Organic geochemistry of the Lower Suban coal seam, South Sumatra Basin, Indonesia: Palaeoecological and thermal metamorphism implications

Hydrocarbons extracted from the Tertiary age coals from the Lower Suban seam, South Sumatra Basin, Indonesia have been investigated using gas chromatography (GC) and combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Low rank (vitrinite–huminite reflectance 0.41–0.45%) coals from the Tambang Air Laya mine represent different maceral assemblages of an ideal succession of ombrogenous palaeo-peat development in a vertical section. High rank coals (vitrinite reflectance 1.42–5.18%) from the Suban mine have been thermally metamorphosed by an andesitic intrusion. Variations in the distributions of n-alkanes, isoprenoids and saturated and aromatic biomarkers in the low rank coals reflect variations in local source input and palaeomire conditions. Terpenoid biomarkers, such as cadinane- and eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoids and oleanane- and ursane-type triterpenoids, indicate the predominance of angiosperm plants in the palaeomire, particularly Dipterocarpaceae. The distribution of hopanoids is affected by the organic facies of the coal and their maturity, and correlates with the palaeomire evolution as derived from petrological studies. Close to the igneous intrusion, rapid thermal stress has destroyed most of the biomarkers, but variations in n-alkane distributions, attributable to palaeomire conditions, remain. Reversals in the trends for molecular parameters based on aliphatic hydrocarbons (n-alkane distribution and pristane/phytane ratio) and aromatic hydrocarbons (methyl phenanthrenes) with coal rank are observed.