Biodegradation of oil reservoirs

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6817836

Crawford, R J; Spyckerelle, C; Westlake, D W.S.

The effects of microbiological degradation on several conventional pooled oils and on oil sand bitumens were studied. Samples of a Prudhoe Bay (PB) crude were examined for comparison with Lower Cretaceous pooled oils such as Bellshill Lake (BH) and Lloydminster (L1) along with oil sand bitumens from the Cold Lake (CL), Peace River (PR) and Athabasca oil sands. The gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy processes reveal close similarities between the biodegradation products of the oil from Prudhoe Bay and the oil sands and heavy oils of Alberta. A common source for all of these oils is not postulated although they probably share a similar origin and diagenetic history. These results do not give a direct indication as to the maturity and thermal history of the Alberta oil sands but they do support the hypothesis that the oil sands, and some conventional crude oils found in the reservoirs of the Lower Cretaceous formation of Alberta share a common origin and are related by their degrees of biodegradation.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton
• OSTI ID: 6817836
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Journal Volume: 22:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040201 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
BIODEGRADATION
BITUMENS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
OIL SAND DEPOSITS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORIGIN
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
TAR