Abstract :
In this paper, two small but practical case studies are presented that demonstrate the utility of detailed petroleum fingerprinting in investigating known or suspected pipeline releases. The two cases involve: (1) a known release of automotive gasoline from a product pipeline, which was accompanied by an intense fire, which prompted an investigation to determine the source of a peculiar, non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) discovered beneath the affected area during the accident’s clean-up and (2) a former trunk line pipeline from an oil field that was suspected as the source of a recently discovered NAPL. The known facts, analytical strategy, petroleum fingerprinting data and results for each case study are presented. Respectively, these cases highlight the utility of detailed petroleum fingerprinting of the diagnostic (1) volatile hydrocarbons comprising gasoline(s) and (2) non-volatile hydrocarbons, including petroleum biomarkers and an extended suite of parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, found in crude oil(s) (and other heavy petroleum products).
