This study aims to better understand the evolution of the organic matter (OM) ultrafine structure (designating the nanoscopic structure of the OM/macerals) and porosity with increasing thermal maturity of mudstones source-rocks. To this end, the particulate fractions of kerogen from organic-rich Kimmeridge clay mudstones were isolated by acidic treatment before and after laboratory thermal maturation

Rare earth elements (REE) are critically important in clean energy technologies, but their mining and refining is energy intensive and generates significant quantities of environmentally harmful waste. The treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD), which is both a global environmental problem and a potential source of these elements, preconcentrates REE and critical metals such as manganese and cobalt

Biological methane production from coal seams through their biological conversion is one of the methods that have been postulated to utilize unmineable resources. Furthermore, energy production from methane is considered less environmentally-harmful than the combustion of coal. In the current study, meta-bituminous coal extracted from the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) was investigated in terms of

The objective of this study was to evaluate rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) concentrations in Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata in the eastern part of the Illinois Basin (Indiana), specifically targeting coals and marine shales associated with the coals. Samples were collected from several coal mines and three boreholes. In total, 105 samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma - optical

The Changling Sag in the petroliferous Songliao Basin has produced large amounts of conventional petroleum, but studies on unconventional resources are rare. A suite of core samples from the CY-1 well, drilled in the eastern Changling Sag, was analysed employing a series of micropetrographic, geochemical, and pyrolysis techniques to reveal the shale oil potential of the lower (K2qn1) and middle (K2qn2)

The control of depositional conditions on sedimentary records spanning the Ordovician Wufeng–Silurian Longmaxi successions on the Yangtze Platform is not fully understood due to a lack of high-resolution faices analysis. This study aims to build a regional depositional model of this stratigraphic interval, to reveal the fundamental controls on the mineral assemblage and organic matter (OM) accumulation

Significant knowledge has been assembled on the marine Longmaxi Shale in the Sichuan Basin over the past ten years. However, the distribution of shale gas resources on the periphery of the Sichuan Basin and in other source rock formations are still not sufficiently understood. To improve our understanding on the depositional environment and thermal maturity, and their relevance to the source rock quality

The nanoscale molecular composition of sedimentary organic matter is challenging to characterize in situ given the limited tools available that can adequately interrogate its complex chemical structure. This is a particularly relevant issue in source rocks, as kerogen composition will strongly impact its reactivity and so is critical to understanding petroleum generation processes during catagenesis

The stable isotopic (δ34S, δ18O, δ2H) composition of mine waters has been examined from coal and metal mines, of varying depth, in Spain (Asturias), the UK (north Derbyshire/Yorkshire) and Poland (Bytom, Upper Silesia). δ18O and δ2H data confirm a meteoric origin for all waters. The mine waters have elevated sulphate concentrations relative to recent meteorically-derived groundwaters and have elevated

Globally, there is significant economic interest in shale gas as a hydrocarbon resource. The success of unconventional shale gas exploration in the United State of America (USA) has raised interests for potential shale gas development in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. The Karoo Basin technically recoverable shale gas resource is estimated to be 13 Tcf, with 19–23 Tcf recoverable free gas. Due to

An in-depth understanding of the carbon dioxide (CO2) sorption behavior on coal is critical for CO2 sequestration in coal seams and enhanced coalbed methane recovery. However, CO2 induces the deformation of coal through physical and/or chemical reactions during the CO2 injection process, which has a significant effect on the gas flow and stability of the coal seams. This study investigates the isotherms

The Miocene Soma Coal Basin may be one of the most promising areas for low-rank coalbed methane in Turkey. So far, the coalbed methane potential of the coal seams in the Kınık Coalfield, Soma Basin has not been adequately studied. A systematic investigation was performed on the gas content distribution of the kP1 and kM2 coal seams and its geological controls, which has been based on the geological

Surface relaxivity (ρ) is an intrinsic rock property that makes low-field NMR a valuable tool for determining pore size distribution of geological formations. Its value can vary considerably in different rocks depending on the type and distribution of the rock minerals, rock surface wettability and petrophysical properties. Therefore, laboratory measurement of ρ is required on a case by case basis

The abnormal enrichment of the REY (rare earth elements and yttrium)-Zr (Hf)-Nb (Ta) assemblage in Late Permian coals occurring in some coalfields in SW China has been extensively investigated, but the geological controlling factors of this assemblage are still under debate. This study reports on the mineralogical and geochemical features of coals and noncoal rocks collected from the Yudai and Jinqi

This study presents results of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) elemental analysis of scattered dolomite crystals in the Upper Ordovician Utica Shale of southern Québec to investigate the geochemical cause(s) of color variation in dolomite fluorescence and its possible relationship to thermal maturity. Utica Shale dolomite crystals show fluorescence zonation under

The Herrin coal (Western Kentucky No. 11) “ragged edge” is composed of peculiar organic materials, including voids, which defy conventional maceral classification. These materials seem to have originated from natural pyrolysis caused by hot fluids migrating through low-rank coal. However, the observed petrographic patterns and the reflectance analysis were not enough to confirm this hypothesis. In

Calcium phosphate apatite, Ca5 (PO4)3(OH,F,Cl), is a common accessory mineral in coal seams. Although minor, its role in hosting phosphorus (P) and fluorine (F) can reduce the economic viability of coking and thermal coal deposits. Apatite in coal is commonly <50 μm and may have several modes of occurrence. The modes of occurrence investigated as part of this study include apatite infilling small (i

The Cenomanian—Turonian boundary is marked by worldwide paleoenvironmental and paleoceanographical changes that are associated with a perturbation of the global carbon cycle and black shale deposition, called the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2). The objective of this study is to precisely characterize the nature of the organic matter, its variability, paleoenvironmental significance and the preservation

The Jurassic terrestrial shale on the northern margin of Qaidam Basin is characterized by high contents of organic matter but low maturity resulting in a lack of further research on shale gas in this area. To better understanding the shale gas potential of organic matter with different types, we conducted thermal maturity experiment of hydrocarbon generation from different kerogen types of low-mature

The Permian period had the most oxygen-rich atmosphere in Earth's history. With the presence of large amounts of fuel from vegetation, there was therefore a high probability of igniting fires during this time. This study presents the geochemical characterization of charcoal-bearing Asselian sediments, represented by terrestrial to lagoonal facies, collected from the Quitéria and Curva do Belvedere

The late Cretaceous Naparima Hill Formation in the South Trinidad Basin (southeast Caribbean) is a prolific source rock with a potential for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration. It is exposed across the Central Range and extends to the city of San Fernando. This study characterized the Naparima Hill source rock using petrographic analysis techniques (X-ray diffraction and thin section analysis)

The Middle Pennsylvanian Herrin and Springfield coals contain the majority of the Illinois basin’s resources. Many mining issues of these two seams are directly related to the geology of the region, including regional stress, faulting, and facies changes. Some of these conditions are widespread, while others are locally restricted. The long history of mining in these seams has been associated with

Canister desorption of freshly drilled coal cores is routinely employed for exploratory assessments of coalbed gas. Coals are molecular sieves containing both open and closed pores. However, little attention has been paid to the differences between the carbon isotopic compositions of CH4 and C2H6 from open and closed pores in coal and their influence on isotopic fractionation during desorption. In

Assessment of thermal maturity by solid bitumen reflectance measurements in vitrinite-lean or vitrinite-barren shales is widely used in unconventional shale gas and shale oil plays but the method is commonly challenged by the complexity in the measurements. The Upper Jurassic marine Vaca Muerta shale in the Neuquén Basin in western Argentina is both a prolific conventional source rock and a primary

Reinhardt Thiessen introduced a thin-section-based, botanically oriented method of coal petrology to North America in 1920. The nomenclature derived from this system, although eventually reconciled with and largely superseded by the European reflected-light techniques and nomenclature, persisted for decades after Thiessen's death in 1938. The research by Thiessen and his colleagues at the U.S. Bureau

The accurate determination of mechanical parameters (namely, Young's modulus and hardness) of shale-constitutive minerals is crucial for predicting the macroscale mechanical parameters of shale composites. This study employed an advanced nanoindentation apparatus equipped with a high-resolution microscope (4000×) and a newly emerging nano-dynamic mechanical analysis (nano-DMA) module to conduct mineral-positioned

The Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (TOAE) is characterised by a perturbation of the global carbon cycle and the widespread deposition of organic matter (OM)-rich strata/sediments in the northern areas of the West Tethys Shelf, in several northern European epicontinental basins. Contrariwise, in the southern areas of the West Tethys Shelf such as western and southern Iberian, and northern Gondwana margins

Activation energy distribution from kerogen kinetics study contains some integral characteristics of the host source rock thermal history over geological time scales. Extracting relevant information from pyrogram is critical for reconstruction of source rock maturation and hydrocarbon generation histories. In this study, in order to improve understanding of the Bakken shale source rock, we present

Tremendous amount of gas can be adsorbed in shale nanopores as a result of the high surface-to-volume ratio, and capillary condensation might occur in mesopores (2–50 nm) for subcritical gases, leading to sorption hysteresis. However, the sorption (adsorption and desorption) behavior in different pore systems in shale is not very well understood. Herein we use a D3Q19 lattice Boltzmann model (LBM)

Six solid bitumen samples from Paja Formation (Cretaceous of Colombia) were optically, chemically and structurally characterized using bulk chemistry, reflectance indicating surface (RIS), micro-Raman and X-ray diffraction (XRD) parameters. The volatile matter and carbon contents and high random reflectance (Ro%) placed these solid bitumens in the category of cata-impsonites according to Jacob's classification

This study addresses a major gap in the understanding and control of microbially enhanced coal-bed methane (MECBM) production. A mathematical and conceptual model comprises a food-web that includes two types of bacteria and three types of archaea representing substrate-specific members of the community; the microbial community members are potentially interacting by competing for or being inhibited

During the Meso-Cenozoic, the eastern Ordos Basin (EOB) underwent a complex tectonothermal process influenced by the destruction of North China Craton, significantly affecting the thermal maturation of the Late Paleozoic source rocks. Tectonothermal modeling and maturation of coal-bearing shales were performed in the EOB to reveal the geological process of shale gas generation. Organic geochemical

The characterization of fracture structures is key for evaluating the permeability of coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs, and an interconnected fracture network is essential for the production of CBM. Taking the Upper Permian coal in the eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou region as an example, we systemically studied the characteristics of coal deformation and fracture development through direct observation

This paper examines changes in structural and petrographic characteristics of organic and inorganic matter developed in a cored 35 m thick Permian coal seam from the Moatize Basin (Mozambique) in proximity to an Early Jurassic intrusive igneous body. Megascopic and microscopic examinations of hand samples and polished blocks, respectively, were carried out to characterise the deformation and petrographic

Ground surface movement shows different features during mining and post-mining period. If the mine goaf is dry, surface subsidence is observed in both periods. If the mine goaf is flooded by groundwater, however, ground surface uplift can be observed although much smaller in amplitude compared to the preceding subsidence. A numerical modeling strategy is proposed to predict uplift during the flooding

The present research compares the yield of microbial methane production from different lithotypes of Miocene lignite from the Konin Basin in Poland and attempts to establish an understanding of the processes responsible for methanogenesis. A series of batch experiments were carried out with detritic and xylitic lignites inoculated with microorganisms from an external source (the anaerobic chamber of

Understanding vapor transport of water in nanoporous shale is challenging due to the coexistence of multiple water phases within a multi-mineral aggregate with complex multiscale pore architecture. We explore this response through dynamic vapor sorption experiments and modeling on two shale samples with differing fractions of hydrophilic clays and contrasting pore architecture. Measured diffusion coefficients

One of the biggest challenges in evaluating the transport and storage properties of shales is understanding how the pore structure and network evolve in the same stratigraphic shale during catagenesis. Using a combination of CO2 adsorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, as well as scanning electron microscopy, we have described the evolution and the abrupt changes (jump) of pore characteristics in

The Paraná Basin is a large volcano-sedimentary basin with a complex depositional history from Ordovician to the Cretaceous period. During Permian significant amounts of organic-rich beds accumulated within the Rio Bonito and Irati formations representing deposition in coastal (deltaic and barrier lagoon) and shallow marine environments, respectively. In this work, the thermal history of these beds

The Eocene Kosd Formation forms part of the Hungarian Palaeogene Basin. The coal measure of this formation was investigated using an 18 m drill core from borehole W–1. Petrographic and organic geochemical investigations (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, biomarker analysis) were performed in order to characterize the depositional environment, to determine the source of the organic matter within, and to assess the

Coalbed methane (CBM) is a form of natural gas that is extracted from coalbeds. Characterization of CBMs is very challenging mostly due to the very complex fracture system leading to ambiguous fluid and petrophysical properties. Among several important factors that control the performance of CBMs, permeability is the most crucial one, which summarizes the global fracture system, intensity, connectivity

The Dursunbey coalfield, a typical example of coalfields in the western Anatolia, hosts a mineable coal seam (about 9.0-m coal thickness) with altered tuff layers within early Miocene fluvio-lacustrine sequences. The aim of this study is to identify peat-accumulation conditions and factors controlling the mineralogy and geochemistry of this seam. The standard coal features and petrographical, mineralogical

Petrographic and geochemical data for Late Permian coals and carbonaceous shales from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica (source: Polar Rock Repository, PRR), were used to evaluate maturation levels and assess the effects of contact metamorphism. Coals were evaluated for locations in the Southern Transantarctic Mountains, the Central Transantarctic Mountains, and South Victoria Land, including

Solid bitumen significantly influences reservoir quality in many unconventional tight and shale hydrocarbon accumulations. In the siltstone-dominated Montney Formation of northeast British Columbia and northwest Alberta organic matter is mostly in the form of solid bitumen and represents an original pore-filling oil phase that was later thermally cracked. Here, we show that the influence of solid bitumen

During methane production in CBM reservoirs, the influence of proppant embedment and permeability damage cannot be neglected – especially where the wall-rock is soft. Effective stresses are elevated during methane recovery, increasing both normal loading stress and confinement and simultaneously overprinting sorption-induced volumetric strains. Experiments and analytic modeling are conducted to define

The objective of this paper is to determine the origin and variability of methane and carbon dioxide concentrations in the near-surface zone and of coalbed methane in the SW part of the Chwałowice Trough and adjacent areas of the Main Syncline of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). For this purpose soil-gas samples were taken at 202 measuring points, arranged along 5 profiles located in the mining

Core data play a significant role in analyses of fundamental petrophysical properties, such as porosity and pore size distribution (PSD), which can be used to estimate the storage capacity and recovery rate of hydrocarbons. However, coring is time-consuming, and it is sometimes difficult to retrieve an intact core, particularly from coal reservoirs that are characterized by low mechanical strength

Organic maturity levels of the Silurian and Carboniferous shales in the western and central Taurus regions are thermally over mature and therefore they can still contain shale gas. A total of 43 samples were determined using TOC analysis and Rock-Eval Pyrolysis to indicate the first basic hydrocarbon source rock characteristics. Average TOC values of Silurian samples range from 0.61 to 2.56% in wt

This study is mainly concerned with sulfur isotope (δ34S) values of inorganic sulfur species associated with the North Thrace Basin's coals (Saray and Pınarhisar coalfields). Sulfur isotope analyses were performed on pyritic sulfur, native sulfur, sulfate sulfur (rozenite) and the precipitated sulfate (P-BaSO4) (leached sulfate from the coal). The δ34S values of pyritic sulfur, rozenite, native sulfur

Coal combustion ash and pre-combustion coal refuse are currently under consideration as potential sources of rare earth elements. One of the early steps in recovering REEs from coal by-products is often acid leaching, which can result in low pH leachates with complex aqueous chemistry. The aim of this work was to understand the connection between REE solubility, pH, and major elemental components of

A multiproxy study based on sedimentology, mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility, organic geochemistry and fossil content allowed to establish the sedimentary evolution of palustrine basins and to study the interplay between tectonic and climatic forcings in the sedimentation and facies arrangement that can be extrapolated to other coal-bearing basins. The reinterpretation of the data from 18 cores allowed

Understanding the mechanical response of coal to CO2 injection is necessary to determine the suitability of a seam for carbon capture and underground storage (CCUS). The bulk elastic properties of a coal or shale, which determine its mechanical response, are controlled by the elastic properties of its individual components, i.e. macerals and minerals. The elastic properties of minerals are relatively

Igneous intrusions in or adjacent to coal seams impact the coal quality directly and cause hazards for both coal mining and coal seam gas extraction. Specifically, sills can be identified at borehole level by wireline logs, e.g. natural gamma-ray, density, and resistivity tools because of their unique petrophysical characteristics. The literature describes also the use of surface seismic surveys as

A sample set consisting of coal, overlying and intercalating siliciclastic rocks and kerogen concentrated from these rocks of nine Pennsylvanian subbituminous to bituminous coal seam intervals from the German Ruhr Basin was analysed in order to detect chemical structural differences of the organic matter. Vitrinites from the coal seams and the kerogen concentrates were isolated to study effects of