Acidic polar compounds in petroleum: a new analytical methodology and applications as molecular migration indices

Abstract

A new method for analysis of acidic polar compounds, is described and discussed. It allows the simultaneous quantification of carboxylic acids, phenols and carbazoles and combines accuracy with a short turnaround time, a requirement strictly necessary for industrial applications. Routinely use of this methodology (more than 50 applications in many different sedimentary basins) has supplied many important pieces of information about oil origin, maturity, biodegradation and, in particular, has allowed to define a molecular migration index (MMI), based on relative abundance of phenol and alkyl phenols. The combination of well-established geochemical tools focused on saturated and aromatic fractions (such as biomarkers, compound specific isotope ratio analysis, and GC fingerprinting) with this methodology results in the definition of an integrated interpretative sequence. This last enhances the quality of interpretations through cross-checks and permits a better exploitation of oil samples by using also their less explored fraction, i.e. the polar compounds. Application results of this methodology are only shortly mentioned in this paper, which is mainly focused on analytical aspects. The results will be more extensively discussed in a future publication.