TOC & Bulk Pyrolysis
Total organic carbon (TOC) and bulk pyrolysis analyses form the basis of evaluating the geochemistry and maturity of rock samples
Through this stage we are able to provide suggestions and guidelines for further detailed analyses.
Total organic carbon (TOC)
Crushed rock samples are treated with acid to eliminate inorganic carbon and are then run through the Leco CS-632 combustion oven to measure the amount of carbon dioxide given off. This provides an indication of the total amount of organic carbon that each sample contains. We utilise standards to provide quality assurance on each batch of samples analysed.
Bulk pyrolysis
Bulk pyrolysis ('Rock Eval' or ‘HAWK’) is performed on potential source rocks to obtain information on hydrocarbon potential, organic matter type, presence of generated or migrated hydrocarbons, contamination from oil based muds (OBM) and maturity. We are also able to provide kinetics studies to better classify your source rock potential.
Utilising Rock Eval 6 and HAWK instruments, APT provides many measurements including:
S1 - Amount of hydrocarbons thermally extracted at 300°C
S2 - Amount of hydrocarbons produced from pyrolysis up to 550°C
S3 - Amount of CO2 released from organic matter at higher temperatures
Tmax: Temperature at maximum of S2 peak