Petroleum Source Rock Assessment of the Southwestern Thrace Basin, NW Turkey

Abstract

Analyses of the ten surface samples show that turbiditic shale and shelf mudstone of the Karaağaç Formation has moderate source rock potential. The Karaağaç Formation is ranging from late mature to overmature. Shelf mudstone and turbiditic shale of the Ceylan (Gaziköy) Formation has no source rock potential and prodelta shale of the Mezardere Formation has very restricted source rock potential. TOC content of 14 surface samples of the Gaziköy (Ceylan) Formation determined in this study was lower than 0.5%, except for one sample. Similarly, TOC content of 27 surface samples of the Mezardere Formation determined in this study was lower than 0.5%, except for five samples.

Keywords:

• facies analysis
• petroleum exploration
• petroleum source rock
• southwestern Thrace Basin
• total organic carbon

Notes

^a TOC = total organic carbon, S ₁ = the amount of volatile organic compounds in the sample, S ₂ = the amount of HC compounds generated from thermal cracking of the koregen, S ₃ = the amount of CO₂ generated from the koregen, Tmax = pyrolysis temperature at the maximum rate of kerogen conversion, HI = hydrogen index, OI = oxygen index, N/A = wrong data because of very low TOC or inert content.

^a TOC = total organic carbon, S ₁ = the amount of volatile organic compounds in the sample, S ₂ = the amount of HC compounds generated from thermal cracking of the koregen, S ₃ = the amount of CO₂ generated from the koregen, Tmax = pyrolysis temperature at the maximum rate of kerogen conversion, HI = hydrogen index, OI = oxygen index, N/A = wrong data because of very low TOC or inert content.

^a TOC = total organic carbon, S ₁ = the amount of volatile organic compounds in the sample, S ₂ = the amount of HC compounds generated from thermal cracking of the koregen, S ₃ = the amount of CO₂ generated from the koregen, Tmax = pyrolysis temperature at the maximum rate of kerogen conversion, HI = hydrogen index, OI = oxygen index, N/A = wrong data because of very low TOC or inert content.