Organic Geochemical Properties of Marine Oligocene Unit in the Malatya Basin, East Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

Organic geochemical properties of the Oligocene unit in the Malatya Basin: Darende-Hekimhan section's TOC and genetic potential values range from 0.06 to 13.94 wt% and 110 to 94,490 ppm. Low total organic carbon (TOC) and genetic potential (GP) values indicate that the Oligocene unit has no source rock potential, except Darende-Hekimhan section. Organic matter type of the sequences is type II, indicating marine origin; however, Darende-Hekimhan section samples show that Type I, indicate lacustrine origin from HI-OI diagram, having low T_max values (between 345°C and 419°C). Oligocene sequences are able to have mature source rock potential in the deeper part of the basin.

Keywords:

• Malatya basin
• marine Oligocene
• organic geochemistry
• source rock
• Turkey

Acknowledgments

This study is funded by a grant from by Scientific Research Project Directory of Ankara University under the project number 2003 07 45 020. The author is also grateful to T. Ayyıldız (Ankara University) for field study and the management of Turkish Petroleum Coop. for organic geochemistry analyses.