Application of gas chromatography with atomic emission detection to the geochemical investigation of polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles in Egyptian crude oils

Twelve crude oils from a number of producing wells in the Gulf of Suez and Western Desert, Egypt were characterized by a variety of saturate biomarker compositions. The biomarker distribution clearly grouped the Gulf of Suez oils into two source-related types but revealed significant differences among the Western Desert oils. The oils were fractionated into saturates, mono- and polyaromatics; and the distribution of polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASH) in the polyaromatics fraction was investigated by gas chromatography (GC) with atomic emission detector (AED) in the carbon- and sulfur-selective modes. This makes possible the evaluation of the distribution patterns of PASHs even in cases where their relative abundance is low. The thiophenic distribution fingerprints were utilized for oil/oil correlations. Significant differences in the relative abundance of benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes were obvious between the Gulf of Suez and Western Desert oils. Moreover, the PASH pattern distinguished between oils derived from carbonate and siliciclastic source rocks. Maturity parameters based upon methyldibenzothiophene isomers were found consistent with other maturity-dependent saturate biomarkers.