Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Hydrocarbon Potentiality of Eocene-Oligocene Black Shale Deposits of Beni Suef Area, Egypt

Summary The lithology, facies and the recorded foraminifer’s species of the studied shale deposits suggested an open marine, inner to outer shelf depositional environments. Abundance of smectite and kaolinite in the studied locations indicates the detrital origin and deposition in open marine environments. Also, the smectite dominance in clay minerals suggested a terrestrial provenance that had not attained intensive weathering; with a warm and semi-arid climate and the resulted materials were carried by fluvial action conditions. The SiO2 is considered to be dominantly terrigenous in origin and may be based on a biogenic origin. The results of TOC and Rock-Eval pyrolysis reflected that the Dabaa Formation is poorly organic matter content due to low preservation efficiency in warm and oxic environments led to oxidize the organic matter forming black carbon, but El Fashn Formation deposited in Middle Eocene age in open marine with suboxic environments that led to good preservation the organic matter that has the ability to yield biogenic gas of terrestrial origin after retorted it.