Organic Richness and Organic Matter Quality Studies of Shale Gas Reservoir in South Sumatra Basin, Indonesia

Talang Akar Formation is a proven hydrocarbon source rock in South Sumatra basin. The formation contains dominant shale at the top, with some sandstone interbeds. Whereas it contains coarse to very coarse sandstone beds at the bottom. The lower sandstone unit also contains carbonaceous shale and some coal seams. The geochemical analysis is important to identify a source rock quality in shale gas. The quality of source rock is determined by richness of the source rock and type of kerogen. 37 samples were collected from well cuttings in JML-1 and JML-2 wells. Samples we are received into the laboratories in the form of well site canned ditch cuttings, bagged ditch cuttings in various stages of preparation from wet, unwashed to dried, washed; sidewall cores, conventional cores, outcrop samples. The richness of a source rock can be defined by the content of organic carbon which is measured as total organic carbon (TOC). Based on geochemical result of analysis, quantity of shale hydrocarbon potential is indicated by the TOC value of 0.52 wt% - 6.12 wt% (fair to excellent criteria), with average of shale thickness more than 50 m. Tmax is an indication of the maturation stage of organic material and Hydrogen Index (HI) is a parameter used to explain the origin of organic material. HI versus Tmax crossplot was analysed for kerogen type determination and presence of type II/III kerogen was identified. This study concludes that the source rock contains abundant humic organic matter that was deposited in a transitional (Fluvio-deltaic) to marginal marine environment under oxic conditions.