Demethylated hopanes in crude oils and their applications in petroleum geochemistry

Analyses of some Australian crude oils show that many contain varying concentrations of A/ B-ring demethylated hopanes. These range from C₂₆ to C₃₄ and have been identified from their retention times and mass spectral data as 17α(H)-25-norhopanes. Comparison of hopane and demethylated hopane concentrations and distributions in source-related, biodegraded oils suggests that demethylated hopanes are biotransformation products of the hopanes. Further, it appears that the process occurs at a late stage of biodegradation, after partial degradation of steranes has occurred. Demethylated hopanes are proposed as biomarkers for this stage of severe biodegradation. The presence of these compounds in apparently undegraded crude oils is thought to be due to the presence of biodegraded crude oil residues which have been dissolved by the undegraded crude oil during accumulation in the reservoir sands. The timing of hopane demethylation, relative to the degradation of other compounds, has been assessed and the progressive changes in crude oil composition with increasing extent of biodegradation have been identified. The use of demethylated hopanes as maturity parameters for severely biodegraded crude oils, and the applicability of established biomarker maturity parameters to such oils, are also discussed.     

Migration features of crude oil in fluvial deposits of Maling oilfield in Ordos Basin,China

Oils in the Maling oil field, Ordos Basin, are produced from fluvial deposits within the Yan-9 and Yan-10 subsections of the Yanan formation. Through the analysis of pyrrolic nitrogen compounds and fluid inclusions, the oil charging site, migration direction and pathway, and timing were interpreted in relationship with the sedimentary features and the high pressure observed in the Mesozoic sequence. The spatial distribution pattern of the fractionation of neutral nitrogen compounds in the crude oils suggested two possible charging positions in the studied area. The ratios of the isomeric nitrogen compounds increase toward the center of the study area from both northwest and southeast directions of the region, indicating that the lateral charging directions were likely from both the southeast and the northwest toward the center of the oil field. The isomeric ratios of pyrrolic nitrogen compounds in the oils from different area of the Maling oilfield increase with the decrease of depth from Yan-10 to Yan-4 + 5 subsections, showing vertical migration of oil to the reservoirs. The homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions in the reservoir rocks exhibited two peaks, reflecting the two stages of oil migration and accumulation. The migration pathways include fluvial sand bodies and unconformity surfaces. The migration driving force was likely the capillary pressure and the abnormally high strata pressure in the Mesozoic sequences.     

柴达木盆地东坪地区一类新的原油及其地球化学特征

各类生物标志物的组成特征表明:柴达木盆地北缘的冷湖油田原油具有姥植比高（Pr/Ph>2.0）,重排甾烷（C₂₇重排甾烷/规则甾烷=0.5~0.7）、重排藿烷（diaC₃₀H/C₃₀H=0.2~0.4）和新藿烷（C₂₉Ts/C₂₉H=0.4~0.7）含量中等,伽马蜡烷含量低（伽马蜡烷指数<0.05）的特征,它们源于该地区发育的下侏罗统淡水湖沼相烃源岩;而柴西北区咸水湖相原油的姥植比低（Pr/Ph<0.8）,重排甾烷（C₂₇重排甾烷/规则甾烷<0.1）、重排藿烷（diaC₃₀H/C₃₀H<0.05）和新藿烷（C₂₉Ts/C₂₉H=0.2~0.4）含量低和伽马蜡烷含量高（伽马蜡烷指数=0.4~0.8）,这一系列特征与柴西地区发育的古近系-新近系咸水湖相烃源岩一致。但是,东坪地区原油呈现完全不同的生物标志物组合,主要表现为丰富的伽马蜡烷（伽马蜡烷指数=1.2~3.0）与高含量的新藿烷（C₂₉Ts/C₂₉H>1.5）、重排藿烷（diaC₃₀H/C₃₀H>0.7）和重排甾烷（C₂₇重排甾烷/规则甾烷>0.4）并存,这与地质样品中伽马蜡烷和重排类标志物的分布特征相矛盾,因为依据现有的认识无法解释这一特殊地球化学现象。生物标志物组成特征表明东坪地区原油所具有的特殊生物标志物组合并非源于不同类型原油之间的混合,而是一种客观存在,尽管其确切的地球化学意义和形成条件目前并不清楚。由此可见,东坪地区原油为柴达木盆地一个新的原油类型,推测其烃源岩可能形成于偏酸性的咸水环境。     

Improved understanding of the petroleum systems of the Niger Delta Basin,Nigeria

Biomarker and n-alkane compound specific stable carbon isotope analyses (CSIA) were carried out on 58 crude oil samples from shallow water and deepwater fields of the Niger Delta in order to predict the depositional environment and organic matter characteristics of their potential source rocks. Using a source organofacies prediction approach from oil geochemistry, the presence in the western deepwater oils relatively abundant C₂₇ steranes, C₃₀ 24-n-propyl cholestane, low oleanane index, relatively low pr/ph ratios, gammacerane, and positive to nearly flat C₁₂–C₃₀ n-alkane compound specific stable carbon isotope profiles, suggests that the source facies that expelled these oils contain significant marine derived organic matter deposited under sub-oxic and stratified water column conditions. This contrasts with the terrigenous organic matter dominated source rocks accepted for shallow water Niger Delta oils. Oils in the shallow water accumulations can be separated into terrigenous and mixed marine-terrigenous families. The terrigenous family indicates expulsion from source rock(s) containing overwhelmingly higher plant source organic matter (average oleanane index = 0.48, high C₂₉ steranes) as well as having negative sloping n-alkane isotope profiles. Oxic source depositional conditions (pr/ph > 2.5) and non-stratified conditions (absence to low gammacerane content) are inferred for the terrigenous family. The mixed marine-terrigenous family has biomarker properties that are a combination of the deepwater and terrigenous shallow water oils. Bitumen extracts of the sub-delta Late Cretaceous Araromi Formation shale in the Dahomey Basin are comparable both molecularly and isotopically to the studied western deepwater oil set, but with an over all poor geochemical correlation. This poor geochemical match between Araromi shale and the western deepwater oils does not downgrade the potential of sub-delta Cretaceous source rock contribution to the regional oil charge in the deepwater Niger Delta.     

Geochemical Characteristics of Different Kinds of Crude Oils in the Tarim Basin,Northwest China

Based on the compositions and distributions of biomarkers in thirty-five representative oil samples, oils from the Tarim Basin of northwestern China are mainly divided into two oil families. One oil family contains relatively low amounts of C₁₅-C₂₀ isoprenoid hydrocarbons and shows pristane predominance with Pr/Ph ratios ranging from 1.50 to 3.00. The GC/MS analytical data of these oils show the occurrence of abundant hopanes, and low concentrations of steranes and tricyclic terpanes with hopanes/steranes ratios from 6.25 to 12.24 and tricyclic terpanes/hopanes ratios from 0.03 to 0.24. These oils contain low drimane relative to homodrimane (C₁₅/C₁₆ < 1.0) and abundant rearranged bicyclanes in bicyclic sesquiterpanes. They are dominated by low carbon number (C₁₉-C₂₁) compounds in the tricyclic terpanes, and are rich in rearranged hopanes, C₂₉Ts and an unknown C₃₀ compound in pentacyclic triterpanes. These geochemical characteristics suggest that the oils were generated mainly from terrigenous organic matter. The other oil family shows remarkably different biomarker compositions and distributions. The oils revealed Pr/Ph ratios of about 1.0, high drimane/homodrimane ratios (>1.0), low hopanes/steranes ratios (0.65–2.50), high tricyclic terpanes/hopanes ratios (0.30–2.00) and a dominant peak at C₂₃ in tricyclic tepanes, suggesting a marine organic origin. Oil-source rock correlation indicates that these two oil families seem to have been derived from Mesozoic Jurassic-Triassic terrestrial source rocks (shales and coal seams) and Lower Paleozoic Ordovician-Cambrian marine source rocks, respectively.     

Charactristics of the Biomarkers from Nonmarine Crude Oils in China—A Review

The present paper deals with the biomarker characteristics of crude oils and source rocks from different environments(fresh,fresh-brackish and salt waters)of nonmarine depositional basins of different ages in China.Their characters are summarized as follows:1)Souce rocks and crude oils derived from fresh-water lacustrine facies have an odd/even predominance of n-alkanes and high pristine/phytane ratios.Oils from the fresh-water lacustrine facies differ from typical marine oils in the relative contents of total steranes and terpanes,the concentrations of hopanes and organic sul-phur compounds and the values of methylphenanthrene indices and C,H,S stable isotopes.2)The source rocks and crude oils derived from saline lacustrine facies possess an even/odd predominance of n-alkanes and high phytane/pristine ratios.There are also some differences between saline lacustrine oils and freshwater lacustrine oils in the concentrations of steranes,tricyclic terpanes and organic sulphur compounds,as well as in the values of methylphenanthrene indices and C,H,S stable isotopes.3)Oils derived from fresh-brackish water lake facies differ from oils from fresh-water lacustrine or samline lacustrine environments in respect of some biomarkers.According to the various distributions of these biomarkers,a number of geochemical parameters can be applied synthetically to differentiating and identifying the nature of original depositional environments of crude oils and source rocks and that of organisms-primary source materials present in those environments.     

塔河油田原油甾藿烷系列化合物地球化学再认识

生物标志化合物是油气油源、成熟度、运移等领域研究中的一项得力工具。运用生物标志物色谱质谱技术，对比研究了塔河油田各油区原油生物标志化合物中甾、藿烷系列化合物特征。研究表明，塔河油田为一由晚期成熟高、轻微改造的原油与早期成熟度低、遭受较强降解原油混合而成的复合油藏，该油藏各区原油C27—C29甾烷同系物以及C27—C29重排甾烷特征反映出该区不同成熟度原油来自同一母源，原油Ts/(Tm+Ts)、重排甾烷/规则甾烷和ββ/(ββ+αα) C29比值关系立体图指示出原油的充注方向，印证了“塔河地区的油气主要来自于南部的满加尔坳陷”这一论点。     

The occurrence of ultra-deep heavy oils in the Tabei Uplift of the Tarim Basin,NW China

Deeply buried heavy oils from the Tabei Uplift of the Tarim Basin have been investigated for their source origin, charge and accumulation time, biodegradation, mixing and thermal cracking using biomarkers, carbon isotopic compositions of individual alkanes, fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures and authigenic illite K–Ar radiometric ages. Oil-source correlation suggests that these oils mainly originated from Middle–Upper Ordovician source rocks. Burial history, coupled with fluid inclusion temperatures and K–Ar radiometric ages, suggests that these oils were generated and accumulated in the Late Permian. Biodegradation is the main control on the formation of these heavy oils when they were elevated to shallow depths during the late Hercynian orogeny. A pronounced unresolved complex mixture (UCM) in the gas chromatograms together with the presence of both 25-norhopanes and demethylated tricyclic terpanes in the oils are obvious evidence of biodegradation. The mixing of biodegraded oil with non-biodegraded oil components was indicated by the coexistence of n-alkanes with demethylated terpanes. Such mixing is most likely from the same phase of generation, but with accumulation at slightly different burial depths, as evidenced by overall similar oil maturities regardless of biodegradation level and/or amount of n-alkanes. Although these Ordovician carbonate reservoirs are currently buried to over 6000 m with reservoir temperatures above 160 °C, no significant secondary hydrocarbon generation from source rocks or thermal cracking of reservoired heavy oil occur in the study area. This is because the deep burial occurred only within the last 5 Ma of the Neogene, and there has not been enough heating time for additional reactions within the Middle–Upper Ordovician source rocks and reservoired heavy oils.     

东营凹陷南斜坡沙四下亚段—孔店组原油地球化学特征及成因分类

东营凹陷南斜坡沙四下亚段—孔店组为一套紫红色或红色碎屑岩沉积,本身不具备生烃能力,因此对该层段原油成因的研究具有重要意义。在系统分析17个油砂和5个原油样品的生物标志物组合特征的基础上,将该区原油划分为4种成因类型。Ⅰ类原油分布于平方王地区和博兴洼陷,Pr/Ph0.8,Ph/nC180.6,伽马蜡烷含量极低,4-甲基甾烷、重排甾烷含量相对高,Ts/Tm、藿烷/甾烷值相对高,可能来源于一套淡水湖相环境下形成的、富含粘土矿物的泥岩。Ⅱ类原油分布于纯化—乐安构造带、陈官庄构造带,Pr/Ph0.6,Ph/nC182,伽马蜡烷含量高,4-甲基甾烷、重排甾烷含量低,Ts/Tm和藿烷/甾烷值低,可能与一套盐湖相泥岩或灰质泥岩有成因关系。Ⅲ类原油分布于青城北缓坡构造带,检测出25-降藿烷系列,伽马蜡烷含量介于Ⅰ类和Ⅱ类之间,可能为早期充注的Ⅱ类原油遭受生物降解后和晚期充注的Ⅰ类原油形成的混源油,且以晚期充注为主。Ⅳ类原油分布于王家岗地区孔店组,具有C29甾烷绝对优势和高含量的伽马蜡烷,推断为Ⅱ类原油和一种来源于浅湖—沼泽相的原油形成的混源油。     

Biomarker signatures from Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian oil,western India

The Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian time is the cradle of multicellular, eukaryotic life and thereafter metazoan life started populating the planet. Biomarkers, which record the chronicles of biotic events on Earth, have been investigated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry from a suite of nine oil samples extracted from oil stained sediments and a crude oil of Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian age from Bikaner-Nagaur Basin, western India. The biomarker distribution is characterized by high concentration of both tricyclic terpanes and pentacyclic hopanes. The predominance of C₂₉ regular sterane over C₂₇ and C₂₈ steranes indicates green algal contribution and may imply the prominence and diversification of the same algal group. The low pristane/phytane ratio and occurrence of substantial quantity of gammacerane, monomethyl 2-methyl-2-(2,4,8-trimethyltridecyl) chroman and 1,1,7,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4 tetrahydrophenanthrene are indicative of stratified water column as well as anoxic and enhanced salinity condition of the environment of deposition. This paper reports for the first time the presence of methyltrimethyltridecyl chromans (MTTCs) from Neoproterozoic–Early Cambrian time. Putative C₁₉ norsteranes, probably indicative of sponge input, are recorded in the studied samples and also reported from other infracambrian oils and sediments. Normal alkanes (n-C₁₇ and n-C₁₈) and isoprenoids (pristane and phytane) are highly depleted in δ¹³C. The overall biomarker distribution and carbon isotope data of oils from Bikaner-Nagaur Basin show similarities with those of other infracambrian oils like Huqf oils from Oman and Baykit High oils from eastern Siberia.     

Biomarkers in crude oil revealed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry: Depositional paleoenvironment proxies

Crude oil samples from two basins were analyzed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOFMS) to better understand the compositional heterogeneity of branched-cyclic hydrocarbons. GC×GC–TOFMS and conventional GC–MS results were compared. GC×GC–TOFMS revealed a wide range of compounds, including tricyclic, tetracyclic and pentacyclic terpane series, rearranged hopanes, methyl hopanes, secohopanes, onoceranes and steranes. Assignment of methyl hopane and 8,14-secohopane series other than onocerane isomers was only possible due to the high peak capacity and sensitivity of GC×GC. The oils comprised a mixture of two end members: non-biodegraded oil with abundant tricyclic terpanes and hopanes, and severely biodegraded oil with abundant 8,14-secohopane and demethylated tricyclic terpanes. A predominance of two distinct series, 3β-methylhopane and onocerane, was detected only in the lacustrine samples (classification based on biomarker parameters). In contrast, the predominance of a 2α-methylhopane series and lack of onocerane were found only for the marine oil sample. The results suggest that the distribution of 3β- and 2α-methylhopane series and the presence or absence of onocerane isomers reflect genetic differences in the source organic matter and that these compounds are new classes of biomarkers that can used as depositional paleoenvironment proxies.     

油气聚集对石英矿物成岩演化的影响

油气在砂岩储层中的聚集会对石英矿物的胶结作用产生影响。对黄骅坳陷三马探区的石英矿物的包裹体分析以及对开放孔隙中原油抽提物和包裹体中原油的生物标志物进行分析,含油级别较低的油层与水层具有相似的均一化温度分布范围,但富含油层中流体包裹体均一化温度高值分布范围比低级别油层和水层低,包裹体中的烃类组成与开放孔隙中的主要存在成熟度上的不同。分析认为石油的充注不会使石英矿物的胶结作用立刻停止,石英的次生加大作用仍在继续,但胶结作用受到一定的抑制,当石油充注到一定程度后,胶结作用将会停止,后期进入储层的成熟度较高的原油可能未被捕获。     

新疆三塘湖盆地马朗凹陷条湖组凝灰岩油藏油源分析

通过系统采集新疆三塘湖盆地马朗凹陷二叠系芦草沟组和条湖组各套烃源岩岩心样品以及条湖组凝灰岩段原油样品,研究各套烃源岩的基本地球化学特征、烃源岩和 原油饱和烃生物标志化合物特征、抽提物/原油以及族组分的稳定碳同位素特征等,探讨了凝灰岩油藏的原油来源。结果表明：芦草沟组二段烃源岩的质量最好;各套泥质烃源岩可溶有机质生物标志化合 物特征具有明显的差异,主要表现在Pr/Ph、 γ蜡烷含量、β-胡萝卜烷含量以及规则甾烷ααα20RC₂₇、ααα20RC₂₈、ααα20RC₂₉相对含量等方面;条湖组凝灰岩油藏中原油具有低Pr/Ph、高γ蜡 烷含量、高β-胡萝卜烷含量以及规则甾烷ααα20RC₂₇、ααα20RC₂₈、ααα20RC₂₉中ααα20RC₂₉最高和ααα20RC₂₇最低(谱图呈上升直线型)、原油及族组分稳定碳同位素较轻的特点;油源对比 显示凝灰岩油藏的原油主要来自芦草沟组二段烃源岩,但也有凝灰岩自身有机质的贡献。     

中国西北侏罗纪煤系显微组分热解油生物标志物特征及其意义

从西北地区侏罗纪煤中分离出来的不同显微组分热解油生物标志物总体上比较相似,但在一些特殊生物标志物的分布上存在明显差异。藻类体、孢子体、角质体热解油Pr/Ph比值一般在1.5～2.0之间,镜质体和基质镜质体热解油Pr/Ph比值在3～4之间,但均只有相应原煤抽提物Pr/Ph比值的一半。在常规生物标志物甾烷和萜烷组成中,藻类体和孢子体含有相对丰富的C27甾烷,角质体其次,镜质体和基质镜质体C27甾烷含量很低或者基本不含C27甾烷;藻类体和角质体含有较高的伽马蜡烷,而与藻类体来自相同原煤的孢子体伽马蜡烷含量很低;镜质体和基质镜质体基本上不含伽马蜡烷;分离显微组分的原煤伽马蜡烷含量均很低。由此可见,伽马蜡烷的含量不仅与有机质沉积水体的盐度有关,与母源的成分也有关系。显微组分热解油与煤系原油生物标志物组成特征对比表明,煤系原油是藻类体、孢子体、角质体等富氢组分和相对贫氢的镜质组生成产物的混合物。不同油气藏中的原油,每一类显微组分的贡献可能不尽相同,有些原油可能主要来源于藻类体和孢子体等富氢显微组分,而有些原油除了富氢显微组分有贡献外,镜质组对其也有一定的贡献,但富氢显微组分应该是煤系含油气盆地中主要的生油显微组分。     

The impact of severe biodegradation on the molecular and stable (C,H, N,S) isotopic compositions of oils in the Alberta Basin,Canada

Although the effects of biodegradation on the composition and physical properties of crude oil have been well studied, effects of in-reservoir petroleum biodegradation on molecular and isotopic compositions of crude oils are not yet clearly understood. The Alberta Basin, in western Canada, is one of the world’s largest petroleum accumulations and constitutes an ideal example of a natural suite of sequentially biodegraded oils. The basin hosts moderately to severely biodegraded petroleum, regionally distributed and in single, more or less continuous, oil columns. In this study, a series of oil samples from the Alberta heavy oil and oil sands provinces, with varying degrees of biodegradation, were analyzed to assess the impact of progressive biodegradation on the molecular and C, H, N, and S isotopic compositions of oils. The results of the molecular characterization of the hydrocarbon fraction of the studied oils show that the oils have suffered biodegradation levels from 2 to 10⁺ (toward the Alberta–Saskatchewan border) on the Peters and Moldowan scale of biodegradation (abbreviated PM 2 to PM 10) and from tens to hundreds on the Manco scale. Within single reservoirs, increasing biodegradation was observed from top to bottom of the oil columns at all sites studied. The whole oil stable isotopic compositions of the samples varied in the ranges δ¹³C = −31.2‰ to −29.0‰, δ²H = −147‰ to −133‰, δ¹⁵N = 0.3–4.7‰ and δ³⁴S = 0.4–6.4‰. The maximum differences between δ values of samples (Δ) within single oil columns were Δ¹³C = 1.4‰, Δ²H = 7‰, Δ¹⁵N = 1.7‰ and Δ³⁴S = 1.0‰. Regional variations in the isotopic compositions of oil samples from different wells (averaged values from top to bottom) were 1.2‰ for δ¹³C, 12‰ for δ²H, 4.1‰ for δ¹⁵N and 5.5‰ for δ³⁴S and hence generally significantly larger variations were seen than variations observed within single oil columns, especially for N and S. It appears that even severe levels of biodegradation do not cause observable systematic variations in carbon, nitrogen or sulfur isotope composition of whole oils. This indicates that sulfur and nitrogen isotopic compositions may be used in very degraded oils as indicators for oil charge from different source rock facies.     

Evidence for euphotic zone anoxia during the deposition of Aptian source rocks based on aryl isoprenoids in petroleum,Sergipe–Alagoas Basin,northeastern Brazil

Four crude oil samples from the Sergipe–Alagoas Basin, northeastern Brazil, were analyzed using full scan gas chromatography–quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–qMS) for biomarkers, in order to correlate them using aromatic carotenoids thereby enhancing knowledge about the depositional environment of their source rocks. The geochemical parameters derived from saturated fractions of the oils show evidence of little or no biodegradation and similar thermal maturation (Ts/(Ts + Tm) for terpanes, C₂₉ αββ/(αββ + ααα), C₂₇, and C₂₉ 20S/(20S + 20R) for steranes). Low pristane/phytane ratios and the abundance of gammacerane and β-carotane are indicative of an anoxic and saline depositional environment for the source rocks. Moreover, we identified a large range of diagenetic and catagenetic products of the aromatic carotenoid isorenieratene, including C₄₀, C₃₃, and C₃₂ diaryl isoprenoids and aryl isoprenoid derivatives with short side chains and/or additional rings. These results indicate anoxia in the photic zone during the deposition of the source rocks.     

珠江口盆地不同类型原油地球化学特征

为明确白云凹陷目前发现原油的成因及来源,系统分析取自珠江口盆地不同类型原油中各类生物标志物的分布与组成特征,发现番禺低隆起北部构造及番禺4洼的原油具有姥植比低(2.0),指示陆源有机质输入的奥利烷含量中等,基本缺乏达玛树脂贡献的双杜松烷,各类重排构型甾藿含量较低,而指示沟鞭藻贡献的C_(30)4-甲基甾烷异常丰富的特点。C_(30)4-甲基甾烷与C_(29)规则甾烷的比值2.1,且其三环萜烷系列C_(19-26)呈现以C_(21)为主峰的正态分布,指示其原始生烃母质以藻类为主,表明这类原油与文昌组湖相烃源岩具有较好的可比性;而番禺低隆起南部构造及白云凹陷的凝析油具有姥植比高(4.0),明显富含奥利烷和双杜松烷,各类重排构型甾藿烷含量较高,缺乏C_(30)4-甲基甾烷的特点,且其三环萜烷C_(19-26)呈现阶梯状依次降低的特点,表明陆源有机质是其主要原始生烃母质,这符合白云凹陷发育恩平组煤系烃源岩的石油地质背景。     

Biomarkers and adamantanes in crude oils from Cenomanian deposits of northern West Siberia

Chromato-mass-spectrometric studies made it possible to identify a wide spectrum of hydrocarbon biomarkers in crude oils from Cenomanian pools of northern West Siberia (Russkoe, Pangodinskoe, Van-Eganskoe, Severo-Komsomol’skoe). The distribution pattern of the main hydrocarbon components (n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenanes, steranes, terpanes) shows that most of the oils underwent intense microbial oxidation. We have established high concentrations of 25-norhopanes typical of high-degree degradation; demethylated hopanes are also revealed in “alkane” crude oils. Among low-molecular chemofossils, bi- and tricyclic mono and sesquiterpanes have been recognized, whose precursors are usually biomolecules synthesized by plants. Unsaturated precursors of mono and sesquiterpanes might have been the starting material for thermocatalytical synthesis of framework adamantanoid structures, whose high concentrations have been found in alkane-free crude oils.     

Occurrence and composition of solid bitumens from the Bulonggoer Devonian paleo-oil reservoir,North Xinjiang,China

The Bulonggoer paleo-oil reservoir (BPR) on the northwest Junggar Basin is the first Devonian paleo-oil reservoir discovered in North Xinjiang, China. Solid bitumens occur within sandstone pores and as veins filling fractures. Samples of both types were analyzed using stable carbon isotope and reflectance measurements, as well as molecular biomarker parameters.The extremely positive δ¹³C values and biomarker indicators of depositional environment/lithology, such as pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph), C₂₉/C₃₀ hopane, diasteranes/regular steranes and dibenzothiophene/phenanthrene ratios, indicate a siliciclastic source for the BPR and their deposition in a highly reducing hypersaline environment. The presence of long chain n-alkanes and abundant tetracyclic diterpanes, C₂₀–C₂₁ tricyclic terpanes and perylene are indicators of higher plant organic matter input. Moreover, the bimodal distribution of C₂₇ > C₂₈ < C₂₉ regular steranes and abundant methyltriaromatic steroids also support a contribution of microalgae as well as higher plants organic matter. The similar molecular composition and thermal maturity parameters indicate that the reservoir and veined solid bitumens were altered from a common paleo-petroleum, which originated from peak oil window matured source rocks.All solid bitumens from the BPR are characterized by relatively low bitumen reflectance values (Rb% < 0.7), suggesting that they were generated from low temperature processes rather than oil thermal cracking. Comparatively, the Rb% values for veined bitumens are higher than reservoir bitumens, indicating that the veined bitumens occurred earlier and experienced higher thermal conditions.     

The occurence of unusual C27 and C29 sterane predominances in two types of Oman crude oil

Two types of Oman crude oils reveal unusual sterane distributions. Type “A”, which is the more common (74 examples), is characterised by a predominance of C₂₉ iso- and normal-steranes and generally none or only very low relative concentrations of rearranged-steranes. The triterpanes are characterised by the predominance of the C₂₉ 17αH, 21βH norhopane over the C₃₀ 17αH, 21βH hopane and non-predominant C₂₀–C₃₀ tricyclic terpanes. The C₂₉ steranes of this type of crude were not derived from the C₂₉ sterols of land-plant origin (frequently proposed as the source of C₂₉ steranes) since there is good geological evidence that these crudes were generated from a pre-Cambrian source rock, a geological period when land-plants did not exist.The type “B” crude oil (11 known examples) is characterised by a strong predominance of C₂₇ iso-, normal- and rearranged-steranes, relatively lower concentrations of 17αH, 21βH hopanes and relatively high concentrations of C₂₀–C₃₀ tricyclic terpanes.The remarkably different biomarker characteristics of these crude oils imply that the organisms active in the depositional environment of the respective source rocks were significantly different.