Thermal indices innovation focuses on the utilization of correlative microscopy and spectroscopy techniques for innovative approaches to advance the understanding of thermal indices development. These techniques include correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and atomic force microscopy and infrared microscopy (AFM-IR), among others. Use of these instruments can help to differentiate sedimentary organic matter (SOM) types and reveal the spatial evolution of their properties during thermal maturity advancement, allowing for the development and application of innovative instrument tests to measure thermal indices. Thermal indices innovation research has led to pioneering results in organic petrology, including the first applications of AFM-IR, optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy via confocal laser scanning microscopy, integrated correlative light and electron microscopy, and application of cathodoluminescence as a tool to identify organic matter types.
Objectives:
An important control on reservoir permeability and hydrocarbon storage space in shale petroleum systems is an interconnected nano-porosity network. The consensus is that porosity in SOM consequently forms due to increasing thermal maturity and the generation of petroleum from SOM. There are inconsistencies, however, regarding the thermal regime with respect to its preservation in different matrices, its development in different SOM types, and timing of the onset of organic porosity development. The advancement of understanding these inconsistencies requires the ability to differentiate SOM and observe porosity at the nanoscale. Because electron microscopy is unable to differentiate SOM types, CLEM, CLSM, and AFM-IR techniques are used in this research. Prior innovation research focused on these issues yielded pioneering results on hydrocarbon generation and migration fractionation of petroleum, which led to distribution of these advancements at invited international presentations and in an invited synthesis manuscript.
Continuation of these efforts involves three main objectives to advance the understanding of thermal indices development. The first is to use CLEM techniques to document organic porosity development in different thermal regimes and SOM type at a range of scales. Another goal is to better characterize petroleum formation, expulsion, and migration processes at the microscale. The third overarching goal is to continue to innovate applications of correlative microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to characterize physical and chemical properties of SOM across a range of thermal maturities in both naturally and artificially matured sample series.
Listed below are other science projects or tasks associated with this project.
Listed below are data products associated with this project.
Listed below are publications associated with this project.
Fluorescence spectroscopy of ancient sedimentary organic matter via confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
Applications of correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) to organic matter in the North American shale petroleum systems
A chemo-mechanical snapshot of in-situ conversion of kerogen to petroleum
Nanoscale molecular fractionation of organic matter within unconventional petroleum source beds
Quantitative evaluation of vitrinite reflectance in shale using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis
Understanding organic matter heterogeneity and maturation rate by Raman spectroscopy
Development of Raman spectroscopy as a thermal maturity proxy in unconventional resource assessment
Analysis of artificially matured shales with confocal laser scanning raman microscopy: Applications to organic matter characterization
Nanoscale geochemical and geomechanical characterization of dispersed organic matter in shale by infrared nanoscopy
Organic petrology and micro-spectroscopy of Tasmanites microfossils: Applications to kerogen transformations in the early oil window
Utilization of integrated correlative light and electron microscopy (iCLEM) for imaging sedimentary organic matter
Assessment of thermal maturity trends in Devonian-Mississippian source rocks using Raman spectroscopy: Limitations of peak-fitting method
Thermal indices innovation focuses on the utilization of correlative microscopy and spectroscopy techniques for innovative approaches to advance the understanding of thermal indices development. These techniques include correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and atomic force microscopy and infrared microscopy (AFM-IR), among others. Use of these instruments can help to differentiate sedimentary organic matter (SOM) types and reveal the spatial evolution of their properties during thermal maturity advancement, allowing for the development and application of innovative instrument tests to measure thermal indices. Thermal indices innovation research has led to pioneering results in organic petrology, including the first applications of AFM-IR, optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy via confocal laser scanning microscopy, integrated correlative light and electron microscopy, and application of cathodoluminescence as a tool to identify organic matter types.
Objectives:
An important control on reservoir permeability and hydrocarbon storage space in shale petroleum systems is an interconnected nano-porosity network. The consensus is that porosity in SOM consequently forms due to increasing thermal maturity and the generation of petroleum from SOM. There are inconsistencies, however, regarding the thermal regime with respect to its preservation in different matrices, its development in different SOM types, and timing of the onset of organic porosity development. The advancement of understanding these inconsistencies requires the ability to differentiate SOM and observe porosity at the nanoscale. Because electron microscopy is unable to differentiate SOM types, CLEM, CLSM, and AFM-IR techniques are used in this research. Prior innovation research focused on these issues yielded pioneering results on hydrocarbon generation and migration fractionation of petroleum, which led to distribution of these advancements at invited international presentations and in an invited synthesis manuscript.
Continuation of these efforts involves three main objectives to advance the understanding of thermal indices development. The first is to use CLEM techniques to document organic porosity development in different thermal regimes and SOM type at a range of scales. Another goal is to better characterize petroleum formation, expulsion, and migration processes at the microscale. The third overarching goal is to continue to innovate applications of correlative microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to characterize physical and chemical properties of SOM across a range of thermal maturities in both naturally and artificially matured sample series.
Listed below are other science projects or tasks associated with this project.
Listed below are data products associated with this project.
Listed below are publications associated with this project.