Investigating laboratory-generated pyrobitumen precursors for unconventional reservoir characterization: a geochemical & petrographic approach.

rd St NW, Calgary, AB. T2L 2A7 Summary The use of bulk parameters such as the Rock-Eval S2 curve to characterize organic matter in gas shales can lead to the erroneous identification of kerogen (autochthonous; derived from sedimentary organic matter) instead of pyrobitumen (allochthonous, derived from earlier oil charge). Analysis of the pyrobitumen using geochemical and petrological techniques shows that there is wide variation in many of the properties of pyrobitumen as a function of both the precursor oil composition and thermal maturity. It is furthermore believed that many of the properties of pyrobitumens deviate from those of kerogens at similar levels of maturity. This ongoing study aims to characterize some of these properties to provide tools to better identify pyrobitumen and its influence on shale gas reservoir properties.