In
petroleum geology
Petroleum geology is the study of the origins, occurrence, movement, accumulation, and exploration of hydrocarbon fuels. It refers to the specific set of geological disciplines that are applied to the search for hydrocarbons ( oil exploration).
...
, the maturity of a
rock is a measure of its state in terms of
hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and Hydrophobe, hydrophobic; their odor is usually fain ...
generation. Maturity is established using a combination of
geochemical
Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the ...
and
basin modelling techniques.
Rocks with high
total organic carbon, (termed
source rocks), will alter under increasing
temperature
Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...
such that the organic
molecule
A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by Force, attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemi ...
s slowly mature into
hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and Hydrophobe, hydrophobic; their odor is usually fain ...
s (see
diagenesis). Source rocks are therefore broadly categorised as ''immature'' (no hydrocarbon generation), ''sub-mature'' (limited hydrocarbon generation), ''mature'' (extensive hydrocarbon generation) and ''overmature'' (most hydrocarbons have been generated).
The maturity of a source rock can also be used as an indicator of its hydrocarbon ''potential''. That is, if a rock is sub-mature, then it has a much higher potential to generate further hydrocarbons than one that is overmature.
See also
*
Van Krevelen diagram
References
* van Krevelen, D.W. (1950). "Graphical-statistical method for the study of structure and reaction processes of coal", ''Fuel'', 29, 269–84.
* van Krevelen, D.W. and Schuyer, J. (1957) ''Coal science''. Elsevier publishing company.
The chemistry and technology of petroleum
External links
Maturity (Maturation) Publications
Geochemistry
Petroleum geology
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