Occurrences and distributions of branched alkylbenzenes in the Dongsheng sedimentary uranium ore deposits,China

A series of branched alkylbenzene ranging from C₁₅ to C₁₉ with several isomers (2–5) at each carbon number were identified in sediments from the Dongsheng sedimentary uranium ore deposits, Ordos Basin, China. The distribution patterns of the branched alkylbenzenes show significant differences in the sample extracts. The branched alkylbenzenes from organic-rich argillites and coals range from C₁₅ to C₁₉ homologues, in which the C₁₇ or C₁₈ dominated. On the other hand, the C₁₉ branched alkylbenzenes dominated in the sandstone/siltstone extracts. The obvious differences of the branched alkylbenzene distributions between the uranium-host sandstones/siltstones and the interbedded barren organic-rich mudstones/coals probably indicate their potential use as biological markers associated with particular depositional environments and/or maturity diagenetic processes. Possible origins for these branched alkylbenzenes include interaction of simple aromatic compounds with, or cyclization and aromatization reactions of, these linear lipid precursors such as fatty acids, methyl alkanoates, wax esters or alkanes/alkenes that occur naturally in carbonaceous sediments. The possible simple aromatic compounds may include substituted benzenes, functionalized compounds such as phenols that are bound to kerogen at the benzyl position, and phenols that are decomposition products derived from aquatic and terrestrial sources. The distributions of methyl alkanoates and n-alkanes were found to be different between organic-rich mudstone/coal and sandstone/siltstone. From this result, it can be concluded that such differences of the alkylbenzene distributions were mainly resulting from the differences of organic precursors, although maturity effect and radiolytic alteration cannot be completely excluded.     

Early diagenesis of fatty acids in lacustrine sediments—III. Changes in fatty acid composition in the sediments from a brackish water lake

A 3-m sediment core taken from Lake Suigetsu, in which a shift from fresh to brackish water occurred about three hundred years ago, has been examined for variation with depth of organic carbon and fatty acids. From the difference in total amounts of sulphur between sediments under fresh and brackish water environments, the surface sediments above approximately 35 cm depth were deduced to be accumulated under a brackish water environment. The total contents of organic carbon and fatty acids, and percentage composition of fatty acids gave discontinuous profiles above and below the 35–40 cm sediment layer. At a depth of 12.5 cm, the distribution in chain length of the fatty acids changed from a unimodal (the predominance of C₁₂-C₁₈ over C₂₀-C₃₄) to a bimodal pattern, which was mirrored by the composition diversity index (CDI).Although the fatty acids in the surface sediments (0–40 cm) from Lake Suigetsu seemed to suffer milder degradation through microbial activity than those in a core (0–150 cm) from Lake Suwa, a freshwater eutrophic lake, both lacustrine sediments showed similar trends in the alteration of fatty acid composition with depth.     

Hydrocarbons generated by hydropyrolysis of suspended marine particulate organic matter: Relationship to the oceanography of the Black Sea and the Rhodes Gyre

The suspended particulate organic matter, SPOM, in the autumnal Black Sea has been characterised using catalytic hydropyrolysis (HyPy) of the total (bound plus free) lipid material. The technique, which generates maximum yields of volatile products from sediments, kerogens and phytoplankton, was followed using gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The generated alkanes were dominated by n-C₁₈, hypothesised to arise predominantly from unsaturated C₁₈ fatty acids. Steranes were generated from reductive conversion of free and bound sterols. The generation of branched alkanes and especially of hopanes provided formal evidence for the participation of bacteria in the mineralisation of the SPOM. Whereas similar distributions of n-alkanes were generated from SPOM sampled from different depths of the comparatively well-stirred Rhodes Gyre (eastern Mediterranean), mineralisation of the SPOM at each depth of the central Black Sea produced characteristic changes in the composition and concentration of the HyPy products. Depth profiles of the n-alkanes generated from SPOM in the region of the Rim Current were affected by the local hydrography. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of anthropogenic origin were present in the surface waters of the central Black Sea. Some methyl benzenes, thiophenes and pyrroles were also generated.     

Lipid geochemistry in a sediment core from Ruoergai Marsh deposit (Eastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China)

Peats in a sediment core from Ruoergai bog, which has a cold and moist plateau climate with major source input from herbaceous plants, have been studied by GC–MS in order to understand the composition and diagenetic processes of lipids in this depositional environment. Long chain components (C₂₁–C₃₅) predominate in the n-alkanes, n-alk-1-enes, n-fatty acids, n-alkan-2-ones and n-alkanols with a maximum of C₃₁, C_27, C₂₂ or C_24, C₂₃ or C₂₅ and C₂₂, respectively. A herbaceous origin for these long chain compounds is suggested, and this is supported by their stable carbon isotopic compositions. Diterpenoid hydrocarbons with abietane, pimarane and kaurane skeletons, some of which have not been reported often in modern sediments, are prominent and are derived from higher plants. Several triterpenoid ketones and alcohols with oleanane or lupane skeletons, and a series of des-A-triterpenoid hydrocarbons which have not been reported often in modern sediments are also present, and are assigned to a higher plant source. Hopanoids, including their alkanes, alkenes, ketones, alcohols and esters, are abundant and of bacterial origin. Steroid ketones and alkanols are dominated by C₂₉ homologues. C₂₈ and C₂₉ steroids are derived mainly from higher plants, whereas the C₂₇ component is assigned to a microbial source. The presence of short-chain n-alkanes with no odd-even carbon predominance, bacterially derived fatty acids (C₁₄, C₁₅, iso- and unsaturated acids), n-alkan-2-ones, des-A-triterpenoid hydrocarbons, hopanoids and some steroid ketones indicate that intense microbial reworking of the organic matter has taken place in this depositional environment. The chemical and biochemical conversions of some cyclic alkenes to alkanes, such as tricyclic diterpenoids, tetracyclic terpenoids and steroid ketones, are also evident with depth. The dominance of C₂₀ components in the diterpenoid hydrocarbons may reflect an oxidizing or reducing depositional condition.     

Biodegraded Oil and Its High Molecular Weight (C_(35+)) n-alkanes in the Qianmiqiao Region in the Bohai Bay Basin, Northern China

With a production of 208.2 m3/d, heavy oil was produced by drill stem test (DST) from three shallow reservoirs in Sand Group Nos. Ⅰ and Ⅲ of the Neogene Guantao Formation (NgⅠ and NgⅢ) and the Eogene Dongying Formation (Ed) in an exploratory well Ban-14-1 within the Qianmiqiao region, Bohai Bay Basin, northern China. Based on the GC and GC-MS data of the NgⅠ and NgⅢ heavy oil samples, all n-alkanes and most isoprenoid hydrocarbons are lost and the GC baseline appears as an evident "hump", implying a large quantity of unresolved complex mixture (UCM), which typically revealed a result of heavy biodegradation. However, there still is a complete series of C14-C73 n-alkanes in the high-temperature gas chromatograms (HTGC) of the heavy oil, among which, the abundance of C30- n-alkanes are drastically reduced. The C35-C55 high molecular weight (HMW) n-alkanes are at high abundance and show a normal distribution pattern with major peak at C43 and an obvious odd-carbon-number predominance with CPI37-55 and     

Normal Alkane Distributions in Soil Samples along a Lhasa-Bharatpur Transect

We present n-alkane distributions in the soil samples along a transect from Lhasa on the Tibetan Plateau to Bharatpur in Nepal, which covers a large geographical area and a wide range of climatic conditions. These data allow us to assess the significance of n-alkane distributions in different vegetation types and their relationships to temperature and precipitation. In the tropical rainforest and broadleaved forest zones, n-alkanes exhibit a bimodal distribution pattern with dominant homologues around n-C_(31) and n-C_(23). The bimodal distribution of tropical rainforest n-alkanes may be a general pattern because of the presence of many lianas, epiphytic plants, algae and the strong microbial activity and degradation involved in the postdepositional process. In the warm-temperate mixed forest and needle-leaved forest zones, the long-chain alkanes have a pattern of n-C_(31) n-C_(33) n-C_(27). In the alpine shrub and grassland zone, although the most abundant homologue is n-C_(31) , relatively high n-C_(23) concentrations have also been observed in some samples. The statistical results show a good correlation between n-alkane proxies and climatic factors. The average chain length(ACL) values are positively correlated with precipitation and temperature across the transect. The carbon preference index(CPI) values show a negative correlation with temperature and precipitation along a Lhasa–Bharatpur transect. Although there is a positive relationship between ACL and temperature, it is difficult to separate the two climatic variables(temperature and precipitation) because they are well coupled in the monsoon region.     

Stable Carbon Isotopic Compositions of Methylated-MTTC in Crude Oils from Saline Lacustrine Depositional Environment: Source Implications

Significantly high abundant methyl-MethylTrimethylTridecylChromans (MTTCs) have been detected in aromatic hydrocarbon fractions in crude oils from the Jizhong Depression and Jianghan Basin. The distribution of these compounds is dominated by methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTC series, which indicate diagenetic products of a hypersaline depositional environment in the early stage and show a low degree of methylation. The occurrence of significantly high abundant methyl-MTTC depends mainly on good preservation conditions with a strongly reductive, hypersaline and water-columned depositional environment and subsequent non-intensive diagenetic transformations. The stable carbon isotopic compositions of the methyl-MTTCs and dimethyl-MTTCs in two samples are far different from the stable carbon isotopic composition of C30 hopane of apparent bacteria biogenesis (up to 4.11‰ and 5.75‰, respectively). This obviously demonstrates that the methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTCs cannot be of bacteria origin, which is different from the previous point of view about non-photosynthetic bacteria products or possible bacteria-reworked products. On the contrary, the stable carbon isotopic compositions of methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTCs in the two samples were similar to that of the same carbon-numbered n-alkanes (nC27-nC28-nC29), which indicates that they share the same source origin. Especially in the crude oil from the Zhao61 well, stable carbon isotopic compositions are also similar to that of the same carbon-numbered steranes with ααα-20R isomer (mostly less than 0.4‰). In consideration of the results of previous studies on saline lake ecological sedimentation, the authors hold that the methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTCs in the saline lake sediments should be of algal biogenesis origin.     

Monocyclic alkanes in Ordovician organic matter

The major compounds in the C₁₅₊ branched/cyclic alkane fractions of two Ordovician oils (Pine Unit and Midland Farms oils) and an immature Ordovician rock (Guttenberg Oil Rock) are monocyclics. One series of these compounds was identified as n-alkylcyclohexanes and another tentatively identified as methyl-n-alkylcyclohexanes. The carbon number distribution of these compounds resembled those of the n-alkanes found in these samples with an odd carbon number predominance. It is suggested that the monocyclic alkanes, in these Ordovician samples, may be principally derived from the cyclisation of straight-chain algal fatty acids, by mechanisms that involve decarboxylation. However, there is evidence from the m/z 97 fragmentograms of these samples, to indicate that methyl-n-alkylcyclohexanes can also be derived from fatty acids by a less preferred mechanism that does not involve decarboxylation or from other precursors.In addition, a sample of kerogen from the Guttenberg Oil Rock was hydrously pyrolysed. The saturated hydrocarbon products of this experiment showed very similar distributions (including monocyclics) to those observed in the Ordovician oils. This suggests that although the oils and the Guttenberg Oil Rock come from widely differing geographical locations, their precursor (algal derived) organic matter was very similar.     

Hydrocarbon biomarkers from Ordovician sediments and the fossil alga Gloeocapsomorpha prisca Zalessky 1917

Numerous Ordovician oils worldwide are known to show unusual and distinctive distributions of hydrocarbons which, it has been suggested, are derived from a “unique benthonic mat-forming non-photosynthetic prokaryotic organism”, Gloeocapsomorpha prisca Zalessky 1917, which is the major contributor of organic matter. Organic matter-rich sediments from the Canning and Amadeus Basins of Australia, known to contain G. prisca fossils and to have the characteristic predominance of odd carbon number (C₁₃–C₁₉) n-alkanes, were investigated to determine other hydrocarbon distributions. Sediments from both basins contained abundant n-alkylcyclohexanes with odd carbon number predominance (C₁₃–C₁₉) and methyl-n-alkylcyclohexanes (C₁₄–C₂₀) which, in immature sediments, showed an even carbon number predominance. The isomer distribution of these latter compounds was determined by direct comparison with synthetic standards. The sediments from both basins also contained very similar distributions of steranes and pentacyclic triterpanes and the derived kerogens had a characteristically light carbon isotope signature.Pyrolysis of a G. prisca-rich kerogen yielded a hydrocarbon mixture with a similar composition to the sediment extract, except that there was a marked increase in the relative abundance of pristane, phytane, alkylcyclohexanes, steranes and hopanes relative to n-alkanes. We argue on the basis of the geological, geochemical and palynological data that G. prisca was probably planktonic, photosynthetic and very possibly eukaryotic and that the striking character of Ordovician oils and sediments derive from bacterial and other diagenetic imprints superimposed on the primary signature of this organism.     

Composition and origin of lipid biomarkers in the surface sediments from the southern Challenger Deep,Mariana Trench

The surface sediments collected from the southern Mariana Trench at water depths between ca. 4900 m and 7068 m were studied using lipid biomarker analyses to reveal the origin and distribution of organic matters. For all samples, an unresolved complex mixture (UCM) was present in the hydrocarbon fractions, wherein resistant component tricyclic terpanes were detected but C₂₇–C₂₉ regular steranes and hopanes indicative of a higher molecular weight range of petroleum were almost absent. This biomarker distribution patterns suggested that the UCM and tricyclic terpanes may be introduced by contamination of diesel fuels or shipping activities and oil seepage elsewhere. The well-developed faults and strike-slip faults in the Mariana subduction zone may serve as passages for the petroleum hydrocarbons. In addition, the relative high contents of even n-alkanes and low Carbon Preference Indices indicated that the n-alkanes were mainly derived from bacteria or algae. For GDGTs, the predominance of GDGT-0 and crenarchaeol, together with low GDGT-0/Crenarchaeol ratios (ranging from 0.86 to 1.64), suggests that the GDGTs in samples from the southern Mariana Trench were mainly derived from planktic Thaumarchaeota. However, the high GDGT-0/crenarchaeol ratio (10.5) in sample BC07 suggests that the GDGTs probably were introduced by methanogens in a more anoxic environment. Furthermore, the n-alkanes C₁₉–C₂₂ and the n-fatty acids C_20:0–C_22:0 were depleted in ¹³C by 3‰ compared to n-alkanes C₁₆–C₁₈ and the n-fatty acids C_14:0–C_18:0, respectively, which was interpreted to result from the preferential reaction of fatty acid fragments with carbon “lighter” terminal carboxyl groups during carbon chain elongation from the precursors to products. The abundance of total alkanes, carboxylic acids, alcohols and total lipids were generally increased along the down-going seaward plate, suggesting the lateral organic matter inputs play an important role in organic matter accumulation in hadal trenches. The extremely high contents of biomarkers in sample BC11 were most likely related to trench topography and current dynamics, since the lower steepness caused by graben texture and proximity to the trench axis may result in higher sedimentation rate. This paper, for the first time, showed the biomarker patterns in surface sediments of the Mariana Trench and shed light on biogeochemistry of the hardly reached trench environment.     

Qualitative fatty acid and n-alkane stratigraphy of the Lake Turkana Basin,Kenya

In order to improve understanding of the stratigraphy of the Lake Turkana Basin, one of the important sites in the evolution of early man, this study evaluates the usefulness of organic biological marker compounds, n-alkanes and fatty acids, for correlation of isolated sedimentary strata.Eighty-five paleosol samples were collected from well-defined sedimentary horizons in two regions (Area 103 and Area 130) of the Koobi Fora area of Lake Turkana. Results indicate that most of the organic matter present was derived from terrestrial plant waxes. In sediments where extensive diagenesis has occurred, microbial input of organic matter may have been substantial. Algae were either not an important source of organic matter, or their marker compounds have been removed or altered by degradative processes.The fate of the original paleosol organic matter has been governed to some extent by weathering processes, especially in Area 130. Weathering decreased the amount of extractable lipids, particularly fatty acids and the low molecular weight alkanes (C₁₇C₂₀); produced or retained relatively large amounts of alkanes greater than C₂₁ within a unimodal distribution; and lowered CPI values. Consequently, stratigraphic correlation by unique alkane and fatty acid distributions has been confined to short distances (many meters).Both n-alkanes and fatty acids have been retained better by association with clay minerals than by sand matrices. The alkane distribution of sandstones differs from that of clay organics in having a narrower carbon chain length distribution and lower CPI values. In Area 103, where weathering was less severe, compositional variations with stratigraphic position indicate that lipid material has been retained within each of the facies examined.     

Fatty acid geochemistry of a 200 m sediment core from Lake Biwa,Japan. Early diagenesis and paleoenvironmental information

Fatty acids (FAs), β- and ω-hydroxy acids, α,ω-dicarboxylic acids and n-alkanes were studied in a 200 m sediment core taken from Lake Biwa, Japan. FAs showed bimodal distribution with peaks at C₁₆ and C₂₂-C₂₈. Their distribution patterns clearly changed with depth from lower molecular weight (C₁₂-C₁₉) predominance to higher molecular weight (C₂₀-C₃₂) predominance in the upper 20 m interval. Analyses of related compounds (β- and ω-hydroxy acids and α, ω-dicarboxylic acids) suggest that β- and ω-oxidative degradation of C₁₂-C₁₉ FAs has occurred in the sediments.The ratio of bound C₁₂-C₁₉ to unbound FAs increases with depth in the upper 0–1 m sediments, suggesting that unbound FAs are more labile. However, the ratio varies significantly in deeper sections and may be associated with water temperature.In the sediments deeper than 20 m in depth, C₁₂-C₁₉ FAs gradually decrease. On the other hand, higher molecular weight FAs (HFAs: C₂₀-C₃₂), which were probably derived from terrestrial plants, increase in concentration from 20 m to 100 m, suddenly decrease at 100 m and show progressively lower concentration in deeper sediments. These fluctuations are interpreted in relation to paleolimnological changes of the lake and the drainage basin. ω-Hydroxy C₂₀-C₃₀ acids and C₂₀-C₃₀α, ω-dicarboxylic acids show a distribution pattern similar to HFAs. Branched chain FAs, ω-hydroxy acids and C₉-C₁₉α,ω-dicarboxylic acids show a major peak around 3–15 m in depth. This peak is probably caused by increased bacterial activity in the water column and surface sediments in the past, which may be associated with an increase in primary production of the lake.     

Biomarker distributions as indicators for the depositional environment of lacustrine sediments in the Valjevo-Mionica basin (Serbia)

In this study, the molecular composition and biomarker distribution of lacustrine sediments from Val-1 drillhole in the central zone of the western part of the Valjevo-Mionica basin were investigated at depth interval of 0–400 m. Former investigations have shown that the core material can be separated into six depth intervals based on bulk geochemical, mineralogical and sedimentological characteristics. Concerning the quality of organic matter, presence of specific minerals, and high salinity and anoxicity, or alkalinity, three zones are of highest interest, defined at depth intervals of 15–75 m (A), 75–200 m (B) and 360–400 m (F). The first aim of the study was to identify which biomarkers characterize these specific intervals. The second aim, addressing the transitions zones of these intervals, was to extend the changes in the characteristics of the organic substance, to reflect the changes of conditions in the depositional environment as well as to define biomarker parameters which are the most sensitive sedimentological indicators.The sediments from the hypersaline anoxic and alkaline environment show high contribution of algal precursor biomass, what is in accordance with the good quality of organic substances in the sediments from these zones. High squalane content and low content of regular isoprenoid C₂₅ are typical for hypersaline anoxic environment, whereas sediments from alkaline environment have high regular isoprenoid C₂₅ content.Transition to specific sedimentation zones is characterized by change in total organic matter content, and of both free and pyrolysis-derived, and change in hydrogen index value. In the biomarker distributions, more significant changes were detected in distributions of n-alkanes and isoprenoids, compared to polycyclic alkanes. The most intensive changes in alkane distribution are reflected in changes in n-C₁₇ content compared to n-C₂₇, and phytane compared to n-C₁₈. In addition, significant sensitivity was seen in ratios between squalane and n-alkane C₂₆ (hypersaline depositional environment), or isoprenoid C₂₅ and n-alkane C₂₂ for high alkalinity environment.This study showed that Sq/n-C₂₆ ratio can be used to assess the quality of organic substance in immature lacustrine sediments.     

Possible algal origin of long chain odd n-alkanes in immature sediments as revealed by distributions and carbon isotope ratios

A Pliocene oil shale (Pula, Hungary), a C₃ plant Triticum aestivum and a C₄ plant Zea mays were compared using isotopic composition of bulk organic matter, along with distributions and individual carbon isotope ratios of n-alkanes from organic extracts. The microalga Botryococcus braunii (A race) was thus shown to be the main source of the predominant 27, 29 and 31 n-alkanes of Pula sediment Therefore, the dominance of odd carbon-numbered n-alkanes in the range C₂₅–₃₅ in extracts from immature sediments shall not be systematically assigned to higher plant contribution but algal input is also possible. In fact, the long chain n-alkanes with an odd predominance previously observed in extracts of various immature sediments are likely to be derived at least partially, from algae.     

The lipid chemistry of an interfacial sediment from the Peru Continental Shelf: Fatty acids,alcohols, aliphatic ketones and hydrocarbons

A sample of the sediment-water column interface which lies on the continental shelf under the Peru upwelling regime, has been examined for fatty acids, fatty alcohols, ketones and hydrocarbons. Fatty acids were the most abundant compound class, ranging from C₁₂-C₂₄, with 16:0 as the major component (765.5 μg/g dry sediment). The alcohols were dominated by 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-2-en-ol (phytol), with even-chain n-alcohols in the range C₁₄-C₂₀. The ketones consisted of C₃₇-C₃₉ di- and tri-unsaturated alken-2-ones and alken-3-ones. Both alkanes and alkenes were present in the hydrocarbon fraction; the alkanes ranging from C₁₃ — C₂₀ and comprising both straight chain and isoprenoid compounds; the alkenes consisting of isomeric pairs of C₂₅ branched trienes and tetraenes. The data indicate that the organic content has been contributed very largely from marine sources (probably mainly from phytoplankton and bacteria), showing little terrigenous influence. The presence of labile compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (with two to six double bonds), implies that the sediment has undergone very little diagenetic alteration, and the lipids are probably largely unchanged from the state in which they actually reached the sediment. They may therefore serve as a useful baseline in assessing diagenesis in older sediments, where diagenetic transformations are more advanced.     

Sulphur-containing compounds in sulphur-rich crude oils from hypersaline lake sediments and their geochemical implications

Three sulphur-rich commercial crude oils have been studied, which contain sulphur as high as up to 4–12%. These samples were collected from Tertiary hypersaline lake sediments of the Jianghan Basin, Hubei Province at different depths, but above the oil generation threshold (2200m). FPD-GC and GC-MS data show that aromatic fractions of the crude oils are composed of different homologues of sulphur-containing compounds, including long-chain normal alkyl-thiophenes and-thiolanes, long-chain isoprenoid-thiophenes and -thiolanes, and benzothiophenes. It is worth noting that the distribution patterns of long-chain alkyl-thiophenes and -thiolanes from two shallow-seated crude oils are quite similar to those of normal alkanes showing marked even-odd predominance. It seems that the even-odd predominance of sulphur-containing compounds decreases with increasing burial depth of the crude oils. The major component of aliphatic fraction is phytane, and similarly the major peaks of aromatic fractions also represent C₂₀ isoprenoid thiophenes. Some preliminary conclusions have been drawn from the above discussion: (1) Abundant sulphur-containing compounds may be used as an indicator of low mature or immature crude oils produced from hypersaline lake sediments; (2) Sulphur-containing compounds are considered to be early diagenetic products of reactions between elemental sulphur or sulfides and alkanes or their precursors (phytols, fatty acids, alcohols, etc.), or of bacterial activities, but not direct inputs of organisms.     

Conversion of sedimentary fatty acids from extractable (unbound + bound) to tightly bound form during mild heating

Prolonged heating (1–248 days) of a recent sediment was conducted under mild conditions (65 and 83°C) to understand the thermal behavior of extractable (unbound and bound) fatty acids (C_12C32). In the course of the heating, the concentrations of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids first decreased, and then increased. This indicates that extractable fatty acids can be converted to a tightly bound form upon heating, before fatty acids are extensively released from sediment matrices. Changes in molecular distributions of extractable fatty acids upon heating were also observed. The higher molecular weight fatty acids (?C₂₀) are more likely to become tightly bound than are lower molecular weight (<C₂₀). Monounsaturated fatty acids (C_16:1 and C_18:1) are more easily converted to the tightly bound form than polyunsaturated fatty acids (C_18:2 and C_18:3). These differences probably reflect their mode of occurrence in sediments, which are closely related to their origin.     

The effect of source material,rock type and diagenesis on the n-alkane content of sediments

The effects of diagenesis on marine organic material have been compared to those on terrestrial organic material in three Australian oil exploration wells. n-Alkaae distributions obtained for limestones ranged from C₁₅ to C₂₅ with no odd-even predominance and showed little variation with depth. n-Alkane distributions obtained for shales ranged from C₁₅ to C₃₃ and frequently had a pronounced odd-even predominance. Differences in the rates of hydrocarbon diagenesis between different rock types may be due to variations in either clay mineral content or the nature of the parent organic material. The individual n-alkane distributions of the sediments are determined by source material, degree of diagenesis and lithofacies.     

Occurrence and distribution of long-chain acyclic ketones in immature coals

Seven coal and carbonaceous mudstone samples were collected from outcropping Jurassic coal beds, on the margin of the Dingxi Basin, Northwestern China. The n-alkane distributions in all of the samples are characterised by high concentrations of the C₁₉–C₂₉ homologues, and very much lower amounts outside of this range. C₂₃ or C₂₄ are usually the most abundant n-alkanes. Straight chain n-alkanes from C₂₃ to C₂₉ show moderate odd-to-even C number predominances (CPI range: 1.26–2.70). Long-chain acyclic n-alkan-2-ones, n-alkan-3-ones and n-alkan-4-ones ranging from C₁₅ to C₃₃ with moderate odd-to-even C number predominances, were detected together with one isoprenoid methyl ketone (6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one) in all of the samples. The C number distributions of the three series of alkanones show a similar distribution to that of the n-alkanes, but the correspondence is not sufficient to substantiate a product–precursor relationship. It can be concluded that the n-alkan-2-ones are a mixture of the products of microbially-mediated β-oxidation of corresponding n-alkanes in the sediments and from the microbial oxidation of higher plant-derived n-alkanes prior to incorporation in the sediments. The n-alkan-3-ones and n-alkan-4-ones were formed from microbially mediated oxidation of the corresponding n-alkanes in the γ and δ positions, respectively. Generation of the ketones from higher plant n-fatty alcohols and n-alkanoic acids could be a possible way to form some of the ketones observed, but it can only play a minor role in the samples analysed.     

Oil-generating coals of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado, U.S.A.

Coal beds of the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado have significant liquid hydrocarbon generation potential as indicated by typical Rock-Eval Hydrogen Indexes in the range of 200–400 mg hydrocarbon/g organic carbon (type II and III organic matter). Small, non-commercial quantities of oil have been produced from the coal beds at several locations. The oils are characterized by high pristane/phytane (ca 4) and pristane/n-C₁₇ ratios (ca 1.2), abundant C₂₁₊ alkanes in the C₁₀₊ fraction with a slight predominance of odd carbon-numbered n-alkanes, abundant branched-chain alkanes in the C₁₅₊ region, and a predominance of methylcyclohexane in the C₄----C₁₀ fraction. The oils are indigenous to the Fruitland Formation coals and probably migrated at thermal maturities corresponding to vitrinite reflectance values in the range 0.7–0.8%. Although the oils found to date are not present in commercial amounts, these findings illustrate the potential of some coals to generate and expel oil under conditions of moderate thermal heating.