CHARACTERIZATION AND GENESIS OF OILSHALES FROM JORDAN

• Main Authors: Abdulkader M. Abed, Khaled Arouri
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.566.7052; http://www.sdnp.jo/international_oil_conference/rtos-a121.pdf

Oil shale in Jordan belongs to the Muwaqqar Chalk Marl formation (MCM) of the Maastrichtian-Paleocene. Jordanian oilshales are not shales but carbonates. The inorganic constituents are: carbonates, clays, silica, phosphates, and sulphur. Their averages are: 60%, 6.5%, 3.5%, 6 % and % respectively. Sulphur is present mostly associated with the organic matter with minor occurrence as pyrite. The Organic Matter (OM) content varies from zero up to 37%. It consists essentially of kerogen with minor bitumen or Extractable Organic Matter (EOM). The precursor organisms for the OM are phytoplanktons like dinoflagellates and zooplanktons mostly planktonic foraminifera with minor benthic. Under the light microscope and the scanning electronic microscope, the organic matter is essentially amorphous which is produce from the marine planktonics by bacterial degradation. However, terrestrial plants can be seen as minor constituents; e.g., cuticles, spores and pollens. All works on oilshales of Jordan indicate that they are thermally immature as a source rock for petroleum. Furthermore, a higher than normal concentrations of certain trace metals are associated with the organic matter. All the above-discussed constituents of the oilshales can be produced under cold upwelling water regime from the Tethys Ocean in the north and west. Deep, cold water brought to the surface by upwelling current onto the epicontinental shelf of the Tethys are rich in nutritants such as P and Si which enhance bioproductivity, high rates of sedimentation and consequently the preservation of the organic matter.