Organic geochemistry of sediments of the Deep Gulf of Mexico Basin

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6729451

Sassen, R ^[1]; Jiasong, Fang

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1. BP Exploration, Inc., Houston, TX (USA)

Analysis of 716 core samples cored at DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) Leg 96 in the Mississippi submarine fan and the Orca and Pigmy basins in the Louisiana continental slope using a Rock-Eval pyrolysis unit with a TOC (total organic carbon) module allows computations of hydrogen index (HI), total organic carbon, kerogen type, and oil generative capacity assessment. No samples are obviously oil prone. TOC content ranges from 0.12 to 2.29%, with an overall average of 9.82%. HI values are generally less than 150 mg HC/g TOC. T{sub max} (maximum temperature of S{sub 2}) values (average = 425{degree}C) show the sediments are thermally immature through-out the study area. Hydrocarbon generative potential of the sediments ranges from 492 to 1,107 ppm, with an average of 854 ppm. Higher PI (Production index) values, ranging from 0.12 to 0.32 and averaging 0.15, suggest the presence of hydrocarbon seepage. Because of organically lean, thermally immature, and gas-prone terrestrial kerogen, there is little reason to assume that the sediments of the Mississippi fan can provide oil source rock for the Gulf of Mexico Basin, or that sediments of anoxic basins in the Louisiana continental slope are analogs to past environments where source rocks for crude oil have been deposited.

• OSTI ID: 6729451
• Report Number(s): CONF-900605--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARIBBEAN SEA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SLOPE
DECOMPOSITION
DRILL CORES
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GULF OF MEXICO
KEROGEN
LOUISIANA
MATERIALS
MATURATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC MATTER
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PYROLYSIS
RESOURCES
RIVERS
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTS
SOURCE ROCKS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA