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Geochemical evaluation of petroleum source rocks in North Sydney Basin, Australia.

Papandropoulou Evangelia

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Summary

The aim of this Master thesis was the study of oil and gas potential of petroleum source rocks in Southeast Australia. More specifically, we analyzed using geochemical methods, rock samples of Upper Permian age, from Northern Sydney Basin, in Australia.In this thesis work, we used 27 rock samples, taken from three different depths. After we crushed and screened a representative amount of each sample, we analyzed all of them in Rock-Eval Analysis Method. This way we found the organic content of our samples. Subsequently, we chose two samples of each depth, six in total, which went through the complete experimental pro-cess. More specifically, our powdered samples were extracted by Soxhlet method; this way we sepa-rated the bitumen from the inorganic components. In the next step the extract was separated in two fractions, asphaltenes and maltenes, by deasphaltation method. Subsequently, the maltene fraction went through the column chromatography method and gave us the saturated, the aro-matic and the NSO fraction. Then, the saturated fraction was analyzed in Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry method and the experimental results helped us calculate geochemical indices, in order to define the quality, the quantity and the origin of the organic matter, as well as the depositional environment. It was found that the formation the samples come from has excellent hydrocarbon potential and it is prone to gas or oil/gas production. The organic matter could be characterized immature or early mature and it is proved to be indigenous; its origin appears to be terrestrial, but there also clues for marine contribution. The results of the biomarkers analysis indicate a peat swamp environment, with anoxic conditions and low salinity.

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