View Item 

The significance of 24-norcholestanes, 4-methylsteranes and dinosteranes in oils and source-rocks from East Sirte Basin (Libya)

Access Status
Open access
Authors
Aboglila, Salem
Grice, Kliti
Trinajstic, Kate
Snape, C.
Williford, Kenneth
Date
2011
Type
Journal Article

Metadata
Show full item record
Citation
Aboglila, Salem and Grice, Kliti and Trinajstic, Kate and Snape, C. and Williford, Kenneth. 2011. The significance of 24-norcholestanes, 4-methylsteranes and dinosteranes in oils and source-rocks from East Sirte Basin (Libya). Applied Geochemistry. 26 (9-10): pp. 1694-1705.
Source Title
Applied Geochemistry
DOI
ISSN
School
Department of Applied Chemistry
Remarks

NOTICE: This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Applied Geochemistry. Changes resulting form the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Applied Geochemistry, 26, 9-10, 2011. DOI: 10.1016/japgeochem.2011.04.026

URI
Collection
Abstract

The present paper involves a detailed evaluation of specific steroid biomarkers by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-metastable reaction monitoring (MRM) analyses of several crude oils and source rocks from the East Sirte Basin. 24-Norcholestanes, dinosteranes, 4a-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes and triaromatic steroids have been identified in both source-rocks and crude oils of the East Sirte Basin. Diatoms, dinoflagellates (including those potentially associated with corals) and/or their direct ancestors are amongst the proposed sources of these biomarkers. These biomarker parameters have been used to establish a Mesozoic oil-source correlation of the East Sirte Basin. Hydropyrolysis of an extant coral extract revealed a similar distribution (although immature) of dinosteranes and 4a-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes also observed in the Sirte oils and source-rocks. This is consistent with the presence of dinoflagellates present during the deposition of the Mesozoic aged East Sirte Basin Formations.A good data correlation for the rock extracts revealed a similar distribution of 3,24-dimethyl triaromatic steroids, 3-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes, 4-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes and 2-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes observed in one of the oil families and associated source-rocks for the East Sirte Basin.