Publication Name: Second South-Eastern Australia Oil Exploration Symposium - Technical Papers
Authors: D. Rigby, T.D. Gilbert, B.D. Batts and J.W. Smith
Date Published: December 1986
Number of Pages: 17
Reference Type: Book Section
Abstract:
Victorian brown coal lithotypes have been subjected to solvent extraction, hydrogenation and hydrous pyrolysis in order to study the mechanism of hydrocarbon formation and release. The results suggest that the generation of liquid hydrocarbons from potential source rocks of this type might occur in two stages. At low levels of maturity, humic lithotypes are the main source of n-alkanes in the Morwell samples, whereas liptinite generates branched and cyclic alkanes. With increasing sediment maturity, additional n-alkanes are produced from liptinitic materials except for the Y allourn resin. Earlier formed branched and cyclic alkanes are extensively degraded at equivalent sediment maturities. These findings are of significance as they relate gas/oil generation and timing of release to the chemical composition of hydrocarbon precursors.