Geochemical and petrographic characterization of organic matter in the Upper Jurassic Madbi shale succession (Masila Basin, Yemen): Origin, type and preservation

The Upper Jurassic Madbi Formation, located in the Masila Basin, eastern Yemen, represents the major source rock in this basin. Organic rich shales from two oilfields (Kharir and Wadi Taribah) were analysed to evaluate the type and origin of the organic matter and to determine the factors controlling its deposition. This study is based on geochemical analyses of whole rock (total organic carbon content, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and carbon isotope data) and petrographic analyses on organic matter (kerogen maceral composition and palynofacies) by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Organic petrographic composition of kerogen shows that the Madbi shale is characterized by high amounts of organic matter, consisting predominantly of yellow fluorescing amorphous organic matter and alginite of marine origin. Terrigenous organic materials such as vitrinite, spores and pollen are present in low quantities. The predominance of marine plankton, as indicated by visual kerogen analysis, is consistent with reported carbon isotopic values. It appears that the high amounts of organic matter in the Madbi shale succession might be mainly due to good preservation under suboxic–anoxic conditions. Consequently the Madbi shales possess very good petroleum generative potential, owing to high content of hydrogen rich Type II and I oil prone kerogen.