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[[File:MarcellusShaleCloseUp.jpg|thumb|400px|Marcellus Shale, New York|"Marcellus Shale Close Up" by Lvklock - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.]]

[[File:MarcellusShaleCloseUp.jpg|thumb|400px|Marcellus Shale, New York|"Marcellus Shale Close Up" by Lvklock - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.]]

A '''source rock''' is a rock that is capable of generating or that has generated movable quantities of [[hydrocarbon]]s.

A '''source rock''' is a rock that is capable of generating or that has generated movable quantities of [[hydrocarbon]]s.  

The first factor to be assessed in an exploration play in an area yet to be drilled is whether a source rock is present. If so, then we ask, “How good is it? Will it generate oil or gas? Has it generated hydrocarbons already?” To answer these questions, we must know the basics of what constitutes a source rock, how to classify source rocks, and how to estimate potential. This article provides a background in these fundamentals.

The first factor to be assessed in an exploration play in an area yet to be drilled is whether a source rock is present. If so, then we ask, “How good is it? Will it generate oil or gas? Has it generated hydrocarbons already?” To answer these questions, we must know the basics of what constitutes a source rock, how to classify source rocks, and how to estimate potential. This article provides a background in these fundamentals.

* Pyrolysis [[Tmax]]

* Pyrolysis [[Tmax]]

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==External links==

==External links==