Application of an advanced method for pyritic and organic sulphur quantification to organic rich marine sediments

An advanced method for pyritic and organic sulphur quantification was developed using a Rock-Eval 6 adapted for sulphur quantification in addition to carbon (Rock-Eval 6S). It consists in data processing of sulphur parameters obtained via Rock-Eval 6S analysis of a rock sample. This Rock-Eval 6S method for pyritic and organic sulphur quantification was applied on sets of organic rich sedimentary rock samples from the Grey Shale Member in North Yorkshire and from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in Dorset. Results from the Rock-Eval 6S method were compared to results from another independent method based on elemental analysis. A good correlation between both methods is observed except for samples with low pyritic and organic sulphur contents.

This new Rock-Eval 6S method for pyritic and organic sulphur quantification provides important advantages compared to the elemental analysis method, including: rapid analysis time (2 hours per sample); no chemical preparation steps, which are heavy and dangerous procedures due to the use of strong acids; automatic analysis; combined quantification of organic/inorganic carbon and organic/inorganic sulphur in a single run.