f New Insights into Gas Shale Fabrics Using Chemical Degradation Combined with STXM

The generation of oil and gas from shales during thermal maturation is accompanied by structural and chemical evolution of the original kerogen of the shales. During hydrocarbon generation the organic material becomes increasingly recalcitrant due to the degradation of functional groups and labile bonds in the kerogen matrix. Thus, the hydrocarbon generation potential of shales is not only related to the amount of aliphatic moieties in the kerogen structure but also to the distribution of functional units and the linkage properties inside the kerogen network.