Multiscale characterization of spatial heterogeneity of petroleum source rocks via near-infrared spectroscopy

The potential of petroleum source rocks as a dependable energy resource has been recognized and realized by the petroleum industry in the past decade. The production of clean natural gas from these resources and their potential for utilization as carbon storage sites (in adsorbed state) are also aligned with efforts towards mitigating climate change. Optimization of development and production from these resources requires dependable computational models, which in turn require, as inputs, accurate geologic characterizations. We investigate the potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy through hyperspectral imaging in mapping the spatial distribution of organic content at the core-scale with O(100�m) resolution. We apply the method to the immature oil shale of the Green River Formation, USA. We also draw comparisons with a recently developed optical method for detecting kerogen content in organic-rich shales [1]. Implications for mapping spatial distributions of thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of petroleum source rocks on excavated cores are discussed.