Fractionated aromatic petroleums and the generation of gas-condensates

Based on experimental and observational evidence, a mode of origin involving evaporative fractionation is proposed for a class of petroleums enriched in light aromatic and naphthenic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, meta-xylene, para-xylene, methylcyclopentane, cyclohexane, and methylcyclohexane). Progressive gas loss from gas-saturated oil is suggested as the causal mechanism, with simultaneous loss of light ends in gaseous solution, and accompanying fractionation. These processes were simulated experimentally.Residual oils exhibit the following changes in their remaining light hydrocarbons, <C₉: (1) increase in aromaticity (in aromatic hydrocarbons relative to normal alkanes of molecular weight); (2) increase in “normality” (in unbranched alkanes and naphthenes relative to branched isomers), and (3) decrease in paraffinicity (in paraffins relative to naphthenes). Retrogressive changes in maturity indicators take place leading to spurious evidence of immaturity in residual oils and the derived evaporative condensates.The phenomena occur in many basins, and are a key to understanding major aspects of petroleum variability. On the basis of aromaticity and paraffinicity relationships, evaporative gas-condensates are distinguishable from those generated by thermal cracking. Unfractionated thermal gas-condensates are rare. Evaporative condensates are the daughter products of oils which have suffered evaporative fractionation.