Moderate Total Organic Carbon Research Articles

97/04496 DTA and TG studies of Paleocene bituminous rocks from EI lusr oil deposit—Egypt: Markova, K. et al. J. Therm. Anal., 1997, 48, (2), 331–341

The Sylhet Basin of Bangladesh is a sub-basin of the Bengal Basin. It contains a very thick (up to 22 km) Tertiary stratigraphic succession consisting mainly of sandstones and mudstones. The Sylhet succession is divided into the Jaintia (Paleocene–late Eocene), Barail (late Eocene–early Miocene), Surma (middle–late Miocene), Tipam (late Miocene–Pliocene) and Dupitila Groups (Pliocene–Pleistocene), in ascending order. The origin of the organic matter (OM) and paleoenvironment of deposition have been evaluated on the basis of C, N, S elemental analysis, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of 60 mudstone samples collected from drill core and surface outcrops. Total organic carbon (TOC) content ranges from 0.11% to 1.56%. Sulfur content is low in most samples. TOC content in the Sylhet succession varies systematically with sedimentation rate, with low TOC caused by clastic dilution produced by high sedimentation rates arising from rapid uplift and erosion of the Himalaya.The OM in the succession is characterized by systematic variations in pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph), oleanane/C30 hopane, n-C29/n-C19 alkane, Tm/Ts [17α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorhopane/18α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorhopane] and sterane C29/(C27 + C28 + C29) ratios during the middle Eocene to Pleistocene. Based on biomarker proxies, the depositional environment of the Sylhet succession can be divided into three phases. In the first (middle Eocene to early Miocene), deposition occurred completely in seawater-dominated oxic conditions, with abundant input of terrestrial higher plants, including angiosperms. The second phase (middle to late Miocene) consisted of mainly freshwater anoxic conditions along with a small seawater influence according to eustasic sea level change, with diluted OM derived from phytoplankton and a lesser influence from terrestrial higher plants. Oxygen-poor freshwater conditions prevailed in the third phase (post-late Miocene). Planktonic OM was relatively abundant in this stage, while a high angiosperm influx prevailed at times. Tmax values of ca. 450 °C, vitrinite reflectance (Ro) of ca. 0.66% and methylphenanthrene index (MPI 3) of ca. 1 indicate the OM to be mature. The lower part (middle Eocene to early Miocene) of the succession with moderate TOC content and predominantly terrestrial OM could have generated some condensates and oils in and around the study area.

PETROLEUM POTENTIAL OF CRETACEOUS SHALES IN THE UPPER BENUE TROUGH, NIGERIA

A geochemical study of the argillaceous sequences of Turonian—early Santonian age penetrated by ten shallow boreholes in the Upper Benue Trough was carried out.The average total organic carbon contents of the sampled sections of the Bima, Yolde, Pindiga, Sukuliye and Jessu Formations were 0.30, 1.40, 0.85, 0.60, and 0.54%, respectively. Apart from the Bima Formation, all exceed the minimum value (0.5% TOC) normally required for a petroleum source rock. In spite of the moderate TOC, however, the content of soluble organic matter (SOM) and saturated hydrocarbons (SHC) was generally low.In terms of organic‐matter type, a predominantly marine fades with some terrigenous input is inferred for the Sukuliye and Pindiga Formations. This indicates that open‐marine conditions might not have been established during the Turonian marine transgression, which deposited these units.Within the updip sector of the basin, the organic matter is thermally immature. The most promising zones seem to be located south of the study area, where source rocks that have attained optimum levels of maturity for hydrocarbons occur.

Geochemistry and Origin of Oil from Cambrian and Ordovician Reservoirs in Eastern and Central Ohio

Oil from stratigraphic traps along the Middle Ordovician Knox unconformity in Ohio was analyzed to determine its geochemical characteristics, source, and migration history. The following stratigraphic units were samples: Upper Cambrian( ) Rose Run Sandstone, sample number (n) = 7; Upper Cambrian Knox Dolomite, n = 6; Upper Cambrian Krysik sandstone, n = 1; and Middle Ordovician Black River Limestone, n = 1. These Ohio oils are geochemically similar to oils in North America that are correlated with Ordovician source rocks. Seventy-one core samples from Ohio and West Virginia were analyzed by Rock-Eval for total organic carbon (TOC) and pyrolysis products and by solvent extraction to evaluate the source of the Ohio oils. Three potential source-rock intervals were tested: (1) Middle and Upper Cambrian strata in the Rome trough, (2) the Middle Ordovician Wells Creek Formation and the equivalent part of the Beekmantown Group, and (3) the Middle and Upper Ordovician Antes Shale. The thermal maturity of many samples was too high to give T{sub max} values and to yield adequate solvent extracts for detailed characterization. The Antes Shale samples have moderate TOC values ({bar x} = 1.2, n = 12) and Rock-Eval production indices between 0.3 and 0.5 ({barmore » x} = 0.4) calculated from nine samples with TOC greater than 0.5. These geochemical characteristics, a stratigraphic position about 1,000 ft above the Knox unconformity, and a maximum burial depth of about 10,000 ft along the Ohio-West Virginia border suggests that the Antes Shale is the probable source rock for the Ohio oils.« less