PETROLEUM POTENTIAL OF MAE TEEP ORGANIC SEDIMENTS, NORTHERN THAILAND

The selected 7 organic sediment samples (3 oil shale samples from Upper Oil Shale, Lower Oil Shale and Oil Shale in Coal A sub-unit, 3 coal samples from Coal A, Coal B and Coal C sub-unit and 1 leonardite sample from Leonardite sub-unit) collected at the northern wall of Mae Teep coal mine were conducted the Hydrocarbon Analyzer with Kinetics (HAWK) pyrolysis in order to assess their petroleum source rock potential. The calculated HI, OI, PI, S2+S3 and R_o were then used to classify the kerogen type and to evaluate the thermal maturity stage of these 7 studied organic sediment samples. Results of the study indicate that all of the organic sediment sub-units of Mae Teep organic sediments have good to excellent hydrocarbon generation potential. HI vs T_max and HI vs calculated R_o cross-plots results indicate that organic sediments of Coal A, Coal B, Coal C, Oil Shale in Coal A and Upper Oil Shale sub-unit are in the thermal immature stage, while the organic sediments of Lower Oil Shale and Leonardite sub-unit are in the early thermal mature stage. Mae Teep organic sediments are considered to be the high potential hydrocarbon source rock since they have high kerogen yield (S2) (21.49 – 69.8 mg HC/g rock) and their total hydrocarbon generation potential (S1+S2) are also high (22.13–72.12 mg HC/mg rock). These may contribute them to be a good to very good source rock if their maturity reaches the thermal mature stage.