Method for determining oil-related characteristics of geological sediments from small samples thereof
AssigneeInstitut Francais du Petrole
InventorsJean Espitalie, Jean-Loup Laporte, Marcel Madec, Francois Marquis
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Abstract
Sample of geological sediment is heated preferably to a first temperature in the range from 50.degree. C. to 65.degree. C., then to a second temperature in the range from 200.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. and finally to a third temperature in the range from 550.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. Oil-related characteristics of the sediments are derived from the respective amounts of hydrocarbons released by the sample during these three steps.
Claims12
A method for rapidly evaluating at least one oil-related characteristic of a geological sediment using a small-sized sample thereof comprising determining the overall amount of hydrocarbons initially present in the sample and the overall amount of hydrocarbon products obtained by pyrolyzing the insoluble organic material contained in the sample, this method comprising the steps of
- (a) heating the sample to a first temperature suitable for releasing only the gaseous hydrocarbons initially contained in the sample,
- (b) determining a first parameter representative of the amount of these gaseous hydrocarbons,
- (c) heating the sample to a second temperature greater than said first temperature and suitable for vaporizing the whole amount of the liquid hydrocarbons initially contained in the sample, without pyrolyzing the insoluble organic material of the sample,
- (d) determining a second parameter representative of the amount of said liquid hydrocarbons,
- (e) heating the sample to a third temperature greater than said second temperature to pyrolyze the insoluble organic material contained in the sample,
- (f) determining a third parameter representing the amount of the hydrocarbon products resulting from this pyrolysis, and
- (g) deriving from said third parameter, together with said first and second parameters, the kind of hydrocarbons contained in the geological sediment and the degree of evolution of the insoluble organic material of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.