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Abstract

AAPG Bulletin, V. 96, No. 2 (February 2012), P. 205215.

Copyright copy2012. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

DOI:10.1306/07121111008

A new oil-window indicator? The magnetic assemblage of claystones from the Baffin Bay volcanic margin (Greenland)

Mohamed Mansour Abdelmalak,1 Charles Aubourg,2 Laurent Geoffroy,3 Fatima Laggoun-Defarge4

1Laboratoire de Geodynamique, Unite Mixte de Recherche (UMR) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 6112, Universite du Maine, Av O. Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans Cedex 09, France; [email protected]
2Laboratoire des Fluides Complexes et Reservoirs, Unite Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5150, Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche Appliquee (IPRA) Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Avenue de l'Universite BP 1155, 64013 PAU Cedex, France; [email protected]
3Laboratoire de Geodynamique, Unite Mixte de Recherche (UMR) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 6112, Universite du Maine, Av O. Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans Cedex 09, France; [email protected]
4Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orleans, Universite d'Orleans–Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers (INSU)–Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-1A rue de la Ferollerie, 45071 Orleans Cedex 2, France; [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Identifying independent parameters to bracket the oil window in sedimentary basins is of first importance for petroleum exploration. We investigate the magnetic assemblage of Cretaceous claystones collected from the western volcanic margin of Greenland. These claystones experienced low-grade burial (lt5 km). To assess the maturity of organic matter, we measured the vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and the temperature at maximum release of hydrocarbons (Tmax) that occurs during Rock-Eval pyrolysis. These data (0.37% le Role 2%, 422degC leTmaxle 604degC) show that most claystones are immature to mature with respect to the oil window. We suggest that magnetic minerals can be an indication of burial temperature. The magnetic assemblage of the same samples is elucidated by low-temperature (lt300 K) and high-temperature (gt300 K) properties of isothermal remanent magnetization. The magnetic assemblage of immature claystones (lower Ro) resides in goethite, greigite, and some magnetite. The magnetic assemblage of immature to early mature claystones (higher Ro) resides in stoichiometric magnetite and fine-grained pyrrhotite. By comparing these results with those from claystones from the Paris Basin (France) and the Jura Mountains (Switzerland), we suggest the existence of similar mechanisms for the formation of magnetic minerals during burial. If confirmed by further studies, the magnetic assemblage of claystones may be diagnostic of oil windows.

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