Unexpected enrichment of nitrogen during the diagenetic evolution of sedimentary organic matter

This study examines the behaviour of nitrogen during coalification in two coal series: the sedimentologically homogeneous coal series of the Mahakam delta, Indonesia and a reference coal series composed of samplesfrom several sources. The variations in the total nitrogen contents, in hydrolysable nitrogen, and in the natural isotopic abundance of ¹⁵N are reported. The behaviour of nitrogen during coalification presents three main stages: 1. a first stage where microbial and/or chemical degradations produce a loss of nitrogen; 2. a second stage of preservation, where organic nitrogen does not take part in the reactions involved and consequently remains unchanged in the residual organic matter; and 3. a third stage of thermal alteration, where nitrogen is mainly released with methane.