Experimental investigation of the role of rock fabric in gas generation and expulsion during thermal maturation: Anhydrous closed-system pyrolysis of a bitumen-rich Eagle Ford Shale

Gold-tube pyrolysis experiments were conducted on miniature core plugs and powdered rock from a bitumen-rich sample of Eagle Ford Shale to investigate the role of rock fabric in gas generation and expulsion during thermal maturation. The samples were isothermally heated at 130, 300, 310, 333, 367, 400, and 425 degrees C for 72 h under a confining pressure of 68.0 MPa, corresponding to six levels of induced thermal maturity: pre-oil generation (130 degrees C/72 h), incipient oil/bitumen generation (300 and 310 degrees C/72 h), early oil generation (333 degrees C/72 h), peak oil generation (367 degrees C/72 h), early oil cracking (400 degrees C/72 h), and late oil cracking (425 degrees C/72 h). Experimental results show that gas retention coupled with compositional fractionation occurs in the core plug experiments and varies as a function of thermal maturity. During the incipient oil/bitumen generation stage, yields of methane through pentane (C-1-C-5) from core plugs are significantly lower than those from rock powder, and gases from core plugs are enriched in methane. However, the differences in C-1-C-5 gas yield and composition decrease throughout the oil generation stage, and by the oil cracking stage no obvious compositional difference in C-1-C-5 gases exists. The decrease in the effect of rock fabric on gas yield and composition with increasing maturity is the result of an increase in gas expulsion efficiency. Pyrolysis of rock powder yields 4-16 times more CO2 compared to miniature core plugs, with delta C-13(CO2) values ranging from -2.9%, to -0.6%0, likely due to carbonate decomposition accelerated by reactions with organic acids. Furthermore, lower yields of gaseous alkenes and H-2 from core plug experiments suggest that the rock fabric plays a role in promoting hydrogenation reactions of alkenes. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.