Introduction to

Petroleum Geochemistry
Lesson 06

Rock-Eval Pyrolisis
 Rock-Eval

- Information of hydrocarbon potential.

- Specially the composition of kerogen
types.
- S1, S2, S3 Rock-Eval pyrolysis
parameters are derived from the areas
of the P1, P2, P3 peak respectively.
- A commercial instrument for the
anhydrous pyrolysis of source rocks and
sediments.
- Developed by the Institute Francais du
Petrol (IFP).
(a). S1
- Amount of hydrocarbons already generated
by source rock, in unit mg/g.
- This value are strongly affected by migrated
hydrocarbons and contamination.
(b). S2
- Amount of hydrocarbons derived from
kerogen in rocks.
- Undergoing Rock-Eval pyrolisis representing the
remaining hydrocarbon potential, measured in
mg/g.
- Can be affected by compounds of high
molecular weight and by mineral matrix effects.
(c). S3
- Amount of carbon dioxide released during
pyrolisis.
- It is proportional to the oxygen present in
the kerogen and is measured in mg/g.
 Pyrolisis

- Process of heating a rock or kerogen

sample in the laboratory to generate
hydrocarbon by thermal decomposition.
- The heating can be either in the
presence of water hydrous pyrolisis or
the absence of water anhydrous
pyrolysis.
- Rock-Eval is commonly instrument which
performances anhydrous pyrolisis.
 Simple parameters define petroleum potential
of an immature source rock (after Peters and
Cassa, Rock-Eval
1994)
Potential TOC
Rock-Eval Bitumen HC
(Quantity) (%) S1 S2 (ppm) (ppm)

Poor <0.5 <0.5 <2.5 <500 <300

500- 300-
Fair 0.5-1 0.5-1 2.5-5
1000 600
1000- 600-
Good 1-2 1-2 5-10
2000 1200
2000- 1200-
V. Good 2-4 2-4 10-20
4000 2400

Excellent >4 >4 >20 >4000 >2400

 Kerogen types generate different products at peak
maturity
Kerogen* Atomic Main product at
HI S2/S3 peak maturity
(Quality) H/C
I >600 >15 >1.5 Oil

II 300-600 10-15 1.2-1.5 Oil

II/III 200-300 5-10 1.0-1.2 Oil/Gas

III 50-200 1-5 0.7-1.0 Gas

IV <50 <1 <0.7 None

*Based on immature source rock Peters and Cassa (1994)
Descriptio TOC Tmax SOM
S1 S2 S3 PI HI OI
n (%) (oC) (mg/g)
Source 0.8 18.0 0.8 0.0 69
2.60 440 34 2.0
rock 9 1 9 5 2

S3
S2
S1

HI = S2/TOC x 100

OI = S3/TOC x 100

PI = S1/(S1+S2)
 TOC Tmax SOM
Description S1 S2 S3 PI HI OI
(%) (oC) (mg/g)
Gilsonite
23.8 56
contaminati 4.25 2.13 1.71 427 0.08 40 40.0
5 1
on

S3
S2
S1
 TOC Tmax
Description S1 S2 S3 PI HI OI
(%) (oC)
Out-of-place
15.0
hydrocarbon 2.85 3.48 6.95 421 0.81 122 243
5
s

S3
bimodal
S2 S1

Note: when S2<0.2 disregard

Tmax
 TOC Tmax
Description S1 S2 S3 PI HI OI
(%) (oC)
Diesel 1
15.2 10.8
contaminati 5.05 6.27 314 0.71 124 215
6 9
on
S3
bimodal S2
S1

TOC Tmax
Description S1 S2 S3 PI HI OI
(%) (oC)
Diesel 2
18.8 11.9
contaminati 3.00 4.65 439 0.61 397 154
1 3
on
S3

S1
Atomic
H/C Results of kerogen evolution
CO2, H2O
Oil
1,50 Gas

increasing evolution

1,00

0,50

0
0,10 0,20
Atomic O/C

van Krevelen diagram

 HYDROGEN INDEX
(HI)
S2/TOC x 100

S3/TOC x 100
OXYGEN INDEX (OI)

Modified van Krevelen diagram

 Green River shales
Lower Toarcian, Paris
Basin
Silurian-Devonian,
Algeria-
Libya
Upper Cretaceous,
Douala
Basin
Others

Espitalie et al. (1977)

Methods on kerogen typing:

Element analysis: H/C and

O/C
Pyrolysis: HI versus OI
 Correlation between H/C and HI or between
O/C and OI may be not well matched, due
to:
1. pyrolysis was done on whole rock, whereas
element analysis on isolated kerogen
organic material may be altered during
kerogen preparation,
2. minerals may influence pyrolysis results,
3. Rock-Eval FID does not calculate hydrogen
or water which are the important products
for immature rocks,
4. pyrolysis product for different organic
materials will response differently to the
 TOC and Rock-Eval analyses results for some selected core
samples from an exploration well in Montana (Peters, 1986)

Depth
Description TOC S1 S2 S3 Tmax
(ft)

1950 Calcareous shale, 3.54 1.77 23.81 1.21 422

layered, dark-grey

1975 Calcareous shale, 3.56 0.28 2.96 1.21 427

massive, dark-grey

2007 Massive shale, medium 1.04 0.04 0 0.55 -

grey
2073 2.43 0.09 0.56 0.62 432
Calcareous shale, black,
shaly
2076 0.38 0.05 0.25 0.51 432
Calcareous shale,
medium grey
2090 0.61 3.61 4.08 0.12 415
Siltstone, brown (oily)
2146 0.52 0.04 0.14 0.45 422
Massive clay, medium
grey
 TOC and Rock-Eval analyses results for some selected core
samples from an exploration well in Montana (Peters, 1986)
Depth Tma
Description TOC S1 S2 S3 PI HI OI
(ft) x

1950 Calcareous shale, 3.54 1.77 23.8 1.21 422 0.07 673 34
layered, dark-grey 1

1975 Calcareous shale, 3.56 0.28 1.21 427 0.09 83 34

massive, dark-grey 2.96

2007 Massive shale, 1.04 0.04 0.55 - 0 0 53

medium grey 0

2073 Calcareous shale, 2.43 0.09 0.62 432 0.14 23 26

black, shaly 0.56

2076 Calcareous shale, 0.38 0.05 0.51 432 0.17 66 134

medium grey 0.25

2090 Siltstone, brown 0.61 3.61 0.12 415 0.47 669 20

(oily) 4.08
2146 0.52 0.04 0.45 422 0.22 27 87
Massive clay, 0.14
medium grey

For these S2 values, Tmax data etc. are