The total organic carbon content (TOC) is a crucial indicator for the evaluation of shale gas reservoirs, traditionally estimated by measuring cores, cuttings or sidewall cores in laboratory with source rock evaluation instruments. Limited by the number of rock samples, the experimental results are not continuous and it is impossible to show the whole face of a source rock bed. Continuous high ...

The objective of the study is to evaluate the initial content of organic carbon, which is lost in the hydrocarbon generation and catagenesis. It is required for the reliable evaluation of source rock generation potential. The greater the differences between the contemporary and initial values of organic carbon, the greater the maturity of the source rock. Due to the catagenetic consumption of o...

Supervisory Soil Scientist, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Tempe, Arizona; and Soil Microbiologist, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Glendora, California. The weathering of parent rock may be an important source of some nutrients. The rates of weathering of the different parent rock materials vary and affect the inherent fertility and productivity of a...

For underground mining and construction, it is important to obtain a discontinuities’ model of rocks for simulations to evaluate rock stability around the working space and fluid flow in these rocks. We have developed a method using the fractal property of acoustic emission (AE) source distribution to construct a feasible crack distribution model. We confirmed the usefulness of the model throug...

Numerical modelling techniques are not new for mining industry and civil engineering projects anymore. These techniques have been widely used for rock engineering problems such as stability analysis and support design of roadways and tunnels, caving and subsidence prediction, and stability analysis of rock slopes. Despite the significant advancement in the computational mechanics and availabili...

This presentation provides an overview of a major field focused program of studies aimed at improved investigation methods and understanding organic contaminant source zones and plumes in fractured porous sedimentary rock. This research began in 1997, when intensive field studies were initiated at a TCE contaminated site on steeply dipping and faulted sandstone in California. Now, with collabor...

Natural gas extraction is experiencing what has been called a quiet revolution. The industry historically viewed natural gas as trapped in reservoirs, where it collects over thousands of years after exiting source rock. Though hard to find, the reservoirs easily give up large amounts of their holdings when penetrated by drilling. But what if natural gas could be extracted directly from source r...