Petroleum Source Rock Potential of Mesozoic Condensed Section Deposits in Southwestern Alabama

Abstract

Because condensed section deposits in carbonates and siliclastics are generally fine-grained lithologies often containing relatively high concentrations of organic matter, these sediments have the potential to be petroleum source rocks if buried under conditions favorable for hydrocarbon generation. In the Mesozoic deposits of southwestern Alabama, only the Upper Jurassic Smackover carbonate mudstones of the condensed section of the LZAGC-4.1 cycle have realized their potential as hydrocarbon source rocks. These carbonate mudstones contain organic carbon concentrations of algal and amorphous kerogen of up to 1.7% and have thermal alteration indices of 2- to 3+. The Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine claystones of the condensed section of the UZAGC-2.5 cycle are rich (up to 2.9%) in herbaceous and amorphous organic matter but have not been subjected to burial conditions favorable for hydrocarbon generation. The Jurassic Pine Hill/Norphlet black shales of the condensed section of the LZAGC-3.1 cycle and the Upper Jurassic Haynesville carbonate mudstones of the condensed section of the LZAGC-4.2 cycle are low (0.1%) in organic carbon. Although condensed sections within depositional sequences should have the highest source rock potential, specific environmental, preservational, and/or burial history conditions within a particular basin will dictate whether or not the potential is realized as evidencedmore » by the condensed sections of the Mesozoic depositional sequences in southwestern Alabama. Therefore, petroleum geologists can use sequence stratigraphy to identify potential source rocks; however, only through geochemical analyses can the quality of these potential source rocks be determined.« less