Conversion of High-Carbon Domanic Shale in Sub- and Supercritical Waters

This work presents high-carbon Domanic rock conversion results in sub- and supercritical water at temperatures of 320, 374 and 420°C in nitrogen atmosphere for 1 hour. The initial sample was a siliceous-clay carbonate rock containing 10.6 wt.% of organic matter and a large amount of kerogen. After the experiments, an increase in the saturated hydrocarbons content with a significant decrease in resins and asphaltenes content were observed. The yield of extract obtained in subcritical water experiment at 320°C was higher than the extract obtained from the initial rock (3.98 versus 3.12 wt.%) as a result of resins destruction and asphaltenes desorption from rock surface. Moreover, it has been shown that kerogen destruction process occurs at high temperature (374°С) and pressure (24.6 MPa) because of С-С, C-N and С-О bonds breaking with the formation of light saturated hydrocarbons and high-carbon components, such as carbene-carboids. The highest content of saturated hydrocarbons was obtained from the organic...