Geology · Exploration
Source Rock
A rock rich in organic matter which, if heated enough by burial, generates oil or gas.
What it does
It is the start of every petroleum system. Without a mature source rock in the basin there is nothing to fill the trap, however good the structure looks on seismic.
Basics
| Organic content | At least 0.5% TOC, rich ones up to about 10% |
| Needs | Enough heat over time to mature |
| Typical rock | Organic rich shale |
Common failures
- Source rock never buried deep enough to mature, so the basin generated little or no oil
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Good trap drilled dry
- Likely cause
- Immature source or charge that never reached the trap
- What to check
- Review maturity and migration in the basin model before the next well