Biological markers from Green River kerogen decomposition

Update Item Information
Publication Type report
Research Institute Institute for Clean and Secure Energy (ICSE)
Author Burnham, A. K.; Clarkson, J. E.; Singleton, M. F.; Wong, C. M.; Crawford, R. W.
Title Biological markers from Green River kerogen decomposition
Date 1981-09
Description Isoprenoid and other hydrocarbons that are formed in living organisms and preserved in ancient sediments are often called biological markers. The purpose of this paper is to develop improved methods of using isoprenoid hydrocarbons to trace petroleum or shale oil to its source. It is demonstrated that most, but not all, of the isoprenoid hydrocarbon structures are chemically bonded in kerogen (or to minerals) in Green River oil shale. The rate constant for thermally producing isoprenoid, cyclic, and aromatic hydrocarbons is substantially greater than for the bulk of shale oil. This may be related to the substantial quantity of C02 which is evolved coincident with the isoprenoid hydrocarbons but prior to substantial oil evolution. Although formation of isoprenoid alkenes is enhanced by rapid heating and high pyrolysis temperatures, the ratio of isoprenoid alkenes plus alkanes to normal alkenes plus alkanes is independent of heating rate. High-temperature laboratory pyrolysis experiments can thus be used to predict the distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in low temperature processes such as in-situ shale oil production and perhaps petroleum formation. Finally, we demonstrate that significant variation in biological marker ratios occurs as a function of stratigraphy in the Green River formation. This information, combined with methods for measuring process yield from oil composition, enables one to relate time-dependent processing conditions to the corresponding time-dependent oil yield in a vertical modified-in-situ retort even if there is a substantial and previously undetermined delay in drainage of shale oil from the retort.
Type Text
Publisher Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Burnham, A. K., Clarkson, J. E., Singleton, M. F., Wong, C. M., & Crawford, R. W. (1981). Biological markers from Green River kerogen decomposition. Preprint: UCRL-86716.
Rights Management (c)Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 138,352 bytes
Identifier ir-eua/id/2790
Source DSpace at ICSE
ARK ark:/87278/s6cz668x
Setname ir_eua
ID 213929
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cz668x
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