Dinosterane and other steroidal hydrocarbons of dinoflagellate origin in sediments and petroleum

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(87)90381-4· OSTI ID:5278727

Summons, R E ^[1]; Volkman, J K ^[2]; Boreham, C J ^[3]

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1. Baas Becking Geobiological Lab., Canberra (Australia)
2. CSIRO Division of Oceanography, Tasmania (Australia)
3. Division of Continental Geology, Canberra (Australia)

The steroidal alkanes of a selection of sediments and oils have been examined by GC-MS with multiple metastable reaction monitoring. Specific 4-methyl sterane isomers have been identified by comparison with isomers synthesized from sterols isolated from dinoflagellates. An immature marine oil shale and two mature marine oils of Triassic to early Cretaceous age contained high concentrations of C{sub 30} steranes comprising desmethyl, 24-ethyl-4{alpha}-methylcholestane and 4{alpha},23,24-trimethylcholestane (dinosterane) isomers. An immature non-marine oil shale and two non-marine oils of Cretaceous to Eocene age contained stereoisomers of 24-ethyl-4{alpha}-methylcholestane as the dominant C{sub 30} steranes. Reaction monitoring analyses in GC-MS are particularly suited to unravelling complex distributions of homologous and stereoisomeric steroids encountered in oils and their source rocks.

• OSTI ID: 5278727
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Vol. 51:11; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM
MATURATION
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
SOURCE ROCKS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ALKANES
DINOFLAGELLATE
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
OIL SHALES
ORIGIN
SEDIMENTS
STEROIDS
TRIASSIC PERIOD
ANIMALS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROCARBONS
INVERTEBRATES
MASTIGOPHORA
MATERIALS
MESOZOIC ERA
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL RESOURCES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTOZOA
RESOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
023000 - Petroleum- Properties & Composition