U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Kerogen Macromolecular Structure and Maturation

Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA

Investigators

Abstract

9909939 Larsen This three-year award for U.S.-France collaboration in earth sciences involves John Larsen and a graduate student from Lehigh University and Raymond Michels at the University Henri Poincare in Nancy. The investigators propose a study of the conversion of kerogens to petroleum. Kerogens are cross-linked molecular organic solids present in sedimentary rocks and are the sources of petroleum and natural gas. Using complementary approaches, the U.S. and French teams will study changes in chemical structure of kerogen and its products. The goal is to better characterize natural processes for petroleum formation and to compare these with laboratory processes that attempt to duplicate (or come close to duplicating) the natural process. The U.S. team has expertise in physical organic chemical processes. This is complemented by French expertise in geochemistry. The French group will carry out thermal reactions of kerogens in various media and will provide samples of kerogen-organic liquid to the U.S. group, who will characterize the changes in kerogen macromolecular structure, the thermodynamics, and the molecular weight distribution of the extracts. This award represents the U.S. side of a joint proposal to the NSF and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). NSF will cover travel funds and living expenses for the U.S. investigator and one-month training visits for an U.S. graduate student. The CNRS will support the visits of the French researchers to the United States.