Detailed review of methods, equipment,
& output parameters

Bulk rock analysis

Samples powdered by Retsch and IKA mills:
Total organic carbon (TOC)
Total inorganic carbon (TIC)
Total Sulphur (TS)
Elemental analyzer of carbon and sulphur (ELTRA 1000CS, Germany) and ThermoEuroglas 1200 (Thermo Euroglas, Netherlands) in solid and fluid samples.

Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis (outsourced)

S1 – free hydrocarbons (mg HC/g rock)
S2 – bound (pyrolytic) hydrocarbons (mg HC/g rock)
S3 – CO2 formed by thermal decomposition of kerogen
Tmax – temperature at maximum pyrolytic yield
HI – hydrogen index (mg HC/g TOC)
OI – oxygen index (mg CO2/g TOC)

Gas analysis

Detailed chemical composition of the spontaneous and dissolved gases is measured by gas chromatograph HP 5890 (Agilent Technologies, USA) with FID and TCD detectors. The results comprise 11 compounds usually combined with carbon isotopic composition of methane, ethane, propane and CO2 carried out in our isotopic laboratory in Prague.

Volatile hydrocarbons

The volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (VOC) are analyzed in solid and liquid samples by thermovaporization using static headspace method HT7050 (high temperature modification up to 300 °C, Tekmar-Dohrmann, USA) coupled with gas chromatography (HP 5890 a AT 6890, Agilent Technologies, USA). The results consist of the amount of 11 VOC/g in sediment.

Rock Extracts

Rock powder is extracted extracted by dichlormethane (DCM) using ASE 100 extraction equipment (Dionex, USA). Extracts are divided on a silicagel column into the saturate, aromatic, and polar fractions, evaporation is using the TurboVap technology (Zymark, USA).

Saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in the rock extracts and oils are analyzed by gas chromatograph AT 6890 (Agilent Technologies, USA) with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The results include chromatograms (fingerprints) and tables with amounts and derived molecular ratios.

Molecular fossils (biomarkers) are analyzed by gas chromatograph with mass-selective detector GC/MSD AT 6890/5973N (Agilent Technologies, USA). The results include mass chromatograms of compounds indicative of biological origin, depositional environment, thermal maturity, and biodegradation, such as distribution of steranes, hopanes, tricyclic terpanes, phenanthrenes, and related molecular indexes (e.g. 20S/(20S+20R) steranes).