Definition
Thermal maturity consists of temperature/time-driven disproportionation reactions that convert sedimentary organic matter into light and heavy fractions of petroleum and finally into hydrocarbon gas and pyrobitumen or graphite. Different geochemical scales commonly used to describe the extent of thermal maturation include vitrinite reflectance (Ro), programmed pyrolysis (e.g., Rock-Eval) Tmax and production index, and biomarker maturity ratios (e.g., Peters et al. 2005).
Introduction
Geochemists divide thermal maturation into three stages: diagenesis, catagenesis, and metagenesis. Temperature and vitrinite reflectance values at the transitions between these stages vary depending on the burial heating rate and type of organic matter and are thus only approximate. Diagenesis consists of chemical, physical, and biological changes in the organic matter during and after sediment deposition and lithification at temperatures below ~80 °C (Ro<0.6%). Diagenesis occurs prior to...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Dahl J, Moldowan JM, Peters KE, Claypool GE, Rooney MA, Michael GE, Mello MR, Kohnen ML (1999) Diamondoid hydrocarbons as indicators of natural oil cracking. Nature 399:54–57
Moldowan JM, Dahl JE, Zinniker D, Barbanti SM (2015) Underutilized advanced geochemical technologies for oil and gas exploration and production-1.The diamondoids. J Pet Sci Eng 126:87–96
Peters KE, Cassa MR (1994) Applied source rock geochemistry. In: Magoon LB, Dow WG (eds) The petroleum system – from source to trap, American association of petroleum geologists memoirs, vol 60, pp 93–117
Peters KE, Moldowan JM (1993) The biomarker guide. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs. 363 p
Peters KE, Walters CC, Moldowan JM (2005) The biomarker guide. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 1155 p
Peters KE, Moldowan JM, LaCroce MV, Kubicki JD (2014) Stereochemistry, elution order, and molecular modeling of four diaergostanes in petroleum. Org Geochem 76:1–8
Radke M, Welte DH (1983) The methylphenanthrene index (MPI). A maturity parameter based on aromatic hydrocarbons. In: Bjorøy M, Albrecht C, Cornford C, de Groot K, Eglinton E, Galimov E, Leythaeuser D, Pelet R, Rullkötter J, Speer G (eds) Advances in organic geochemistry, vol 1981. Wiley, New York, pp 504–512
Seifert WK, Moldowan JM (1979) The effect of biodegradation on steranes and terpanes in crude oils. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 43:111–126
Sweeney JJ, Burnham AK (1990) Evaluation of a simple model of vitrinite reflectance based on chemical kinetics. Am Assoc Pet Geol Bull 74:1559–1570
Walters CC, Lillis PG, Peters KE (2012) Molecular indicators of geothermal history. In: Harris NB, Peters KE (eds) Analyzing the thermal history of sedimentary basins: methods and case studies, SEPM special publication, vol 103, pp 17–28
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Peters, K.E., Michael Moldowan, J. (2018). Biomarker: Assessment of Thermal Maturity. In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_147
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_147
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39311-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39312-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences