H. Budzinski et al., ALKYLATED PHENANTHRENE DISTRIBUTIONS AS MATURITY AND ORIGIN INDICATORS IN CRUDE OILS AND ROCK EXTRACTS, Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 59(10), 1995, pp. 2043-2056
Methylphenanthrene (MP), dimethylphenanthrene (DMP), and trimethylphen
anthrene (TMP) distributions have been determined in crude oils and ro
ck extracts from different origins at various stages of thermal maturi
ty. A methodological approach combining Correspondence Factor Analysis
and Nonlinear Mapping (NLM) was used for extracting origin/maturity i
nformation from these data. It allowed to benefit from the advantages
of both methods. The use of such a multivariate data analysis appeared
much more efficient than the use of molecular ratios that can be too
restrictive and mask specific distribution patterns. This approach per
formed on the set of natural samples clearly demonstrated the discrimi
nation between the samples through the presence of specific methyl-, d
imethyl-, and trimethylphenanthrene isomers as origin/maturity markers
. Based on MP, DMP, and TMP distributions, it is possible to distingui
sh the variations in organic matter type from the effects of thermal m
aturation. Some substituted phenanthrenes in each isomer series appear
as characteristic of the two studied systems: The Aquitaine basin as
representative of a marine carbonate environment and the Mahakam delta
as representative of a terrestrial environment (higher plants). These
compounds could be tentatively related to natural precursors such as
triterpenoids or hopanoids.