Hydrocarbon geochemistry in surface sediments of Alaskan Outer Continental shelf

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6735577

Venkatesan, M I; Kaplan, I R; Ruth, E

The C/sub 15/+ hydrocarbons in 220 surface sediments from the outer continental shelf of Alaska were analyzed as part of an environmental survey supervised by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Bureau of Land Management. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were employed for the identification of organic compounds in the bitumen extracts. Surface sediments from one station in southeastern Bering Sea and two stations in lower Cook Inlet display n-alkanes and triterpenoid distribution typical of weathered petroleum. Major faulting in the vicinity of the southeastern Bering Sea station may account for the leakage of petroleum from subsurface reservoir rocks. Oil production in upper Cook Inlet, or a hitherto unrecorded seep in the area, could contribute petroleum hydrocarbons to the sediments from the two stations in lower Cook Inlet. Apart from these stations, there is little evidence of nearsurface petroleum seeps in the sites investigated.

• Research Organization: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics and Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
• OSTI ID: 6735577
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Vol. 67:5; ISSN AAPGB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALASKA
ALKANES
BERING SEA
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROCARBONS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RESOURCES
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SURFACE WATERS
TERPENES
USA