Hydrocarbon Source Rock Potential of the Late Paleocene Patala Formation, Kohat Basin, Pakistan

Authors

• Tausif Javed ^{1, 2}
• Syed Mamoon Siyar * ^{1, 3, 4}
• Syed Muhammad Wasim Sajjad ^{1, 5, 4}
• Fayaz Ali ³
• Fawad Raziq ¹
• Saeed Ullah Shah ¹
• Nasar Khan ¹
• Izaz Ali ¹

1. Department of Geology, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir (Lower), Pakistan
2. Department of Earth Science, Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan
3. Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
4.  
5. Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Italy

Abstract

The Late Paleocene Patala Formation shales exposed at Tarkhobi Nala, Kohat Basin, Pakistan were geochemically studied in detail for hydrocarbon evaluation. A total of 09 shale samples of the studied formation were analyzed in G & R Labs, Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Islamabad, Pakistan for TOC and Rock-Eval pyrolysis. The TOC results were low ranging from 0.36 wt. % to 1.25 wt. % indicating poor to fair petroleum potential except a sample falling in the good source rock category. The generating potential values (< 2 mg HC/ g. rock) also show poor ability for hydrocarbon production. The different cross plots between Rock-Eval pyrolysis parameters (HI vs OI; HI vs Tmax; S₂ vs TOC) were used to describe the types of kerogen and thermal maturity of the evaluated samples. All these plots confirmed the presence of type IV kerogen which has no capability to generate hydrocarbon except minor gas upon thermal maturation. The thermal maturity of the organic matter was assessed by Tmax (444 °C to 459 °C) which shows that the studied formation is falling in the oil window but due to the presence of type IV (oxidized & reworked) organic matter not able to generate commercial hydrocarbons. 

Keywords

• Organic geochemical analyses
• Patala Formation
• Kohat Basin
• Pakistan

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