Improve exploration success using new source rock analyzer

Exploration success often depends on the analysis of the petroleum system of a given area. Such an analysis will look at potential source rocks, evaluating their maturity, kinetic parameters and extension. While this process has been used routinely for about 15 years, it has continued to evolve. Subsequent applications have been in production (determining API gravity, detecting tar mat levels) and environmental situations (quantifying soil contamination). The most recent additions to the technology are the measurement of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and high temperature analyses. These improvements are included in the latest version of the system, called Rock-Eval 6, which is marketed by Vinci Technologies of Rueil-Malmaison, France. The enhanced system has had its original electronic microprocessors updated to a PC based platform running dedicated software. Other deficiencies of the earlier version that have been rectified include: the oxygen index, derived from the CO{sub 2} released by cracking the kerogen, and trapped on molecular sieves between 300 and 400 C; residual organic carbon determined from the CO and CO{sub 2} released by the isothermal combustion of organic matter remaining after initial pyrolysis at 600 C; an accurate monitoring of the heating temperature, this should be obtainablemore » without a time-consuming calibration procedure to properly assess kinetic parameters. The analytical equipment comprises two micro-ovens that can be heated to 850 C (vs. 650 in earlier versions), which are controlled by a thermocouple in contact with the sample. Two on-line cells are available for measuring Co and CO{sub 2} quantities generated during pyrolysis and oxygenation of samples. The integrated software (Rocksix) monitors and interprets data with interactive user functions. Diagnostic functions (flow measurement, detection failures) also have been added.« less