1. Petroleum Geology Class 745
Petroleum Generation
Petroleum Geology Class 745
Spring 2002
Istvan Csato
University of South Carolina
Department of Geological Sciences

2. I. Organic Matter II. Petroleum Generation III. Source Rock Evaluation
IV. Thermal Maturation Models

3. Sequence Stratigraphy

4. Controls on total organic matter
Productivity
Grain size
Sedimentation rate
Oxidation/Reduction

5. Preservation of Organic Matter
Demaison and Moore, 1980

6. Conversion of Organic Matter
biopolymers
bitumen
biomarkers
Barker, 1996

7. II. Petroleum Generation
I. Organic Matter
II. Petroleum Generation
III. Source Rock Evaluation
IV. Thermal Maturation Models

8. Conversion of Kerogen Organic matter: 1% Kerogen 90% Bitumen 10%
Barker, 1996

9. Kerogen Evolution Paths
Tissot et al., 1974

10. Variation of the HC/TOC, Los Angeles and Ventura Basins
Philippi, 1965

11. Depths and Temperatures for Onset of Oil Generation
Tissot et al., 1975

12. General Scheme for Hydrocarbon Formation
Tissot et al., 1974

13. III. Source Rock Evaluation
I. Organic Matter
II. Petroleum Generation
III. Source Rock Evaluation
IV. Thermal Maturation Models

14. Questions for exploration geologist:
Does the the rock have sufficient organic matter?
Is the organic matter capable of generating?
Has this organic matter generated petroleum?
Has the generated petroleum migrated out?
Is the rock oil-prone or gas-prone?

15. Quantity of Organic Matter:
TOC must be greater than 0.5%
Type of Organic Matter:

16. Thermal Alteration Index, Paris Basin
Maturity
Thermal Alteration Index, Paris Basin
Correia, 1971

17. Kerogen Maturation Profile, Louisiana Gulf Coast
Maturity
Kerogen Maturation Profile, Louisiana Gulf Coast
Vitrinite: woody, Type III kerogen
Barker, 1996

18. Vitrinite Reflectance Data
Maturity
Vitrinite Reflectance Data
Dow and O’Connor, 1982

19. Vitrinite Reflectance Profile, Elmsworth Field, Canada
Maturity
Vitrinite Reflectance Profile, Elmsworth Field, Canada
Welte et al., 1984

20. Disturbing of Vitrinite Reflectance
Barker, 1996

21. Elemental Data For Kerogen
Peters, 1986

22. Pyrolysis
Increase of S1 with Depth S2 S1
Tmax
Barker, 1996

23. Pyrolysis Yield of Hydrocarbons with Increasing Temperature Tmax S2 S1
S2/TOC = HI
S3/TOC = OI S1 S2
Tmax
Barker, 1974

24. Changes in TR and Tmax
Espitalie et al., 1977

25. HI versus OI
Peters, 1986

26. Evaluation of Geochemical Parameters
Peters, 1986

27. IV. Thermal Maturation Models
I. Organic Matter
II. Petroleum Generation
III. Source Rock Evaluation
IV. Thermal Maturation Models

28. Kinetics of Chemical Reactions
KER = BIT + RESIDUE
At t=0
KER= Vo, BIT=0
At t>0
KER=Vo-Vt, BIT=Vt
dV/dt= k(Vo-Vt)
k=A*e[-E/RT]
Arrhenius equation
R =Gas constant ( KJ/mol0K)
T=absolute temperature
E=activation energy
A=frequency factor

29. Activation Energy
Barker, 1996

30. Bond Energies
March, 1985

31. Increasing Reaction Rate with Temperature
Barker, 1996

32. Bitumen Release Curves with Different Activation Energies
Barker, 1996

33. Bitumen Release Curves with Different Frequency Factors
Barker, 1996

34. Increase in Reaction Rate
Barker, 1996

35. Bitumen Release Curves for 8 Parallel Reactions
Juntgen and Klein, 1975

36. Distribution of Activation Energies, Paris Basin
Tissot et al., 1987

37. Temperature Factors used by Lopatin
Dmaturity = (Dti)(rni)
TTI (Time-Temperature Index)
Barker, 1996

38. Burial History Plot
Barker, 1996

39. Calculated TTI
Barker, 1996

40. Calibration of TTI
Waples, 1980

41. Time-Temperature Reconstruction, Big Horn Basin, Montana
Hagen and Surdam, 1984

42. Kinetic Model of Tissot and Espitalie, 1975

43. Kinetic Model of Sweeney et al., 1987