--> Abstract: Naphthenic Acid Distribution in Crude Oils: Effects of Biodegradation; #90063 (2007)

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Naphthenic Acid Distribution in Crude Oils: Effects of Biodegradation

 

Chen, ZhengZheng1, J. Michael Moldowan2 (1) Stanford University, Houston, TX (2) Stanford University, Stanford, CA

 

Californian oils and Mediterranean oils have drastically different acid profiles with increasing severity of biodegradation. Biodegraded oils from San Joaquin Valley are characterized by a sequential generation-destruction pattern of naphthenic acids, which include n-alkanoic acids, tricyclic-terpenoid acids, and penta-cyclic terpenoid acids. Oils and rock extracts from Mediterranean basin, however, features incremental abundance in all three types of acids. 25-norhopanoic acids remained the most resistant acid components in Californian samples while being absent in Mediterranean sample sets. Profiles of acid components provides independent evidence about bacterial activities involved in biodegradation. For heavily biodegraded oils, dominance of different types of acids may have implications in explaining inconsistency observed between crude oil corrosivity and total acid number.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California