Thermal Evolution of Adsorbed/Occluded Hydrocarbons inside Kerogens and Its Significance As Exemplified by One Low-Matured Kerogen from Santanghu Basin, Northwest China

Abstract

Organic compounds could be adsorbed and even occluded within the macromolecular structures of kerogen. Studies concerning thermal evolution of adsorbed/occluded hydrocarbons inside kerogens will be helpful in understanding its structural characteristics and evolution features and estimating the effectiveness of adsorbed and occluded fractions. In this work, adsorbed and occluded hydrocarbons have been released from a low-matured kerogen from the upper Permian Lucaogou formation of Santanghu Basin, northwest China, and from its pyrolysis residues by solvent extraction and oxidative treatment, respectively. The results showed that some n-alkanes, terpanes, and steranes were detected from both adsorbed and occluded fractions. Series of even-carbon-numbered n-alk-(1)-enes were also determined from the occluded components. The early stage of thermal evolution showed similarities in biomarker features for both adsorbed and occluded hydrocarbons; however, variations were noted in biomarker compositions with increasing thermal levels. The obvious changes of C21–22 pregnane/C27–29 sterane ratios from adsorbed to occluded fractions at high thermal evolution suggested that high concentrations of pregnane (containing homopregnane) in soluble components in highly or overly mature stage may be mainly derived from the corresponding components covalently bound within kerogen. Occluded components exhibited stronger thermal stability than adsorbed components. This study showed that evaluation of the thermal evolution characteristics of kerogens/source rocks based on biomarkers compositions from the adsorbed components at highly to overly matured stages was difficult, while we hope this kind of assessment of kerogens/source rocks can be achieved from occluded components.