Biodegradation of organic sulfur compounds in crude oils from Oman
- Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg (Netherlands)
Five closely related crude oils from Oman, showing various degrees of biodegradation ranging from non-biodegraded to severely biodegraded, were quantitatively investigated for free and sulfur-bound hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons sequestered in the alkylsulfide fraction and the polar fraction were analysed after Raney Ni desulfurisation and subsequent hydrogenation. With increasing degree of biodegradation, pristane (Pr), phytane (Ph) and a series of mid-chain methyl alkanes are enriched relative to the n-alkanes, as evidenced by increased Pr/n-C{sub 17} and Ph/n-C{sub 18} ratios. In the severely biodegraded oil no free n-alkanes, mid-chain alkanes or isoprenoid alkanes could be detected. Sterane and hopane distributions, however, remain unchanged throughout the biodegradation series. Hydrocarbons sequestered in the alkylsulfide fraction (i.e. n-alkanes, mid-chain methyl alkanes, Pr and Ph) are biodegraded at lower rates than the corresponding hydrocarbons in the saturated hydrocarbon fraction. Similar hydrocarbons sequestered in the polar fraction are biodegraded at even lower rates. These results suggest that hydrocarbons bound by a higher amount of sulfur links are biodegraded at a lower rate.
- OSTI ID:
- 370441
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960376-; TRN: 96:003805-0493
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Spring national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), New Orleans, LA (United States), 24-28 Mar 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 211th ACS national meeting; PB: 2284 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Geochemical character and origin of oils in Ordovician reservoir rock, Illinois and Indiana, USA
Structural investigations of Alberta oil sand bitumens