Organisch-geochemisch en kolenpetrografisch onderzoek van het organisch materiaal (bitumen en kerogen) uit het Namurien en de basis van het Boven-Krijt (Santonien) in het Zuid Llimburgs-Belgisch grensgebied

The organic matter (bitumen, kerogen) from Carboniferous (Namurian) and Upper-Cretaceous (Santonian) sediments from four locations in South-Limburg/The Netherlands and Belgium has been investigated by methods of organic geochemistry (organic-carbon, extraktion, thinlayer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography), coal-petrography (reflectivity, maceralgroup analysis) and microscopy. The organic matter of the silty-clays of the Santonian proved to be mainly terrestial plant debris. The average coalification-rank of the phytoclasts is lignite (soft brown coal, average reflectivity Rm oil, 546 nm: 0,35%). The phytoclasts of the Carboniferous sediments, with a rank of anthracite (Rmax oil, 546 nm: 4,1%), strongly differ from those of the Cretaceous sediments in maceral-group and organic geochemical c omposition. Because it is often difficult to distinguish between the Santonian sediments and the waiste-mantle of the Namurian, these organic geochemical and coal petrographical methods can be of good use to separate them. Bacterial degradation of the organic matter of the waiste-mantle has been proved.