Abstract: The abundance of methane, from a rock sample recovered from a subsurface formation, is determined by submerging the rock sample in a container with aqueous acid solution for release of natural gas from the rock sample and then determining the amount of released gas contained in submerged gas bubbles adhering to undisolved portions of the rock sample and the container as a measure of the amount of methane released from the rock sample. The relative abundance of methane from each of plurality of rock samples, treated with aqueous acid solution as described above, is determined by comparing the amount of gas contained in the adhering submerged gas bubbles from each rock sample with the amount of gas contained in adhering submerged gas bubbles from each of the other rock samples of the plurality of rock samples as a measure of the relative abundance of methane in each rock sample.

Abstract: The abundance of methane from a rock sample, recovered from a subsurface formation, is determined by submerging the rock sample in aqueous acid solution in a container for release of natural gas from the rock sample, and determining the amount of gas contained in bubbles which accumulate in the container as a measure of the abundance of methane released from the rock sample.