Lagging and Its Kinetic Mechanism of Hydrocarbon Re-generation from Organic Matters in Coals

Based on the composite analysis of the coal sample series with natural and artificial maturation, the lagging and its kinetic mechanism of the hydrocarbon re-generation from the organic matters in coals were studied using the Rock-Eval gas chromatogram (Py-GC) method. The results show that the maturation at the hydrocarbon re-generation peak shifts regularly forward with increasing the starting maturation and the deadline of the hydrocarbon re-generation lies about at 4.0% R_o. The difference value between the peak and starting maturation of the hydrocarbon re-generation develops in a parabola-like pattern with increasing the starting maturation, and the resolute and relative laggings evolve in stage, from which the lagging depth could be predicted. The peak half-width of the hydrocarbon re-generation curve develops as the starting maturation increases, which might indicate that the hydrocarbon-derived rocks with the starting maturation lied about at oil-generated peak might be relatively high in the hydrocarbon-regenerated amount. In the meantime, the mean reactivated energy of the coal samples with starting maturation develops in four stages that are highly consistent with those of the hydrocarbon-regenerated amount and lagging, which indicated that the hydrocarbon re-generation is strictly controlled by the geochemical mechanism of the reactive kinetics.