Thermal extraction for organic-matter containing materials to answer questions both on Earth and in Space

Abstract

The role of heat in the generation of petroleum has led to the study of organic matter-containing rocks by laboratory heating techniques. In particular, heat is used for the thermal extraction of organic matter in preparation for characterization by a range of detectors. Recently, thermal extraction has been used to answer certain planetary science questions such as the history of habitability for planets in the solar system and the search for evidence of life outside the Earth. The development of new thermal extraction protocols for challenging planetary science objectives provides methods that are readily translatable back to petroleum activities and include new shale screening and assessment techniques.