Controls on Thermal Maturation – Insights from Artificial Maturation of Organic Rich Shales

Summary The presence of the secondary compensation effect in kinetic analysis was used as a means of establishing the equivalence between the natural and experimental maturation. Consequently, influence of source rock bitumen on natural and experimental mature samples was examined by using a dean stark extractor to extract bitumen from the materials. Crushed and homogenized Bakken Shale samples were artificially matured by exposing them to 340 C in an oven for 0, 12, and 48 hours. Analyses include source rock analysis using source rock analyzer (Rock Eval equivalent), kinetic analysis and petrographic analysis. Results demonstrated that thermal maturation has a significant influence on the total organic carbon (TOC) content and reactive organic matter (Rock Eval S2). Our research findings established the foundation for calibrating kinetic parameters (Ea and A), as well as other organic geochemical parameters and indices, to various degrees of thermal stress.