Abstract: A system and method for evaluating a geological formation including subjecting a source-rock sample from the geological formation to atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine a thermal property or material property of the source-rock sample. The properties determined may include thermal conductivity or material transition temperature.

Abstract: Methods and systems for fabricating synthetic source rocks with organic materials, for example, using high energy resonant acoustic mixing technology, are provided. An example method includes preparing one or more organic components including kerogen, mixing, by utilizing resonant acoustic waves, the one or more organic components with one or more inorganic components to obtain a mixture, and processing the mixture to fabricate a synthetic source rock. Another example method includes mixing one or more organic components and one or more inorganic components with a kerogen precursor as an organic binder to obtain a mixture including artificial kerogen and processing the mixture to fabricate a synthetic source rock. One or more mechanical or chemo-mechanical properties of the synthetic source rock can be characterized as one or more functions of the one or more organic components and the one or more inorganic components.

Abstract: A mounting device for holding a sample mounted to a sample holder for use in an inverted microscope. The mounting device includes a platen; a mounting located on a sample side of the platen; a sample holder removably coupled to the mounting so the sample is along an optical axis of the inverted microscope; and a spacer shaped as a hollow prism or a hollow cylinder having a height and defining a through hole. The platen is disposed on the spacer with the sample side facing toward the spacer and the sample holder positioned within the through hole. The height of the spacer arranges the sample within a focal plane of the inverted microscope.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating a geological formation including subjecting a source-rock sample from the geological formation to atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine a thermal property or material property of the source-rock sample. The properties determined may include thermal conductivity or material transition temperature.

Abstract: Methods are provided for determining a depositional environment of a sample of a subterranean environment. An example method includes measuring intensities for a crystallographic plane (CP) 100 peak and a CP 101 peak for quartz in a diffractogram, calculating a ratio of the intensities of the CP 100 peak to the CP 101 peak, and identifying a depositional environment for the sample from the ratio.

Abstract: Provided here are methods, apparatuses, and systems directed to the determination of geochemical properties of liquid hydrocarbons based on the dielectric properties of components of the liquid hydrocarbons using microwaves. Also disclosed is a method for characterizing a geochemical property of a liquid hydrocarbon by measuring the dielectric responses from a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon at different predetermined temperatures in two or more microwave resonant cavities to electromagnetic waves at select microwave frequencies, and determining a geochemical property of the liquid hydrocarbon in response to measurements of the dielectric responses.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for treating a geologic formation that includes providing a hydraulic fracture model, providing a first value representative of a volume of kerogen breaker in a fracturing fluid, determining a discrete fracture network (DFN) based on the hydraulic fracture model and the first value, determining a geomechanical model based on the DFN and a reservoir model based on the DFN, determining a hydrocarbon production volume based on the geomechanical model and the reservoir model, adjusting the first value based on the hydrocarbon production volume, and adjusting a volume of kerogen breaker in the fracturing fluid to a hydrocarbon reservoir based on the adjusted first value.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating a geological formation including subjecting a source-rock sample from the geological formation to atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine a thermal property or material property of the source-rock sample. The properties determined may include thermal conductivity or material transition temperature.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating a geological formation including subjecting a source-rock sample from the geological formation to atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine a thermal property or material property of the source-rock sample. The properties determined may include thermal conductivity or material transition temperature.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for treating a geologic formation that includes providing a hydraulic fracture model, providing a first value representative of a volume of kerogen breaker in a fracturing fluid, determining a discrete fracture network (DFN) based on the hydraulic fracture model and the first value, determining a geomechanical model based on the DFN and a reservoir model based on the DFN, determining a hydrocarbon production volume based on the geomechanical model and the reservoir model, adjusting the first value based on the hydrocarbon production volume, and adjusting a volume of kerogen breaker in the fracturing fluid to a hydrocarbon reservoir based on the adjusted first value.

Abstract: Technologies relating to increasing hydraulic fracturing efficiencies in subterranean zones by degrading organic matter, such as kerogen, are described. A method for treating kerogen in a subterranean zone includes placing a composition in the subterranean zone, and the composition includes an oxidizer including sodium bromate and an additive including a tetrasubstituted ammonium salt.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating kerogen-rich shale (KRS) including measuring, via scanning microscopy, electrical conductivity of a KRS sample and a mechanical property of the KRS sample.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating kerogen-rich shale (KRS) including measuring, via scanning microscopy, electrical conductivity of a KRS sample and a mechanical property of the KRS sample.

Abstract: Provided in this disclosure, in part, are methods, compositions, and systems for degrading organic matter, such as kerogen, in a subterranean formation. Further, these methods, compositions, and systems allow for increased hydraulic fracturing efficiencies in subterranean formations, such as unconventional rock reservoirs. Also provided in this disclosure is a method of treating kerogen in a subterranean formation including placing in the subterranean formation a composition that includes a first oxidizer including a persulfate and a second oxidizer including a bromate.

Abstract: An example method includes analyzing rock from an image of a sample region of the rock. The example method includes accessing element maps of the sample region in a database, with each element map including an array of pixels, and with each pixel having a value that represents how closely the pixel correlates to a chemical element; accessing a database storing threshold values for multiple chemical elements including the chemical element; determining a presence of a substance in a portion of the sample region corresponding to the pixel by determining whether a value of the pixel in each of the element maps is greater than, or less than, a threshold value for a corresponding chemical element; labeling the pixel based on the presence of the substance in the pixel; and outputting data representing the substance map for rendering on a graphical interface.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to numerically estimating the shear modulus of Kerogen by using a combination of mineralogy from digital image analysis and sonic log analysis, when measured data on only one elastic constant (Bulk, Young's or P-wave modulus) is available. In some instances, elastic properties predicted from the digital images are compared with sonic, shear, and density logs, to estimate the shear modulus of kerogen. As a one-to-one correspondence is not expected between the core sub-samples and the rock unit sampled by the well logs, cross-property relations can be used to identify the suitability of the effective medium models and to iteratively determine the shear modulus of kerogen.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations for identifying fracture barriers in a well. The operations include converting rebound hardness values of a rock specimen from the well to unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values, where each of the rebound hardness values corresponds to a respective coordinate of a measurement grid imposed on the specimen. The operations further include, for each column of the grid, plotting the UCS values versus depth. Further, the operations include mapping, based on a maximum UCS value and a minimum UCS value, a relative strength contour plot for the specimen. Yet further, the operations include mapping, based on a fixed strength range, an absolute strength contour plot for the specimen. In addition, the operations include determining, based on the relative strength contour, the absolute strength contour, and mineralogy of the rock specimen, that the rock specimen is indicative of a fracture barrier in the well.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for treating a geologic formation that includes providing a hydraulic fracture model, providing a first value representative of a volume of kerogen breaker in a fracturing fluid, determining a discrete fracture network (DFN) based on the hydraulic fracture model and the first value, determining a geomechanical model based on the DFN and a reservoir model based on the DFN, determining a hydrocarbon production volume based on the geomechanical model and the reservoir model, adjusting the first value based on the hydrocarbon production volume, and adjusting a volume of kerogen breaker in the fracturing fluid to a hydrocarbon reservoir based on the adjusted first value.

Abstract: A method for treating a geologic formation that includes providing a hydraulic fracture model, providing a first value representative of a volume of kerogen breaker in a fracturing fluid, determining a discrete fracture network (DFN) based on the hydraulic fracture model and the first value, determining a geomechanical model based on the DFN and a reservoir model based on the DFN, determining a hydrocarbon production volume based on the geomechanical model and the reservoir model, adjusting the first value based on the hydrocarbon production volume, and adjusting a volume of kerogen breaker in the fracturing fluid to a hydrocarbon reservoir based on the adjusted first value.

Abstract: Provided in this disclosure, in part, are methods, compositions, and systems for degrading organic matter, such as kerogen, in a subterranean formation. Further, these methods, compositions, and systems allow for increased hydraulic fracturing efficiencies in subterranean formations, such as unconventional rock reservoirs. Also provided in this disclosure is a method of treating kerogen in a subterranean formation including placing in the subterranean formation a composition that includes a first oxidizer including a persulfate and a second oxidizer including a bromate.