Analytical procedures in

petroleum exploration

Dr. Ajoy Kumar Bhaumik

Department of Applied Geology
IIT(ISM), Dhanbad
 Surface soil analysis

Requirements:
Round bottom attached flasks with stop cork
Pestle & mortar
Sieve
Balance
Vacuum pump
Micro syringe
GC instrument
Chemicals
 Take sediments sample collected from the
exploratory area
 Grind the sample with agate pestle and mortar in
63 m size (230 mesh)
 Measure 1 gm powder sample with the help of
micro/semi micro balance
 Keep the measured sediment in the twin round
bottom flask with attached stopcock
 Keep the apparatus attached with vacuum for
5minutes to extract gas present inside the flask
 Add 50% Orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4)
 Allow it for 5-6 minutes for reaction (stopcock must
be closed during this time)
 Gas will accumulated above the KOH solution. KOH
will absorb gases other than hydrocarbons
 Pour water for upward migration of gaseous
hydrocarbons through the tube (X)
 Collect the gases by micro-syringe
Gas chromatography (GC)
TOC = TC-IC
 Rock Eval Pyrolysis
Model RE-6, Maker: Vinci
Rock Eval Pyrolysis has become one of the
most important and basic technique to
evaluate the hydrocarbon generating capacity
of source rocks.

The samples were 230 mesh powdered homogenously and

weighed in pre-oxidized crucibles depending upon the organic
matter content (~100 mg).
The machine may be standardize using IFP (Institut Français du
Pétrole) standards
Carrier gas is inert like He or N2
Temperature may goes upto 850C
 Operation procedures
•In Rock-Eval 6, programmed heating of both the pyrolysis and the
oxidation ovens is conducted from 100°C up to 850°C.
•Pyrolysis at high temperatures up to 850°C is necessary for
complete thermal degradation of terrestrial type III organic matter.
•The temperature of oxidation of the sample has also been
increased (up to 850°C) in order to avoid incomplete combustion of
refractory material, such as heavy oils, tarmats, coke or pyrobitumen
in source rocks or reservoir rocks, or polyaromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) in soils from polluted sites.
The initial pyrolysis temperature has been reduced to 100°C to allow
detailed study of the free hydrocarbons in rocks.
This limits interpretation of the S3 response. Similarly during
oxidation, the CO2 released was trapped at 600°C and then
quantified by the catharometer.
 Marker points
S0 = Gaseous to condensate range hydrocarbons
thermally liberated at a 90 C isotherm

S1 = thermo vaporized free hydrocarbons (comparable to

extractable hydrocarbons) thermally distilled to a 300 C
isotherm

S2 = hydrocarbons generated due to the cracking of

kerogen between 300 C and 550 C or 600 C with a
linear temperature gradient usually between 25C and 30
C/minute
 Marker points

Tmax = The temperature at which the maximum rate of

yield of S2 hydrocarbons is obtained

S3 = corresponds organic CO2 formed from thermal

cracking of kerogen during pyrolysis between 300 C
and 390 C

S4 = comprises of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide

components

T.O.C. = The total organic carbon in weight percent

Gas Production Index (GPI) = S0/(S0 + S1 + S2)
Oil Produciton Index (OPI) = S1/(S0 + S1 + S2)
Total Production Index (TPI) = (S0 + S1)/(S0 + S1 + S2)
Hydrogen Index (HI) = (S2×100) / TOC
Production Index (PI) = S1 / (S1 + S2)
Quality Index = S2 / S3
Oxygen Index (OI) = (S3×100) / TOC
Pyrolyzed Carbon (PC) = 0.082 (S0 + S1 + S2)
Petroleum Potential = S1 + S2
Migration Index = S0 / T.O.C.
Sample S1 S2 Tmax TOC (%) HI OI MINC
ID (mg/g) (mg/g) (C) (%)
1 3.58 58.42 420 24.27 241 33 0.7
2 0.12 1.75 434 3.19 55 64 0.41
3 0.13 1.2 428 2.43 51 64 0.23
4 0.09 1.57 425 4.69 33 52 0.22
5 0.05 0.08 394 0.18 44 306 0.46
6 0.18 4.35 432 7.21 60 43 0.3
7 0.07 0.14 378 0.32 44 178 0.08
8 0.04 0.17 342 0.19 89 437 0.93
9 0.06 1.28 431 0.59 217 59 0.07
10 0.07 0.18 450 0.21 86 771 0.79
11 3.12 78.84 414 47.39 166 34 1.22
12 2.82 68.42 415 42.28 162 34 1.13

Hydrogen Index (HI) = (S2×100)/TOC Oxygen Index (OI) = (S3×100)/TOC

Sample SRA Tmax
S1/TO
ID TOC S1 S2 S3 (°C) HI OI S2/S3 C*100 PI
1 1.35 0.05 1.72 0.63 444 128 47 3 4 0.03
2 1.18 0.05 1.65 0.57 443 140 49 3 4 0.03
3 0.83 0.03 1.31 0.55 443 158 66 2 4 0.02
4 0.8 0.04 1 0.58 440 126 73 2 5 0.04
5 0.75 0.05 1.04 0.72 438 138 96 1 7 0.05
6 1.04 0.09 2.52 0.29 452 241 28 9 9 0.03
7 1.02 0.05 1.16 0.56 441 114 55 2 5 0.04
8 1.05 0.05 1.32 0.57 443 125 54 2 5 0.04

Data from CRAIN’S (http://www.spec2000.net/11-vshtoc.htm)