Advances and Caveats in oil-prone Source rock

Geochemistry based on pyrolysis

September 22 and 23, 2025

Instructor: Michael D. Lewan, Lewan GeoConsulting Corporation

In the mid to late 1970s various pyrolysis methods were introduced to evaluate the oil-generating potential of source rocks. Programmed temperature pyrolysis, which included Rock-Eval, SRA and Hawk instruments provided screening data for rapid interpretation of organic matter type (gas versus oil prone), thermal maturity, oil charge/expulsion efficiencies, and kinetics for timing of oil generation. During this same time period and beyond the role of water in pyrolysis became apparent in simulating natural generation of expelled oils that were similar to natural crude oils and is referred to as hydrous pyrolysis. With time, new subsurface data and studies, and the utility of hydrous pyrolysis to simulating natural oil generation and expulsion it has become apparent that may of the interpretive schemes and ideologies need to be used with some caution and additional data to provide more accurate and relevant interpretations of the screening data from programmed temperature pyrolysis for petroleum system modeling and subsurface predictions.

This class will update participants on the cautions and interpretations of this screening data in determining organic matter types, thermal maturity indices, oil charge and expulsion efficiencies, and kinetics for determining timing and extent of expelled oil generation. The instructor anticipates an active dialog with attendee’s experiences and data in an open format to share in the class for discussion. We still all have a lot to learn about the origin and occurrences of petroleum, but we are making progress!

Class Schedule

Day One - September 22, 2025 8am - 4 pm

 Day Two - September 23, 2025 8am - 4 pm

Instructor

Dr. Michael (Mike) Lewan has over 50 years of experience in the petroleum industry that includes working as an exploration geologist and geochemist in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell Oil Company E&P New Orleans office, as a research Geochemist for Amoco Production Company Research Center in Tulsa where he pioneered hydrous pyrolysis in the Petroleum Geochemistry Group managed and supervised by James Momper and John Winters, respectively, and for the Denver USGS as a researcher and supervisor in their Petroleum Geochemistry Group and Laboratory. Mike is the recipient of the AAPG 2016 Robert R. Berg Outstanding Research for his passion to understand the origin and expulsion of petroleum that has resulted in a quantitative understanding of factors controlling timing and extent of petroleum formation, petroleum charge, and petroleum types and quality. Mike has also been the recipient of the RMAG Outstanding Scientist Award in 2014.

Cost: 

Registration closes September 17th

• Member: $300
• Non-Member: $400
• Student Member: $50 (Not a student member but would like to take the class? email staff@rmag.org)

Registration costs cover materials and light breakfast, and lunch. 

Refunds

Refunds are available for cancellations until September 8, 2025.

If you are unable to attend, your registration for all RMAG events is transferable. RMAG members may transfer their registration to another RMAG member, and non-members can transfer their registrations to whomever they wish. Should an RMAG member wish to transfer their registration to a non-member, the non-member would need to pay the balance between the member and non-member price.