OCCURRENCE OF PHENYLALKANES IN SOME AUSTRALIAN CRUDE OILS AND SEDIMENTS

Evidence is presented to support the proposition that phenylalkanes in some Australian crude oils and sediments are of geochemical origin as opposed to resulting from contamination from byproducts of the petroc hemical manufacture of surfactants. Evidence presented shows that: (1) an unexposed sediment core was found to contain phenylalkanes; (2) th e molecular weight rang of phenylalkanes in sediments and crude oils i s usually wider than that found in surfactants, extending in some case s beyond C-35; (3) abundant phenylalkanes were generated by pyrolysis of extracted sediments, and (4) phenylalkanes were found in the neutra l lipid extract of extant Thermoplasma bacteria. Also, the presence of phenylalkanes and possibly phenylalkenes in the pyrolyzates of torban ites suggests that these compounds may also be formed from fossil alga e. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd