Organic geochemistry of the Upper Triassic–Middle Jurassic Shemshak Group (Alborz Mountains, NE Iran)

Abstract

The organic geochemistry of shale samples of Shemshak Group at Dehmolla section in Eastern Alborz Mountains in the present study are discussed throughout the Rock-Eval pyrolysis. The results used to describe the quantity, type, maturity, and petroleum potentials of the Shemshak Group sediments. The pyrolysis data show that the total organic carbon values of the shale samples are between 0.08 and 20.98 wt% and the generation potential (S1+ S2) of the studied samples ranges from 0.02 to 9.47 mg HC/g rock revealing the organic richness of these samples varies from poor to good. The type of hydrocarbon products (S2/S3) ranging from 0.06 to 2.33 and the type of hydrocarbon determined from Tmax versus HI indicate mainly well for gas generation. Based on the HI versus OI plot diagram, the type III of kerogen is the main type of organic matter in studied samples. These data also show that most of the samples were deposited in oxic environments with low sedimentation rate and high amount of organic matter from the terrestrial source. “Tmax” values ranging from 416 °C to 602 °C in studied samples indicate that most of the samples are over mature and located in gas zone.

Keywords:

• Alborz Mountains
• Dehmolla section
• organic geochemistry
• Rock Eval pyrolysis
• Shemshak Group

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the organic geochemistry Lab of Amirkabir University of Technology for providing facilities to Pyrolysis analysis.