I'm a bit out of my depth here, so I'm looking for support to see the impact of the bitumen findings.
I've come across the article below, which sounds concerning. My take is that it reduces chances of success for moveable hydrocarbons in the areas that bitumen is found. However, maybe this impact is outweighed by an increase in the chances that there are hydrocarbons within the system??
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288123431_Impact_of_bitumen_on_reservoir_properties_and_hydrocarbon_accumulationBitumen is similar to the cement and autogenic clay filled in reservoir pores, and it dramatically reduces reservoir porosity and permeability, increases reservoir heterogeneity and even changes the oil/gas accumulation history at a later stage. Taking Santai-north Santai in the east of Junggar Basin as an example, through the experiment of comparing reservoir properties before and after the reservoir was soaked by organic solvent, this article analyzed the impact of bitumen on reservoir properties. After soaking, the porosity and permeability of the reservoir with bitumen has increased dramatically while that of the reservoir without bitumen has little change. The distribution and maturity difference of bitumen and oil in different horizons and different sandstones indicates that bitumen prevents oil/gas from entering the reservoir at a later stage. Therefore, oil/gas can only migrate into the reservoir with little or no bitumen, affecting the accumulation regularity in the area. Based on the above reasons, the exploration in Santai-north Santai should avoid the bitumen accumulation zone and find the reservoir with little interstitial material and featuring pure sandstone which is favorable for the accumulation of oil/gas at a later stage.
