Table 1

Gas generation from marine shales under helium flow at 50°C; gas yields, gas compositions, and Rock Eval data.
Shale
 F
 F(Ox)
 F
 F
 F
 F
 NA
 B
Depth (m)
 1552
 1552
 1578
 1578*
 1578*
 1582
 1025
 6300
Yield
 827
 230
 57
 13
 10
 230
 102
 0
CH4
 31
 10
 13
 0
 0
 11
 0
 0
C2H6
 29
 32
 34
 23
 11
 30
 27
 0
C3H8
 21
 30
 27
 32
 29
 29
 34
 0
i-C4H10
 3.1
 3.5
 3.6
 5.0
 8.9
 3.2
 3.0
 0
n-C4H10
 9.2
 13
 12
 19
 23
 14
 18
 0
i-C5H12
 3.1
 4.3
 4.1
 8.3
 12
 3.9
 4.4
 0
n-C5H12
 3.4
 7.4
 6.4
 14
 17
 9.2
 14
 0
TOC
 5.8
 5.8
 4.4
 3.9
 3.9
 4.4
 10.2
 9.4
S1
 2.1
 2.1
 2.3
 1.5
 1.5
 1.6
 3.4
 7.5
S2
 10.8
 10.8
 10.5
 8.8
 8.8
 8.72
 32.5
 61.1
S3
 0.46
 0.46
 0.39
 0.35
 0.35
 0.29
 0.29
 2.45
Tmax
 449
 449
 450
 449
 449
 448
 445
 434

Yield in μg (C1–C5)/g rock was calculated by integration (calibrated by C1–C5 standard mixture). Gas compositions are % vol. TOC is total organic carbon as %; S1 = free hydrocarbons distilled from the rock (300°C) in mg/g rock; S2 = cracked hydrocarbons (350 – 550°C) in mg/g rock; S3 = carboxyl decomposition products (300 – 390°C) in mg CO2/g rock; Tmax is the temperature (°C) of the S2 peak. The Floyd shale (F) is described in Fig. 1. The New Albany shale (NA) (Dev/L Miss., Illinois Basin) is side wall core from a well in Union County, Kentucky (API = 16225974700000; +37.565, -88.076; 1025 m). The Bakken shale (B) is U Dev/L Miss whole core from a well in Stark County, North Dakota (API = 33089004240000; +46.887; -102.882; 6300 m) in the Williston Basin. F(Ox) represents Floyd shale under Oxic Conditions in Fig. 2. The reactions with New Albany, Bakken, and Floyd shale at 1582 m are duplicates of that in Fig. 2, and the reaction with Floyd shale at 1578 m is shown in Fig. 3 (80 min., 50°C). Samples were between 1 and 2 gm with particle sizes (before grinding) generally between 2 and 5 mm except for the duplicate Floyd experiments (1578*) (80 min., 50°C) which used aliquots of a mixture of particle sizes under 2 to 5 mm. The Bakken core had been in storage 15 years, the Floyd cuttings in storage over 3 years, and the New Albany shale in storage 3 years.

Mango and Jarvie Geochemical Transactions 2009 10:3   doi:10.1186/1467-4866-10-3
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