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The Woodford Shale is anecdotally assumed to be the major source of oil for plays in the Anadarko Basin, including the stacked oil and condensate play in the southcentral Oklahoma oil province (SCOOP). However, there is little published geochemical work to confirm this assumption. This study set out to identify a characteristic geochemical fingerprint for the Goddard Formation, another potential source rock in the SCOOP, to determine if the Goddard is contributing to oil accumulations within the SCOOP. The Upper Mississippian Goddard Formation has been a target for unconventional production in SCOOP since 2012. Published geochemical interpretations for the Goddard Formation are still limited, and this study represents the first detailed oil–source rock correlation for the Goddard in the SCOOP area. The most characteristic geochemical signature of the Goddard extracts is a predominance of tricyclic terpanes relative to the hopanes in the mass-to-charge ratio 191 chromatogram, possibly related to enrichment via thermal stress or a unique source signature. Additional distinctive signatures were also identified for the triaromatic steroid hydrocarbons, sesquiterpenoids, and steranes. The biomarker fingerprints of SCOOP oils are nearly identical with those of the Goddard extracts in this study. Oils in the SCOOP, therefore, appear to originate from a Mississippian source, such as the Goddard rather than the Woodford. This observation demonstrates the value of oil–source rock correlation studies and suggests that there may be effective source rocks in the Anadarko Basin that have been overlooked in the past and should be re-evaluated in detail.

Twenty-four oils produced from the Woodford Shale and overlying Mississippian strata in central Oklahoma were characterized geochemically to determine their possible source(s). The 168 core samples from the Woodford and Mississippian sections of 14 wells in central Oklahoma were initially characterized by total organic carbon (TOC), Rock-Eval, and vitrinite reflectance, and select samples (TOC > 1.0 wt. %) were subjected to biomarker analyses to characterize source input, depositional environment, maturity, and oil-to-source rock correlations. Thermal maturity parameters indicate the Woodford Shale is immature to marginally mature in Payne County, Oklahoma, and shows a progressive increase in maturity toward the southwest. Close to the Nemaha uplift, the Woodford is in the main stage of oil generation. It is proposed that the oils in this area have three possible origins: (1) Oils produced from the Woodford and overlying Mississippian strata have similar fingerprints, suggesting the Woodford Shale and overlying Mississippian strata are in communication; (2) oils produced near the Nemaha uplift (Logan and western Payne Counties) were sourced from the Woodford but had a significant Mississippian source contribution based on source-specific biomarkers; (3) oils east of the Cherokee platform (eastcentral Payne County) share strong Woodford source characteristics, and they were not generated in situ from the immature Woodford Shale but probably migrated from the Woodford Shale in the deeper part of the Anadarko Basin in southern Oklahoma. These results are consistent with the findings that indicate abundant marine coarse-grained biogenic silica (radiolarian-rich) chert facies found in eastcentral Payne County may contribute to good reservoir petrophysical properties, suggesting the Woodford Shale may not be a source in this area but simply a tight reservoir.

A comprehensive regional organic geochemical study was performed on outcrop and core samples from the Eagle Ford Group with the aim of determining variations in organic matter source, thermal maturity, and depositional environments. Total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis parameters show that the Eagle Ford Group has excellent hydrocarbon source rock potential and is dominated by type II kerogen. Distributions of regular steranes, hopanes, and monoaromatic steroids confirm a marine carbonate depositional environment. Aryl isoprenoid ratios suggest the occurrence of intermittent photic zone anoxia. The n-alkane and sterane distributions and the presence of pregnanes, homopregnanes, and gammacerane suggest deposition under hypersaline conditions particularly in west and east Texas. In east Texas, biomarkers indicate that the Eagle Ford Group was partially sourced from terrigenous organic matter and deposited under oxic–suboxic conditions. Thermal maturity parameters including the temperature at which the peak corresponding to the compounds produced from the thermal degradation of kerogen in the Rock-Eval chromatogram maximizes (Tmax), vitrinite reflectance, and biomarker ratios indicate that in west and central Texas, the Eagle Ford Group is immature to marginally mature; in southwest Texas it is in the oil to dry gas window; and in east Texas, the Eagle Ford is in the main stage of oil generation. Geochemical logs of biomarker ratios show that the Lower Eagle Ford Formation has the highest TOC and hydrogen index, particularly in the Lozier Canyon Member; experienced stronger anoxic conditions during deposition; and has lower clay content compared with the Upper Eagle Ford Formation. Geochemical parameters show that the latter may have received an additional siliciclastic and terrigenous organic matter input under oxic–dysoxic conditions. Isotope data indicate a marine organic matter source for the Eagle Ford Group, but surprisingly, δ13C values do not show significant organic facies, depositional environment, or thermal maturity variations.

Understanding the environmental features and processes responsible for the formation of organic-rich, laterally extensive source rocks of appreciable thickness, such as the Late Devonian–Early Mississippian Woodford Shale, is necessary to refine current depositional models. In this study, a detailed assessment of the paleowater column was undertaken via examination of molecular fossil (biomarker) data. Specifically, C40 aromatic carotenoids were used to delineate the nature and severity of photic-zone euxinia concomitant with the deposition of the lower, middle, and upper Woodford. The immature character of the Woodford in the study area ensured that biomarker interpretations were reflective of the depositional environment and not altered by secondary processes. Twenty-nine Woodford Shale samples from the Lawrence uplift of the western Arkoma Basin were subjected to bulk and molecular geochemical analyses, with the objective to enhance the understanding of the paleowater column. A suite of C40 aromatic carotenoids—paleorenieratane, isorenieratane, renieratane, and renierapurpurane—was identified for the first time in the Woodford Shale. Paleorenieratane, the predominant C40 aromatic carotenoid, was found to be isotopically enriched (δ13C e −12‰ ± 1.5‰). This was interpreted as a product of carbon fixation via the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle, a diagnostic trait of Chlorobiaceae. Additional biomarker parameters sensitive to changes in redox assisted in substantiating interpretations of Chlorobiaceae derivatives, with the severity of photic-zone euxinia inferred by the effects that this environmental state imposed on the overlying microbial community and algal populations. Previously unrecognized inter- and intramember variations in water-column structure and redox state were documented. The lower Woodford was characterized by isolated pulses of photic-zone euxinia, with the middle Woodford deposited during persistent photic-zone euxinia, as evinced by elevated concentrations of the C40 aromatic carotenoids. A deep, persistent chemocline likely typified upper Woodford deposition, but lack of sampling intensity in this member may belie a more episodic nature. Effects of photic-zone euxinia appeared to be most severe in the middle Woodford, where progressively increasing C40 aromatic-carotenoid concentrations coincide with rising gammacerane indices and a systematic decrease in sterane/hopane values. Environmental conditions (e.g., oxygen minimum zone, restriction) that facilitate the development of euxinia in the photic zone were interpreted to reconstruct the paleoenvironment on a local to subregional scale.

The Lawton oil field is located on the Wichita Mountain uplift in southwestern Oklahoma. This study focused on addressing three problems related to the Lawton oil field: (a) what is (are) the source(s) of the oils; (b) have the oils been subjected to alteration since emplacement; and (c) what is the filling history of the field? Eighteen oils and one seep sample were collected and characterized by a variety of geochemical techniques including bulk composition, biomarkers, and stable carbon isotopes in order to address these questions. Source rocks in this region are absent following the Pennsylvanian-age Wichita orogeny but biomarkers and stable isotopic data suggest the source of these oils is probably the Woodford Shale. Despite the fact that all of these oils were recovered from reservoirs at depths between 125 and 1,000 ft (38 and 305 m), none of them appeared to be extensively biodegraded as manifested by the abundance of the complete range of n-alkanes. However the presence of 25-norhopanes in all eighteen samples suggests that these oils are mixtures of various proportions of degraded and non-degraded (or slightly degraded) oils. The seep sample, and some oils, have a relatively high abundance of the C32 ββ 22R hopanoic acid, relative to the C31 ββ 22R hopanoic acid, with the presence of these ββ 22R hopanoic acids suggesting the oils have been degraded aerobically at some point in their history. It was also noted that the concentration of the C31 ββ 22R hopanoic acid is higher in the shallower reservoirs than in the deeper reservoirs possibly indicating slightly higher levels of degradation in the shallower reservoirs compared to the deeper reservoirs. A hydrocarbon accumulation model has been proposed for this field based on two main reservoir charging periods. The initial charge of crude oil was biodegraded, probably under anaerobic conditions. The second charging period took place after (or together with) the uplift of the Wichita Mountains and subsidence of the southern part of the Anadarko Basin leading to deeper burial of the source rock and production of higher maturity oil, which subsequently filled the reservoirs containing the degraded oil and may still be recharging these shallow reservoirs today.

The molecular and compound-specific isotopic composition of the n-alkanes in 30 oil samples from the Central Sumatra Basin were analyzed with the purpose of determining facies variations of the source rock in this basin. The oil samples were generated by the Eocene-Oligocene lacustrine Brown Shale Formation. Biomarkers in the oil samples indicate varying contributions from algal and terrigenous organic matter, primarily under oxic, or suboxic depositional conditions. Five source rock facies were identified based on the relative concentrations of n-alkanes, isoprenoids, tricyclic terpanes, and steranes. The individual facies were also distinguished by the compound-specific isotopic composition of the n-alkanes. Source rock depositional environments vary from deep lacustrine, shallow lacustrine, and lacustrine saline to coal and mixed coal and lacustrine shale. Deep lacustrine facies predominate in the Aman and Bengkalis troughs whereas saline and shallow lacustrine facies predominate in the South Aman and Kiri troughs, respectively. Oils derived from coal and mixed coal and lacustrine shale facies predominate in the northern part of the Central Sumatra Basin, in the Tanjung Medan and north of the Balam grabens.

Molecular and isotopic compositions of 51 gas and 7 condensate samples produced from the Barnett Shale were determined by gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry to investigate their origin and maturity at the time of generation. Additionally, two hydrous pyrolysis experiments were performed to calibrate maturity values predicted for gas generation. Molecular and carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of the gases indicate that gas produced from the Barnett is thermogenic. To estimate generation maturity, additional analyses were performed on the condensates and available core samples. Diamondoid indices combined with vitrinite reflectance (Ro) measurements, isotopic and molecular composition, and hydrous pyrolysis experiments suggest that gas produced from the Barnett Shale was generated within the condensate–wet gas window (1.3–2.0% Ro) at a later stage than hydrocarbons accumulated in shallower reservoirs. The origin of the gas is thermogenic, probably derived from both kerogen cracking and secondary cracking of previously generated nonmigrated hydrocarbons. Additionally, the occurrence of a methane isotope reversal in group 1 gases corroborates that in-situ oil or gas cracking is occurring in the easternmost part of the study area.

Solid bitumen was identified within the Mississippian Chester sandstone reservoir in the Hitch field, southwest Kansas. The adjacent Etzold field has similar reservoir properties but lacks solid bitumen, although the Hitch and Etzold fields were thought to be in pressure communication and have common source rocks. Hitch and Etzold crude oils and core extracts were characterized geochemically to gain a better understanding of the reservoir-filling history and geological and geochemical controls on solid bitumen formation in the Hitch reservoir. Based on a variety of geochemical characteristics, we propose that the Hitch and Etzold oils are mixtures derived from Ordovician and Late Devonian–early Mississippian (Woodford Shale) source rocks. The solid bitumen in the Hitch reservoir probably results from mixing of oils having different geochemical compositions, which filled the reservoir over an extended period. No evidence of severe biodegradation or thermal alteration is observed. A reservoir-filling scenario is proposed in an effort to explain why the Hitch oils are geochemically more heterogeneous than Etzold oils. Furthermore, gas de-asphalting and regional pressure drops as a result of post-Laramide orogeny may have contributed to a phase change in the reservoir fluid and deposition of solid materials by disturbance of thermodynamic equilibrium. The major significance of this study is related to improving our knowledge on the occurrence of the presence of solid bitumen in reservoirs that can introduce barriers into the reservoir, complicating waterflood operations and leading to erroneous oil-in-place calculations and subsequently lower than expected oil recovery.