REEs in brachiopods dwelling oxygen deficient habitats as proxies of paleoredox and potential source rocks

Source rocks are one of most important components of a petroleum system (a source rock, a reservoir rock and a trap) since it is economically irrelevant to exploit a hydrocarbon play without a source. The potentiality of rocks to retain hydrocarbons is defined by their organic contents. The environmental conditions prevailed during the deposition of sediments control the amount of the incorporated organic matter. In general, source rocks are precipitated in highly reducing or anoxic environments and enclose moderate to high organic contents. Presence of oxygen in the depositional settings promotes the organic matter biodegradation and oxidization, which reduce in the organic richness of the sediments. On the contrary, the accumulation in oxygen deficient settings protects the incorporated organic matter from decay and, upon maturation, it produces hydrocarbon. The proposed study introduces a new tool of interpreting the prevailed paleoreducing conditions and evaluates the global distribution of the hydrocarbon source rock potential in sediments.

Faculty Supervisor:

Karem Azmy

Student:

Amir Halim Zaky Bakhit

Partner:

Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

Oil and gas

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland