Oil and gas potential assessment for coal measure source rocks on absolute concentration of n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons

Absolute concentration of normal alkanes (n-alkanes) and aromatic hydrocarbons in bitumen extracted from source rocks in the period of thermodegradation from Turpan-Hami Basin suggests that aromatic hydrocarbons are dominant in coal and carbargilite while n-alkanes are dominant in mudstones. Bulkrock analysis and gas chromatograph/mass spectrum (GC-MS) of source rocks shows aromatic hydrocarbons are dominant in total ion chromatograms (TIC) of samples with poor perhydrous macerals while n-alkanes are dominant in TICs of samples with abundant perhydrous macerals. The identification of oil-prone and gas prone property based on GC-MS of bitumen “A” together with bulkrock analysis indicates that source rocks from Shengbei area are more oil-prone while source rocks from Qiudong and Xiaocaohu areas are more gas-prone, coinciding with the distribution of oil and gas reservoirs in Taibei Sag. Ratios used to identify oil-prone and gas-prone property for source rocks from Turpan Basin are proposed: n-alkanes >110 μg·mg^?1, aromatics <15 μg·mg^?1, and n-alkanes/aromatics >8 for oil-prone source rock bitumen while n-alkanes <82 μg·mg^?1, aromatics >40 μg·mg^?1, and n-alkanes/aromatics <1.5 for gas-prone source rock bitumen.