Alkene/alkane correlations within olefin-containing Paleozoic crude oils from Oklahoma and Texas

Six Paleozoic crude oils from Oklahoma and Texas (U.S.A.), with olefin contents ranging from 0.5 to 7.2% were investigated for their content of olefins. The saturates, and saturated fractions prepared by hydrogenation of isolated olefins, were analyzed by gas chromatography. The Pr/n-C17; Ph/n-C18 and Pr/Ph ratios were measured. In each of the oils, the distribution of n-alkenes was found to be similar to that of the n-alkanes in the carbon number range C13–C30. Also, the amount of each olefin is almost directly proportional to each corresponding alkane, in the six oils studied.