Abstract: Rock Eval 6: A New Generation of Rock Eval Pyrolyser for a Wider Use in Petroleum Exploration/Production and in Soil Contamination Studies

LAFARGUE, E.*, F. MARQUIS, D. PILLOT, M. BERNARD, G. BEAUDUCEL, R. ANTONAS, and R. BURWOOD

The chances of discoveries in petroleum exploration relies on a good analysis of the petroleum system of the given area. The determination of the potential source rocks, their maturity, their kinetic parameters and their extension is among the tasks accomplished by the rapid screening of the rock samples (cores and/or cuttings or outcrops) with the Rock-Eval apparatus. Therefore this technique has been routinely used for around 15 years and has become a kind of standard for hydrocarbon exploration. This paper describes the new potentialities of the latest version of Rock-Eval apparatus (Rock-Eval 6; an IFP, VINCI and FINA project sponsored by the European Community) which has been designed to improve Rock-Eval technology as a whole and to increase the domains of application of the method in the field of source rock characterization, reservoir studies and environmental studies. New developments in both the hardware and the software of the Rock-Eval apparatus have led to the design of the new totally automated Rock-Eval 6 pyrolyser that provides: 1) expanded capability, enhanced flexibility and an improved data input/output interface, 2) a better estimation of Oxygen Index, TOC content and kerogen types, 3) the determination of mineral carbon, 4) an improved computation of kinetic parameters for hydrocarbons as well as for CO and CO2. These new developments of the method are illustrated by different examples taken in the various domains of applications cited above.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90942©1997 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria