ORGANIC MATIXR CONTENT IN CARBONATE SEDIMENTS IN RELATION TO PETROLEUM OCCURRENCE

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Abstract
Analyses of recent carbonate sediments of a wide variety of textural types reveal organic carbon content of 0.98–5.23 wt.% which are well above the 0.3 wt.% minimum requirement for carbonate sediments to be considered potential source deposits.The organic facies consist dominantly of autochthonous marine organic matter, both particulate and dissolved, which is highly pyrolysis‐degradable. Under the correct conditions of burial, temperature and probably catalysis (despite the general absence of clays), commercially‐significant hydrocarbons would be generated and would accumulate as petroleum in those rocks that possess the necessary effective porosity.This concept of the origin of petroleum in carbonate rocks affords an explanation for the exceptionally rich petroleum accumulations in porous carbonate rocks; it is also consistent with the stratigraphic habitats of most hydrocarbon pools in carbonate petroliferous provinces.