Primary migration by diffusion through kerogen: II. Hydrocarbon diffusivities in kerogen

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90012-A· OSTI ID:6132343

Thomas, M M; Clouse, J A ^[1]

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1. Exxon Production Research Co., Houston, TX (USA)

Laboratory experiments were performed to assess diffusion through kerogen as a mechanism of liquid hydrocarbon transport through fine-grained rocks. Such transport can be important in primary migration within source rocks and in leakage through seals. Previous work with organic-coated model cores has shown that hydrocarbon diffusion through organic matter networks can be substantially greater than hydrocarbon diffusion through aqueous pore space. In the present work, natural kerogen networks were evaluated. Experiments with five natural source rocks showed that kerogen increased the experimental hydrocarbon flux over the calculated hydrocarbon flux through pore water in only one of these source rocks, the richest (2.2% TOC) carbonate sample. Effective diffusivities through kerogen were calculated for the two experimental hydrocarbons through this sample. The results were extended with the Wilke-Chang correlation to yield diffusivities of several other hydrocarbons through similar source rocks.

• OSTI ID: 6132343
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA) Vol. 54:10; ISSN GCACA; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COATINGS
DIFFUSION
DIFFUSION COATINGS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLOW MODELS
FLUID FLOW
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
KEROGEN
LEAKS
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MIGRATION
ORGANIC MATTER
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
POROSITY
SOURCE ROCKS