AN EVALUATION METHOD OF HYDROCARBON GENERATING POTENTIAL OF HIGHLY MATURE AND OVER-MATURE MARINE CARBONATE

How to restore the residual organic carbon and residual hydrocarhon-ge nerating potential is discussed based on the hydrocarbon degradability of source rock. The results indicate there is linear function relatio nship between the restoring coefficient of residual organic carbon (K- c) and the vitrinite reflectance (R(o)%) of various kinds of source ro ck, but the relationship is secondary functional between the restoring coefficient of residual hydrocarbon-generating potential (K-s) and th e vitrinite reflectance (R(o)%) It is pointed out that K-c=(1-D-residu al)/(1-D-primary), K-s=K-c (D-primary/D-residual). The restoration of residual organic carbon and hydrocarbon-generating potential of the Ca mbrian and Ordovician highly mature marine carbonate in the Tarim Basi n and North China region shows that the lower limit value of hydrocarb on generating potential and the organic matter abundance of carbonate source rock are basically the same as that of elastic rock. The techni cal difficulty in hydrocarbon generating evaluation of highly mature a nd overmature carbonate is solved.