A PRELIMINARY STUDY COMPARING THE ORGANIC MATTER PRESERVED IN THE LOCKATON FORMATION IN THE DEEP AND BORDER PARTS OF THE NEWARK BASIN

This study is aimed at characterizing the organic matter preserved in the Triassic Lockaton formation deposited in the SE border of the Newark Basin and comparing it to the one accumulated in the NW part of the subsiding basin. The TOC values of the laminated mudstone of Lockaton formation, outcropping in the SE border studied area of the basin, range from 13.86 ppm to 153.78 ppm. These values are extremely low and indicate that the rocks are extremely poor source rocks. The TOC values vary from 13.86 ppm to 153.78 ppm and from 89.79 ppm to 131.4 ppm for dark and light colored rocks respectively. This indicates that there is no correlation between the color of the rock and its TOC content.

Compared to the studied area, located in SE border of the basin, the laminated mudstone of Lockaton formation, deposited in the deep part of the basin, is rich in organic matter with TOC values ranging from 0.2 to 6% (Olsen, 1984). This suggests that this deep part of the basin was favorable to the accumulation and preservation of organic matter due to the anoxic conditions that prevailed during the deposition of the Locakton formation. However, in the SE border of the basin, the very low TOC values is due to the lack of biomass productivity and/or the oxic conditions that prevented the preservation of organic matter if there is any. Further geochemical studies in the basin are needed to make a generalization.