Publication Name: The Sedimentary Basins of WA
Authors: David C. Lowry
Publication Volume: 2
Date Published: December 1998
Number of Pages: 19
Reference Type: Book Section
Abstract:
Explorationists commonly model hydrocarbon generation from a source rock by assuming that the kerogen can be characterised as Type I, II or III, and accepting the default kinetic parameters built into modelling programs. This can lead to errors and modelling can be improved by using kinetic parameters determined by laboratory analyses of the particular source rock. The alternative proposed here is to use Rock-Eval data from a well to identify the generative window and to trial kinetic parameters until a good fit is found between modelled generation and the observed Rock-Eval data. This method, suitable at least for the Vulcan Graben and possiblyelsewhere in the Timor Sea, relies on an abundance of publically available Rock-Eval data. It is certainly
cheaper, and may even be more reliable than kinetics based on sparse laboratory analyses.