Utilizing geological and geochemical data, we re-assessed the thermal maturity of the Lower Cretaceous Vigla shales of the AY-3 well, located in the Internal Ionian geotectonic zone of Greece, using 1D thermal maturity modeling. Vigla shales primarily containing kerogen type I to II, incorporated within alternations of carbonates, cherts, and marly limestones, were selected as the main source rock intervals. Biomarkers and Rock-Eval data were used on top of vitrinite reflectance data for the calibration of the 1D model. Hopane and sterane isomerization ratios for the Vigla shales appear to hold values of 58–64% and 44–49%, respectively, while vitrinite reflectance ranges from 0.61% to 0.71% and Tmax between 431 and 451 °C. One-dimensional thermal maturity modeling suggests that lower Cretaceous Vigla shales entered the oil window in early Miocene times and reached the expulsion onset during the middle Miocene. Additionally, thermal modeling estimates the overburden eroded thickness to range between 2.1 and 2.6 km. This unravels the pre-eroded shape of this part of the belt of Miocene times alongside the burial history of the area and its evident relation to the hydrocarbon potential. This assessment comprises a step towards the understanding of the belt and the different timings of hydrocarbon generation in the External Hellenides.
It is evident that the increased focus on energy transition, will increase the demand for gas as it is the transitional fuel to the net zero CO2 emission era. The West Katakolo field is the only oil and gas discovery in Western Greece, and it is operated by Energean. The three offshore West Katakolo wells have defined both the oil and the gas zones, while onshore exploration wells have penetrated biogenic gas-saturated Plio-Pleistocene sands. This study assesses the gas generation potential of the local Plio-Pleistocene and Triassic sources using thermal maturity modelling based on the available legacy data, with limitations being addressed by running several case-scenarios. In conclusion, this study supports the generation of thermogenic and biogenic gas from the Triassic and Plio-Pleistocene sources respectively, demonstrating the importance of maturity modelling in hydrocarbon exploration, applied on the Katakolo case; a potential gas source to facilitate the energy transition in Greece.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.