Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
Oil samples from the Monterey formation (California) and McMurray (Canada) formations have been analysed in order to relate bacterial biodegradation and metallo-porphyrins found in crude oils. The choice of samples was made according to biodegradation levels, in order to relate these processes with pigment degradation. Vanadyl and nickel petro-porphyrins were isolated by column chromatography, analyzed by Mass Spectrometry, and were correlated to maturity with DPEP to ETIO ratios and plots of %DPEP vs. alkylation indices. Experimental data indicates that (1) biodegradation and maturity are two independent chemical processes, and (2) that biodegradation does not affect the vanadyl porphyrin profile, thus making them excellent indicators of pre-biodegradation thermal histories for the source bitumen.
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