A Petroleum Geochemical Evaluation of the Tertiary Rock Samples from the Moutere Depression of the Northern South Island of New Zealand.

A total of 4 lower Tertiary argillaceous rocks from the Moutere Depression of the northern South Island of NZ were submitted for a petroleum geochemical study consisting of a determination of thermal maturity level by vitrinite reflectance and spore colour index analyses, and an evaluation of hydrocarbon source potential from total organic carbon, Rock Eval pyrolysis and visual kerogen type analyses. In general, the gas chromatography observations lead to the conclusions that the samples analysed are thermally immature to early mature (CPI > 1) and that the organic matter present is very strongly influenced by terrestrially derived kerogen.