Volatility Gulf Coast

Let us take another example. At the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Pleistocene and the Upper Tertiary (Pliocene and Miocene) reach a thickness of more than 6000 meters. Nevertheless, the coaliflcation has only reached the stage of high volatile bituminous at this depth. This observation resulted from our studies of samples from a deep borehole located in Terrebonne Parish, La. By reflectance measurements on humic inclusions in claystones of the uppermost Middle Miocene encountered at a depth of 5440 meters, we obtained a mean value (under oil) of 0.95% reflectance, which is equivalent to the reflectance of vitrinites (out of deep boreholes) with 35-40% volatile matter (daf). On the other hand, we found low volatile bituminous coals (14-16% volatile matter, daf) at a depth of 5100 meters in a borehole in the Lower... 

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