Basic petroleum geochemistry for source rock evaluation

Oilfield Review

Volumn 23, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 32-43

  McCarthy, Kevin ^a   Rojas, Katherine ^a   Niemann, Martin ^a   Palrnowski, Daniel ^a   Peters, Kenneth ^a   Stankiewicz, Artur ^a  

^a Houston TX ^*

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

OIL AND GAS; PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY; SOURCE ROCKS;

ENERGY RESOURCES; OIL FIELDS;

GEOCHEMISTRY;

EID: 84055184157     PISSN: 09231730     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (59)

1. In this article, the terni petroleum" refers not only to crude oil, but also to the fluid in either its liquid or gaseous state. Also, the term "hydrocarbons, which tends to be used casually in the oil industry, will be treated as a loose equivalentto "petroleum.
2. Kerogen is the particulate organic matter disseminated within sedimentary rocks that is insoluble in common organic solvents. Bitumen is a thermally degraded derivative of kerogen, but is soluble in organic solvents. The exact relationship between kerogen, bitumen and the hydrocarbons that evolve during heating of organic matter is still a subject of investigation. For more on these components: Peters KE. Walters CC and Moldowan JM: The Biomarker Guide, 2nd edition. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
3. Magoon LB and Dow WG (ads): The Petroleum System- From Source to Trap. Tulsa: The American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Memoir 60, 1994.
4. For more on petroleum systems: Al-Hejeri MM, Al Saeed M, Derks J, Fuchs T, Hentschel T, Kauerauf A, Neumaier M, Schenk D, Swientek D, Tessen N, Welte D, Wygrala B, Kompihl D and Peters K "Basin and Petroleum System Modeling." Oilfield Review 21, no.2 (Summer 2009): 14-29.
5. It is not unusual for source rocks that are exploited for their shale gas to also be effective sources of conventional hydrocarbons in other parts of the basin.
6. For more on oil sheles: Allix P, Bumham A, Fowler T, Herron M, Klein berg Rand Symington B: "Coaxing Oil from Shale." Oilfield Review 22, no.4 (Winter 2010/2011:4-15.
7. Jacobson, SR: "Petroleum Source Rocks and Organic Fades," in Merrill RK led): Source and Mi gration Processes and Evaluation Techniques Tulsa: AAPG 11991): 3-11.
8. Barker C: Organic Geochemistryin Petroleum Exploration. Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Course Note Series no. 10, 1997.
9. Jacobson, reference7. Eh is a measure of the oxidation-reduction state of a solution; pH is a measure of its acidity or alkalinity.
10. Demeison GJ and Moore GT: 'Anoxic Environments and Oil Source Bed Genesis," AAPG Bulletin 64, no.8 (August 1980): 1179-1209. (Pubitemid 11436975)
11. Jacobson, reference 7.
12. Palaces JG: "Cheracteristico of Carbonate Source Rocks of Petroleum," in Megoon LB led): Petroleum Systems of the United States US Geologicel Survey Bulletin 1870. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office (1988): 20-25.
13. Jones RW: "Comparison of Carbonate and Shale Source Rocks," in Palaces JG (ed): Petroleum Geochemistry and Source RockPotential of Carbonate Rocks. Tulsa: The American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Studies in Geology 18(1984): 163-180.
14. Mecerels are microscopically recognizable constituents of organic matterfound in coals and kerogen, analogous to mineral constituents in a rock.
15. Tissot B, Durend B, FspitaliA J. and Combe, A: "Influence of Nature and Diagenesis of Organic Matter in Formation of Petroleum," AAPG Bulletin 58, no.3 (March 1974): 499-506.
16. Klemme HO and Ulmishek GF: "Effective Petroleum Source Rocks of the World: Stratigraphic Distribution and Controlling Depositionel Factors," AAPG Bulletin 75, no. 12(December 1991): 1809-1851.
17. Vendenbroucke M: "Kerogan: From Types to Models of Chemical Structure," Oil & Gas Science and Technology-Revue de I'lnstitut Fraņais du Petrole 58. no.2(2003): 243-269.
18. Tissot et al., reference 15.
19. Baskin DK: "Atomic H/C Ratio of Karogan as an Estimata of Thermal Maturity and Organic Matter Convarsion, AAPG Bulletin 81, no.9(Saptambar 1997): 1437-1450. (Pubitemid 28282086)
20. Hood A, Gutjahr CCM and Haacock RL "Organic Metamorphism and the Generation of Patroleum AAPG Bulletin 59, no.6 (June 1975): 986-995.
21. For more on diagenesis: Mi SA, Clark WJ, Moore WR and Dribus JR: Oiagenesis and Resarvoir Quality,' Oilfield Review 22, no.2 (Summar 2010): 14-27.
22. Peters et al, reference 2.
23. Rica 00 and Claypool GE: "Ganeration, Accumulation, and Resource Potential at Bioganic Gas," AAPG Bulletin 65, no.1 (January 1981): 5-25.
24. Peters et al, reference 2.
25. Cracking is a process in which high temperature and pressure act upon large, heavy hydrocarbon molecules, causing them to split into smaller, lighter componants. Under such conditions, oil can be transformed into a gas.
26. Peters et al, reference 2.
27. Peters KE and Cassa MR "Applied Source Rock Geochemistry," in Ma goon LB and DowWG (ads): The Petroleum System-From Source to Trap. Tulsa: The American Associatian of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Memoir 60(1994): 93-120.
28. Barker C: "Pyrolysis Techniques for Source-Rock Evaluation," AAPG Bulletin 58, no. 11 (November1974): 2349-2361.
29. Fresh cores work best outcrop samples tend to be degraded through weathering and are less desirable.
30. Fresh cores work best outcrop samples tend to be degraded through weathering and are less desirable. 30. By definition, organic compounds are those that contain carbon (with the exception of carbides, carbonic acid, carbonates, carbon oxides and cyanides). Within the realm of geochemistry, carbon is divided into a number of classes. Geochemists define organic carbon as that which is derived from biogenic matter, whereas inorganic carbon isdarivedfrom mineral matter. For more on the organic carbon model: Jarvie DM: Tosal Organic Carbon (TOC) Analysis," in Merrill RK (ed): Source and Migration Processes and Evaluation Techniques. Tulsa: AAPG (1991): 113-118
31. Fore description of other techniques used for measuring TOC, see Appendix C of Peters and Cassa, reference 27.
32. A TOC of 1% means there is 1 gram of organic carbon in 1W grams of rock.
33. Jervie, reference 30.
34. Pyrolysis involves heating of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. In this application. pyrolysis causes hydrocarbons to crack into simpler, lighter compounds. For more on this technique: EspiteliA J, Madec M, lissot B, Mennig JJ and Leplat P: "Source Rock Characterization Method for Petroleum Exploration," pa per OTC 2935, presented at the Ninth Ann uel Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, May 2-5, 1977.
35. Other variations on this method use different temperature ranges and heating times. For more on the Rock-Eva! Btechnique: Lafargue E. Espitaliti J, Marquis F and Pillot 0: "Rock-Eva! 6 Applications in Hydrocarbon Exploration, Production and in Soil Contamination Studies," Oil & Gas Science and Technology-Revue de l'lnstitut Fran pais du Pdtrole 53, no.4 (July-August 1998): 421-437.
36. EspiteliA J and Bordenave ML Rock-Eval Pyrolysis in Bordenave ML (ed): Applied Geochemistry Paris: Editions Technip (1993): 237-261.
37. Peters KE: Guidelines fer Evaluating Petroleum Source Rock Using Programmed Pyrolysis," AAPG Bulletin 70, no.3 (March 1986): 318-329. (Pubitemid 16503541)
38. Early papers sometimes referred to these peaks as P1, P2 and P3. For example, Espitalid et al, reference 34. distinguished between the P1, P2 and P3 peaks and the area beneath each peak, designated as Si, S2 and S3, respectively. However, modern pyrolysis analyzers automatically calculate these areas and annotate them on the pyrogram, and the peaks are now commonly referred to as S1, S2 and S3.
39. Espitalid et al, reference 34.
40. Peters and Cassa, reference 27.
41. Espitalié et al, reference 34.
42. Espitalid at al, reference 34.
43. Peters and Cassa, reference 27.
44. Peters and Cassa, reference 27.
45. Senftle JT and Landis CR: "Vitrinite Reflectance as a Tool to Assess Thermal Maturity," in Merrill RK fed): Source and Migration Processes and Evaluation Techniques. Tulsa: AAPG (1991):119-125.
46. The terms reflectance and reflectivity tend to be used interchangeably, with the former being more common. However, reflectance is a ratio of the light reflected from a surface to the light directed onto that surface-the ratio of reflected radiation to incident radiation. This value can change, up to a point, depending on the thickness, and hence, opacity, of a surface. It that surface is thick enough to prevent light from being transmitted through the surface, then reflectance reaches a maximum. This is the reflectivity of a surface.
47. The TAI is set forth in Staplin FL "Sedimentary Organic Matter, Organic Metamorphism, and Oil and Gas Occurrence, Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 17, no.1 (March 1969): 47-66.
48. Anders D: "Geochemical Exploration Methods," in Merrill RK (ed): Source and Migration Processes and Evaluation Techniques. Tulsa: AAPG (1991): 89-95.
49. Found in Late Cambrian and Triassic formations, conodonte were long suspected of being fossilized teeth. In the early 1990s, this supposition was verified through the aid of electron microscopy. For more on conodont research: Zimmer C: "In the Beginning Was the Tooth Discover 14, no. 1 (January1993): 67-68.
50. Harris AG: "Conodont Color Alteration, An OrganoMineral Metamorphic Index, and Its Application to Appalachian Basin Geology," in Scholle PA and Schluger PR (eds): Aspects of Diagenesis. Tulsa: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, SEPM Special Pubtcation 26(1979): 3-16.
51. For the seminal paper on CAl, see: Epstein AG, Epstein JB snd Harris LD: "Conodont Color Alteration- An Index to Organic Metamorphism," Washington, DC: US Govammant Printing Office, US Geological Survey Professional Paper 995,1911.
52. Noble RA: "Geochemical Techniques in Relation to Organic Mstter, in Merrill RK (ed): Source and Migration Processes and Evaluation Techniques. Tulsa: AAPG (1991):97-102.
53. Noble, reference 51.
54. This type of geochemical fingerprint can also be used to compare one oil to another; it has proved useful in tracking "mystery" oil slicks at see to the vessels responsible for discharging oil westes.
55. Peters KE and Fowler MG: "Applications of Petroleum Geochemistry to Exploration and Reservoir Management" Organic Geochemistry33, no. I (2002): 5-36. (Pubitemid 34212775)
56. Noble, reference 51.
57. Horsfield B, Disko U and Leistner F: "The Micro-Scale Simulation of Maturation: Outline of a New Technique and Its Potential Applications," Geologische Run dshau 78, no. 1(1989): 361-374.
58. Hill RJ, Tang Y. Kaplan IR and Jenden PD: "The Influence of Pressure on the Thermal Cracking of Oil," Energy & Fuels 10, no.4(1996):873-882. (Pubitemid 126533932)
59. DahI JE, Moldowan JM, Peters KE, Claypool GE Rooney MA, Michael GE, MaIm MR and Kohnen ML "Diamondoid Hydrocarbons as Indicators of Natural Oil Cracking," Nature 399, no. 6731 (May 6, 1999): 54-57. (Pubitemid 29226043)