Thermal indices innovation utilizes correlative microscopy techniques for innovative approaches to thermal indices development, including confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), AFM-IR (combined atomic force and infrared microscopy), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and SEM of Argon ion-milled sample surfaces combined with traditional organic petrography. The innovation task also is testing integrated correlative light and electron microscopy (iCLEM) to simultaneously probe scales ranging from tens of microns to several nanometers in the same instrument. This effort may provide new understanding of the development of organic porosity with thermal maturity in tight (shale) oil and gas systems, e.g., Eagle Ford, Marcellus and Bakken shales, where organic porosity may serve a primary hydrocarbon migration and storage function. Work in this task partners with many external organizations, including CLSM at the BGR and Univ. of Maryland, AFM-IR with the Univ. of Delaware, AFM with Hitachi, among others.
Objective
Use correlative light and SEM techniques to document the development of organic porosity in different thermal regimes, organic matter types, and at a range of scales. Innovate new applications of specialized microscopes to chemical characterization of organic matter across a range of thermal maturities in the North American shale plays.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Photomicrograph Atlas
Vitrinite Reflectance Service
Standardization of Petrographic Measurements
Hydrous Pyrolysis and Kerogen Conversion
- Overview
Thermal indices innovation utilizes correlative microscopy techniques for innovative approaches to thermal indices development, including confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), AFM-IR (combined atomic force and infrared microscopy), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and SEM of Argon ion-milled sample surfaces combined with traditional organic petrography. The innovation task also is testing integrated correlative light and electron microscopy (iCLEM) to simultaneously probe scales ranging from tens of microns to several nanometers in the same instrument. This effort may provide new understanding of the development of organic porosity with thermal maturity in tight (shale) oil and gas systems, e.g., Eagle Ford, Marcellus and Bakken shales, where organic porosity may serve a primary hydrocarbon migration and storage function. Work in this task partners with many external organizations, including CLSM at the BGR and Univ. of Maryland, AFM-IR with the Univ. of Delaware, AFM with Hitachi, among others.
ObjectiveUse correlative light and SEM techniques to document the development of organic porosity in different thermal regimes, organic matter types, and at a range of scales. Innovate new applications of specialized microscopes to chemical characterization of organic matter across a range of thermal maturities in the North American shale plays.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Photomicrograph Atlas
The Photomicrograph Atlas provides a basic tutorial in the nomenclature of organic materials as they occur in sedimentary rocks such as coal and shale, information on the taxonomies used by various groups and organizations, and a database of images related to the characterization of fossil fuel resources in the United States and the world.Vitrinite Reflectance Service
Vitrinite reflectance is regarded as the gold standard thermal maturity parameter and vitrinite reflectance data is needed for energy resource assessment and other types of basin analysis studies. This effort provides vitrinite reflectance and qualitative organic petrography of shale, mudrock, coal and other unconventional reservoir samples as a routine in-house service, from the Organic Petrology...Standardization of Petrographic Measurements
Advent of the ‘shale revolution’ since about 2005 has caused increased demand for reliable petrographic measurements of thermal maturity in shale via vitrinite reflectance, long considered the ‘gold standard’ approach. A standardized methodology for organic reflectance measurement in shale first became available in 2011 (ASTM D7708), based on prior work by task members. However, interlaboratory...Hydrous Pyrolysis and Kerogen Conversion
This work is directed at understanding the kinetics of vitrinite and solid bitumen maturation through hydrous pyrolysis experiments, potentially enabling a direct methodology to detect ‘vitrinite reflectance suppression,’ a commonly reported problem in the early- to mid-oil window. This task also examines the molecular chemistry of kerogen conversion to petroleum via in situ chemical probing by... - Data
- Publications