SUPPRESSION OF VITRINITE REFLECTANCE IN AMORPHOUS RICH KEROGEN --A MAJOR UNRECOGNIZED PROBLEM

Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) is regarded as one of the most, if not the most, powerful tools available to petroleum organic geochemistry. Yet major recognized and unrecognized problems exist concerning use of the technique. One such unrecognized problem is a major suppression of Ro by significant concentrations of exinite macerals (Type I and Type II kerogen) in association with vitrinite macerals.