BULK COMPOSITION OF SOME SAUDI ARABIAN CRUDE OILS IN RELATION TO MATURATION, ORIGIN AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

Ten crude oil samples, covering wide range of maturity (API = 18.5−36.1), were assembled from Safaniya, Abqiq, Ain-Dar, Wafra, Marjan, and Zulf oil fields in the area of Arabian Gulf. Different analytical techniques, including liquid chromatographic separation, gas chromatography, and nuclear magnet...

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Published inPetroleum science and technology Vol. 15; no. 9-10; pp. 839 - 856
Main Authors El-Sabagh, S.M., Al-Dhafeer, M.M., Faramawy, S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01.11.1997
Taylor & Francis
Subjects
Applied sciences
Constitution and properties of crude oils, shale oils, natural gas and bitumens. Analysis and characteristics
Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Fuels
Saudi Arabia
Asia
Biodegradation
Gas chromatography
Chemical analysis
Petroleum origin
Crude oil
Oil maturation
Geochemistry
Experimental study
Petroleum migration
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Summary:Ten crude oil samples, covering wide range of maturity (API = 18.5−36.1), were assembled from Safaniya, Abqiq, Ain-Dar, Wafra, Marjan, and Zulf oil fields in the area of Arabian Gulf. Different analytical techniques, including liquid chromatographic separation, gas chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, were used to characterize the oil samples. Some bulk and specific compositional parameters were used for oil-oil correlations in order to evaluate thermal maturation, origin, biodegradation and depositional environments of the crude oils. Considering the maturity relationships, it was suggested that the bulk composition of Wafra/Iucene crude oil was altered due to biodegradation and vertical migration. Correlation between API gravity and PAP of aromatic fraction indicated two maturity levels of onshore and offshore oil fields. The distribution of n-alkanes reflected the marine origin of the crude oils. Isoprenoids/n-alkanes and pristane/phytane ratios were determined by capillary GC of a middle distillate of the crude oil samples. The correlations showed that the oil samples, except for those collected from Wafra oil field, are normal mature crude oils which were deposited under oxidizing environments. The much lower Pr/Ph ratio of Wafra/Iucene oil field could be considered as an indicator of reducing depositional environments.
ISSN:1091-6466
1532-2459
DOI:10.1080/10916469708949692