Thermal Maturity Indicator

摘要

Systems and methods are described for analyzing hydrocarbon bearing earth samples to determine information indicating the maturation, or changes in composition of kerogen from original deposition over geologic time as the kerogen is subjected to heat and pressure. A DRIFTS spectrometry signal is corrected and normalized and then plotted against TOC data to obtain an index indicating thermal maturity.

主权项

1. A method of analyzing earth samples comprising:
analyzing a first sample using diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to collect one or more spectra of infrared energy reflected from the first earth sample and to create a first spectral dataset therefrom; analyzing the first spectral dataset thereby generating a first processed DRIFTS signal; receiving total organic matter data representing a concentration of organic material in the first earth sample; and determining a thermal maturity value indicative of a thermal maturation history of the first earth sample, said determining based at least in part on the first processed DRIFTS signal and the total organic matter data.