Organic Matter Characterization and Thermal Modeling of the Basal Black Shale from the Shemshak Group (Upper Triassic- Middle Jurassic) in the Tazareh Section, Eastern Alborz, Northern Iran

Geochemical characteristics (Rock-Eval pyrolysis and elemental analysis of kerogen), palynofacies and organic petrography (using light transmitted-reflected-uv microscopy) of the basal black shale from the Shemshak Group (Upper Triassic- Middle Jurassic) in the Tazareh section (Eastern Alborz) have been investigated. The basal black shale is rich in amorphous organic matter with fewer amounts of vitrinite particles that was deposited in lacustrine environment under anoxic to suboxic conditions. According to vitrinite reflectance values (mean VRr=2.1%), organic matter of the basal black shale has experienced high thermal maturity during deep burial. In this study samples residual organic carbon content is 1 wt.% on average. Thermal modeling results using 1D Genex4 software show that the basal black shale of the Shemshak Group became mature during the Middle Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous time and generated hydrocarbon. At the present day, this organic facies in the Tazareh section is thermally over-mature and depleted in hydrogen and is located in the dry gas generation window. Presently, these sediments are considered as shale gas resources.