Biomarkers in crude oil revealed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry: Depositional paleoenvironment proxies

Crude oil samples from two basins were analyzed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOFMS) to better understand the compositional heterogeneity of branched-cyclic hydrocarbons. GC×GC–TOFMS and conventional GC–MS results were compared. GC×GC–TOFMS revealed a wide range of compounds, including tricyclic, tetracyclic and pentacyclic terpane series, rearranged hopanes, methyl hopanes, secohopanes, onoceranes and steranes. Assignment of methyl hopane and 8,14-secohopane series other than onocerane isomers was only possible due to the high peak capacity and sensitivity of GC×GC. The oils comprised a mixture of two end members: non-biodegraded oil with abundant tricyclic terpanes and hopanes, and severely biodegraded oil with abundant 8,14-secohopane and demethylated tricyclic terpanes. A predominance of two distinct series, 3β-methylhopane and onocerane, was detected only in the lacustrine samples (classification based on biomarker parameters). In contrast, the predominance of a 2α-methylhopane series and lack of onocerane were found only for the marine oil sample. The results suggest that the distribution of 3β- and 2α-methylhopane series and the presence or absence of onocerane isomers reflect genetic differences in the source organic matter and that these compounds are new classes of biomarkers that can used as depositional paleoenvironment proxies.