Oil and gas evolution kinetics for oil shale and petroleum source rocks determined from pyrolysis-TQMS data at multiple heating rates

Seven oil shales and petroleum source rocks were subjected to programmed-temperature pyrolysis at heating rates of 1 and 10 °C/min using triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry to monitor volatile compound evolution. Kinetic parameters were determined for evolution of hydrocarbons and various heteroatom species. Normalized cumulative generation of oil, light hydrocarbon gas (C2-C4), methane, carbon dioxide, acetic acid, hydrogen sulfide, and methylthiophene were calculated for generic geologic conditions using kinetic parameters that were lumped and averaged into type I, Ha, and lib source rock classes. The four heteroatom species are largely generated before oil and the hydrocarbon gases. Using these kinetics to simulate hydrous pyrolysis gives favorable comparison with hydrous pyrolysis measurement of acetic acid generation for several different source rocks.