Abstract

The creation of 1D models to reconstruct Louisiana’s regional thermal maturation history allows for a more accurate visualization and placement of thermal maturation zones. Analysis of the thermal maturation history of a basin will provide greater insight into the type of hydrocarbon generation by depth and location. The basic elements needed to reconstruct burial and thermal maturity histories are well log picks, temperature-depth data, and geochemical data. These histories are represented by 1D models which provide predictive value to hydrocarbon exploration by generating thermal maturity maps for a given unit. Each map indicates the stage of thermal maturity for the unit by geographic location. These maps are not intended to be finely-tuned and adjusted for local sources of variation in maturation, but instead are to be treated as a broad reference for the region of study. Local unconformities, faulting, and variations in heat flow were not considered in this study, and allochthonous salt could not be accounted for by the modeling software. The resultants have shown that the 1D modeling process used in this study is comparable to that of similar studies in both methodology and results. The models and maps illustrate the present-day location of the Paleocene-Eocene interval in relation to zones of thermal maturation. The maps created are based on limited amounts of geochemical data; a larger data set would be necessary to create more accurate maps.