methods. However, the two phase solvent Bligh & Dyer extraction method generally show...