Genesis of solid bitumen

Abstract

This paper presents a new schematic model for generation and timing of multiple phases of solid bitumen throughout the continuum of organic matter maturation in source and tight reservoir rocks. Five distinct stages in the evolution of solid bitumen are proposed: (1) diagenetic solid bitumen (or degraded bituminite), which is not a secondary maceral resulting from the thermal cracking of kerogen. Instead it is derived from degradation of bituminite in the diagenesis stage (Ro < 0.5%); (2) initial-oil solid bitumen, is a consolidated form of early catagenetically generated bitumen at the incipient oil window (Ro ~ 0.5–0.7%); (3) primary-oil solid bitumen is derived from thermally generated bitumen and crude oil in the primary oil window (Ro ~ 0.7–1.0%); (4) late-oil solid bitumen (solid-wax) is derived from the waxy bitumen separated from the mature paraffinic heavy oil in the primary- and late-oil windows; and (5) pyrobitumen, which is mainly a non-generative solid bitumen, is evolved from thermal cracking of the remaining hydrocarbon residue and other types of solid bitumen in the dry gas window and higher temperature (Ro > 1.4%). This model shows concurrence of multi-populations solid bitumen with oil, bitumen, and other phases of fluid hydrocarbon residue during most of the maturity continuum.

Reactive force fields for modeling oxidative degradation of organic matter in geological formations

“…The designed uid additive has strong oxidizers with very high concentrations, and was successfully used recently. Oxidizing agents composed of oxyhalides such as bromate BrO 3 À and chlorate ClO 3 À are effective in breaking down shale's organic matter under reservoir temperatures. 9 To further identify and develop oxidizers for various organic matter treatment, at depth, the earlier studies had to be generalized and optimized.…”

“…While soils contain more organic carbon than the combined totals of Earth's vegetation and atmosphere, the majority of organic carbon on earth is held in geological formations. 2 Kerogen as the source of petroleum hydrocarbons 3 is a crosslinked polymeric material with a disordered molecular structure intertwined with a nanogranular mineral matrix. 4,5 It has the mechanical and physical characteristic signatures of polymers, 6 though its chemical structure is not as readily oxidizable as synthetic polymers due to its compaction and thermal alteration over geological time.…”

Ordovician and Silurian Formations of the Baltic Syneclise (NE Poland): An Organic Geochemistry Approach

“…In each sample, excluding the Kętrzyn IG-1 and Olsztyn IG-2 boreholes, the thermally altered solid bitumen was present as a secondary product [106,107] (Figures 4(a) and 4(h)). This component is a primary-oil solid bitumen (VR o ~0.7-1.0%) or late-oil solid bitumen (VR o ~1.0-1.4%) [108] and is related to oil or the beginning of the wet gas phase. Bituminite [109], a possible degradation product of algae, bacteria, and zooclast, appears in six samples.…”

Organic Petrology and Thermal Maturity of Dispersed Organic Matter from the Ramalhal-1 Well (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal)

“…As referred to above, B2 solid bitumen has a viscous aspect (Figure 3A-C) and a yellow to brownish fluorescence color (Figure 3B). Solid bitumens produced in the early catagenesis stage are designated as "pre-oil solid bitumen" [69,70] or "initial-oil solid bitumen" [71] and result from the primary thermal cracking of the kerogen [69] and references therein. The relationship between vitrinite and B2 solid bitumen reflectances was established using the most common formulas [59,60,66] to calculate the vitrinite reflectance equivalent.…”