Expelled oils and their impacts on Rock-Eval data interpretation, Eocene Qianjiang Formation in Jianghan Basin, China

Source rock samples can be “contaminated” by expelled oils from nearby mature source rocks or from the organic-rich laminae within the same source rock units. The “contaminations” on the Rock-Eval samples could produce a false high S1 peak, a high Production Index (PI), a suppressed Tmax and other anomalies. Identifying the samples affected by expelled oils, assessing and correcting the impacts are crucial in source rock study for shale oil/shale gas resource evaluation. This study analyzes the Rock-Eval 6 results of 43 core samples from two recent shale oil exploration wells of the Eocene Qianjiang Formation, a confined source rock unit embedded with salt intervals formed in a hypersaline lacustrine setting in central China. The geochemical anomalies of the affected samples are shown through the available samples in this study. Criteria for identifying the affected samples are discussed, and impacts on the conventional Rock-Eval parameters and subsequent estimation of kinetic parameters presented. This study provides insights into Rock-Eval data interpretation, particularly in source rock evaluation for estimating shale oil resources.