Nature of migrabitumen and their relation to regional thermal maturity, Ouachita Mountains, Oklahoma

Two grahamite and three impsonite localities are within an 82-km-long segment of the Ouachita Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. Grab samples were collected to study the petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the migrabitumen at the grahamite-impsonite transition and the relation of the migrabitumen to the regional thermal maturity pattern.

Maximum and random bitumen reflectance values increased from 0·75 to 1·80% from west to east, consistent with the regional thermal maturation trend. Mean bireflectance values increased from 0·04 to 0·38%. The two grahamite samples are classified at the grahamite-impsonite boundary with conflicting petrographic (bitumen reflectance) and bulk chemical (volatile matter) maturity indicators.

The regional maturation trend, based on vitrinite reflectance and bitumen reflectance values, was confirmed by a detailed geochemical investigation of bitumen extracts. Although biomarker analyses were influenced by extensive biodegradation effects, molecular parameters based on the phenanthrenes, dibenzothiophenes, and tricyclic terpanes were identified as useful maturity indicators.