Incident light microscopy was used to describe maturation and composition of organic material in oil shale samples from the Lower Carboniferous Albert Formation of New Brunswick.

The maturation level was determined in normal (white) light by measuring vitrinite reflectance and in fluorescent light by measuring fluorescence spectra of alginite B. Results indicate low to intermediate maturation for all of the samples. Composition was determined by maceral analysis. Alginite B is the major organic component in all samples having significant oil potential. Oil yields obtained from the Fischer Assay process, and oil and gas potentials from Rock-Eval analyses correlate to the amounts of alginite B and bituminite determined in the samples.

In some of the samples characterized by similar high concentrations of alginite B, decrease in Fischer Assay yields and oil and gas potentials is related to an increase in maturation, as expressed by increase in the fluorescence parameter ^lgr_max and red/green quotient of alginite B.

Incident light microscopy, particularly with fluorescent light, offers a valuable tool for the identification of the organic matter in oil shales and for the evaluation of their oil and gas potentials.

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