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Source rock properties and pore structural framework of the gas-prone Lower Permian shales in the Jharia basin, India

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Abstract

This paper examines the source rock potential and pore structural framework of Lower Permian shales belonging to Barren Measures and Barakar Formations of Jharia basin, eastern India. The Jharia basin contains prolific coking-coal reserves and, consequently, the organic-matter in this basin tends to be mature. Open system pyrolysis analysis reveals that the Barakar Formation shales are thermally more mature and organic-rich than the Barren Measures Formation. Analysis reveals that shales of the Barren Measures possess “fair” to “good” oil generation potential. The more mature shales of the Barakar Formation are gas prone. Detailed pore scale distribution and fractal metrics determined by low-pressure N2 gas adsorption are observed to be higher for the Barren Measures Formation than the more mature and organically rich Barakar Formation shales possibly due to the inability of N2 gas to access the ultrafine components of the complex pores in the Barakar Formation shales. Substantial concentration of pores, organic-rich character, and thermal maturity levels indicates that the studied horizons have unconventional source rock properties.

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Acknowledgments

The Director, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research is acknowledged for giving B. Hazra CSIR-CIMFR in-house research grant (Project No.: MLP-93/2019-20), the funds of which were utilized to conduct the experiments. The Director, CSIR- Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research is also acknowledged for giving the necessary infrastructure to conduct low-pressure gas adsorption experiments. The Director, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute and Dr. Devleena Mani are thankfully acknowledged for giving necessary permission and conducting the Rock-Eval analysis. The Natural Resources Division, Jamshedpur, Tata Steel Limited is thankfully acknowledged for giving permission and access to borehole cores from the Jharia basin, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coal Petrology Section, RQA Research Group, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India

    Bodhisatwa Hazra, Pradeep K. Singh, Ashok K. Singh, Om Prakash Kumar, Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Deependra Pratap Singh, Prasenjeet Chakraborty & Gajanan Sahu

  2. DWA Energy, Bassingham, Lincolnshire, UK

    David A. Wood

  3. Natural Resource Division, Tata Steel Limited, Jamshedpur, India

    Pudi Srinivasa Rao & Koushik Mahanta

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  1. Bodhisatwa Hazra
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Correspondence to Bodhisatwa Hazra.

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Hazra, B., Wood, D.A., Singh, P.K. et al. Source rock properties and pore structural framework of the gas-prone Lower Permian shales in the Jharia basin, India. Arab J Geosci 13, 507 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05515-3

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