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...

In this paper a one-dimensional analytical model for the mechanism of rock fracturing in hydrothermal regimes is described. The model is based upon the modern thermo-poro-elasticity theory and its two non-linear heat-like equations. On the boundary aquifer-caprock a buried thermomechanical source is supposed to be built up in terms of subsurface fluid-rock coupling dynamics. With this considera...

Gamma-ray, density, sonic, resistivity and neutron are the commonly used wireline logs to identify and quantify source rocks. Several models were developed to use the conventional wireline logs for evaluating the thermal maturity of the source rocks and calculating the total organic carbon (TOC) content. Application of Schmockr and Hester [1] approach with some required modifications for the Ru...