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Structure of kerogen revealed

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PHOTO: Images produced by the researchers show the molecular structure of different samples of kerogen and reveal the significant structural differences between "mature" kerogens, at top, and "immature" kerogens, at bottom.

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Materials by a team of researchers including Professor Franz-Josef Ulm, postdoc Colin Bousige, and Research Scientist Roland J.-M. Pellenq have revealed kerogen’s internal structure, in detail down to the atomic level. The findings reveal important details about how gas and oil move through pores in formations deep underground, making it possible to estimate the amount of recoverable reserves more accurately and potentially pointing to better ways of extracting them. This understanding of the nanoscale structure of pore spaces in kerogen is “a true new idea, it’s a game changer,” says Pellenq. Read the article.