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Terpane Characterization of Crude Oils from Niger Delta, Nigeria: A Geochemical Appraisal

Received: 29 November 2022    Accepted: 26 December 2022    Published: 20 March 2023
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Abstract

The geochemistry of crude oils from the Niger Delta, Nigeria, were evaluated using the characterization of C19 to C35 terpanes. Analyses of two representative crude oils from Western and Central Niger Delta showed abundances of C19 to C29 tricyclic terpanes constituted 12.09% and 29.74%, C24 tetracyclic terpane 0.31% and 0.15% and C27 to C35 pentacyclic terpanes 87.61% and 70.12%, respectively. Diagnostic ratios of terpanes indicated relatively low abundances of C23, C28 and C29 tricyclic terpanes, low abundances of homohopanes, a significantly high abundance of oleanane and that the Niger Delta crude oils were derived from terrestrial organic matter source rocks deposited in an oxic environment during the Tertiary period. Multivariate oil-oil correlation plot showed the Western and Central Niger Delta crude oils are not distinct, but moderately related (genetically). However, diagnostic ratios of C24 tetracyclic terpane, which was high and moderate and gammacerane, which was low and high, revealed crude oils from Western Niger Delta were derived from predominantly terrestrial source and crude oils from Central Niger Delta were derived from terrestrial source with input from marine organic matter, respectively. Tricyclic terpanes/hopanes and isomerization ratios of C32 homohopanes indicated the Niger Delta crude oils were generated at high maturity, at top of the oil generation window.

Published in Petroleum Science and Engineering (Volume 7, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11
Page(s) 1-6
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Geochemistry, Terpane, Correlation, Niger Delta, Gammacerane, Abundance, Crude Oil

References
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  • APA Style

    Mark Obinna Onyema, Michael Junior Ajie. (2023). Terpane Characterization of Crude Oils from Niger Delta, Nigeria: A Geochemical Appraisal. Petroleum Science and Engineering, 7(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11

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    ACS Style

    Mark Obinna Onyema; Michael Junior Ajie. Terpane Characterization of Crude Oils from Niger Delta, Nigeria: A Geochemical Appraisal. Pet. Sci. Eng. 2023, 7(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11

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    AMA Style

    Mark Obinna Onyema, Michael Junior Ajie. Terpane Characterization of Crude Oils from Niger Delta, Nigeria: A Geochemical Appraisal. Pet Sci Eng. 2023;7(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11,
      author = {Mark Obinna Onyema and Michael Junior Ajie},
      title = {Terpane Characterization of Crude Oils from Niger Delta, Nigeria: A Geochemical Appraisal},
      journal = {Petroleum Science and Engineering},
      volume = {7},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-6},
      doi = {10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.pse.20230701.11},
      abstract = {The geochemistry of crude oils from the Niger Delta, Nigeria, were evaluated using the characterization of C19 to C35 terpanes. Analyses of two representative crude oils from Western and Central Niger Delta showed abundances of C19 to C29 tricyclic terpanes constituted 12.09% and 29.74%, C24 tetracyclic terpane 0.31% and 0.15% and C27 to C35 pentacyclic terpanes 87.61% and 70.12%, respectively. Diagnostic ratios of terpanes indicated relatively low abundances of C23, C28 and C29 tricyclic terpanes, low abundances of homohopanes, a significantly high abundance of oleanane and that the Niger Delta crude oils were derived from terrestrial organic matter source rocks deposited in an oxic environment during the Tertiary period. Multivariate oil-oil correlation plot showed the Western and Central Niger Delta crude oils are not distinct, but moderately related (genetically). However, diagnostic ratios of C24 tetracyclic terpane, which was high and moderate and gammacerane, which was low and high, revealed crude oils from Western Niger Delta were derived from predominantly terrestrial source and crude oils from Central Niger Delta were derived from terrestrial source with input from marine organic matter, respectively. Tricyclic terpanes/hopanes and isomerization ratios of C32 homohopanes indicated the Niger Delta crude oils were generated at high maturity, at top of the oil generation window.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    T1  - Terpane Characterization of Crude Oils from Niger Delta, Nigeria: A Geochemical Appraisal
    AU  - Mark Obinna Onyema
    AU  - Michael Junior Ajie
    Y1  - 2023/03/20
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11
    T2  - Petroleum Science and Engineering
    JF  - Petroleum Science and Engineering
    JO  - Petroleum Science and Engineering
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 6
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-4516
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pse.20230701.11
    AB  - The geochemistry of crude oils from the Niger Delta, Nigeria, were evaluated using the characterization of C19 to C35 terpanes. Analyses of two representative crude oils from Western and Central Niger Delta showed abundances of C19 to C29 tricyclic terpanes constituted 12.09% and 29.74%, C24 tetracyclic terpane 0.31% and 0.15% and C27 to C35 pentacyclic terpanes 87.61% and 70.12%, respectively. Diagnostic ratios of terpanes indicated relatively low abundances of C23, C28 and C29 tricyclic terpanes, low abundances of homohopanes, a significantly high abundance of oleanane and that the Niger Delta crude oils were derived from terrestrial organic matter source rocks deposited in an oxic environment during the Tertiary period. Multivariate oil-oil correlation plot showed the Western and Central Niger Delta crude oils are not distinct, but moderately related (genetically). However, diagnostic ratios of C24 tetracyclic terpane, which was high and moderate and gammacerane, which was low and high, revealed crude oils from Western Niger Delta were derived from predominantly terrestrial source and crude oils from Central Niger Delta were derived from terrestrial source with input from marine organic matter, respectively. Tricyclic terpanes/hopanes and isomerization ratios of C32 homohopanes indicated the Niger Delta crude oils were generated at high maturity, at top of the oil generation window.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Petroleum and Environmental Geochemistry Research Group, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

  • Petroleum and Environmental Geochemistry Research Group, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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