A NEW METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF KINETIC-PARAMETERS OF HYDROCARBON GENERATION FROM SOURCE ROCKS

A new laboratory technique for the determination of the kinetic parameters of hydrocarbon generation has been developed. It measures separately the reaction rate's dependence on the temperature and on the degree of kerogen conversion. The method allows the direct determination of the activation energy of generation and makes no assumptions about the pre-exponential factor or the reaction order. The kinetic parameters of hydrocarbon generation from source rocks of the major kerogen types have been examined. There are wide variations in the isothermal reaction rates; measured activation energies compared with the elemental compositions of the kerogens. Using a numerical integration method, the kinetic data can be extrapolated to geological heating rates and compared with estimates of conversion for naturally mature source rock samples.