Guidelines for assessing the petroleum potential of coaly source rocks using Rock-Eval pyrolysis

Abstract

Coaly source rocks are sufficiently different from marine and lacustrine source rocks in their organic matter characteristics to warrant separate guidelines for their assessment using Rock-Eval pyrolysis. The rank threshold for oil generation is indicated by the increase in BI (S1/TOC) at Rank(Sr)∼9–10 (Tmax ∼420–430 °C, Ro ∼0.55–0.6%), and the threshold for oil expulsion is indicated by the peak in QI ([S1+S2]/TOC) at Rank(Sr)∼11–12.5 (Tmax ∼430–440 °C, Ro ∼0.65–0.85%). The pronounced rank-related increase in HI (S2/TOC) prior to oil expulsion renders the use of immature samples inappropriate for source rock characterisation. A more realistic indication of the petroleum generative potential and oil expulsion efficiency of coaly source rocks can be gained from samples near the onset of expulsion. Alternatively, effective HI′ values (i.e. HIs near the onset of expulsion) can be estimated by translating the measured HIs of immature samples along the maturation pathway defined by the New Zealand (or other defined) Coal Band. Coaly source rocks comprise a continuum of coaly lithologies, including coals, shaly coals and coaly mudstones. Determination of the total genetic potential of coaly source rock sequences is best made using lithology-based samples near the onset of expulsion.