Evolution and recovery of original total organic carbon for carbonate source rocks with different total organic carbon in the Tazhong area, Tarim Basin, China

Source rocks generate and expel hydrocarbon with thermal evolution, which lead to a decrease of total organic carbon (TOC) content. A new quantitative model for original total organic carbon (TOCo) content evolution and recovery was proposed, and then was used to the carbonate source rocks with different TOCs (CSRDTOC) in the Tazhong area, Tarim Basin, China. Studies showed that the higher the TOC of source rocks, the bigger the range of TOC reduction and recovery coefficient. When vitrinite reflectance (VR) is equal to 2.5%, recovery coefficients of TOCo = 0.2%, 0.4%, and 1.0% are 1.43, 1.66, and 2.01, respectively. It must restore TOCo when we evaluate source rocks at the stage of high overmaturity and predict oil and gas resources.