Analysis of Products of Kerogen Thermal Decomposition at Isothermal Conditions in An Open System for the Sample from the Bazhenov Formation

Abstract

Summary Kinetic studies of thermal decomposition of kerogen in source rocks are required as input data for basin modeling for petroleum potential assessment. The quality of the initial kinetic parameters affects the accuracy of the models describing the conversion of kerogen to hydrocarbons during catagenesis or EOR, in this case, multi-component kinetics are of great interest. Mechanisms of organic matter transformation and kinetic parameters describing this process differ for oilfields even within one formation. This could reduce the accuracy of the models, and justifies the relevance of studying the kerogen for the particular oilfield. The object of the current research is one core sample containing mature kerogen (the oilfield from Krasnoleninsky svod, the Bazhenov Formation, RF). In the series of experiments, we analyzed the kerogen decomposition products using GC-MS/FID at different temperatures and heating times, estimated maximum HC yield. Obtained data on products of the kerogen decomposition in combination with the bulk-kinetics from Rock-Eval pyrolyzer allowed calculating the multicomponent kinetic spectrum.