Lacustrine petroleum source rocks in the Dinantian Oil Shale Group, Scotland: a review

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: The Lower Carboniferous Oil Shale Group includes lacustrine rocks with petroleum source-rock potential. Existing data is reviewed, and new pyrolysis data is presented which shows that the oil shales sensu stricto are excellent source rocks with up to 30% TOC and yields of up to 180 mg/g. Other shales and dark limestones in the group also have some source-rock potential. The oil shales contain mixtures of laminar algal matter (lamalginite) and discrete algal bodies (telalginite) which represent planktonic and benthonic algal deposits. The algal bodies are Botryococcus -type and referable to Pila . There is a general correlation between % alginite and hydrocarbon yield.