Talk:Catagenesis (geology)

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[edit] Description

[edit] Catagenesis

Catagenesis is desribed as a cracking process, which produces hydrocarbons during the formation of petroleum from kerogen.

According to the article of kerogen we learn that it is an extremely high milecular weight substance, mainly waxy material, e.g. from the Green River Formation oil shale deposit of western USA has the chemical composition C₂₁₅H₃₃₀O₁₂N₅S.^[1]. Thermal cracking of heavy petroleum fractions petolcoke is also produced. So if during catagenesis lighter materials are produced from kerogen through cracking and the lighter stuff then migrates away then we finish with something even heavier. Therefore it is no sense in calling kerogen a petroleum precursor if most of it becomes irrecoverable. Is there a fuller explanation? LouisBB (talk) 07:11, 21 December 2007 (UTC)