A new low-interference characterization method for hydrocarbons occluded inside asphaltene structures

Some hydrocarbons occluded inside asphaltene structures can be considered to be “original oil”, and are very important especially for severely post-altered crude oil in related geochemical studies such as oil/oil, oil/source correlation. The use of oxidising reagents could properly release these occluded hydrocarbons, and make possible direct study of these compounds without interference from the segments chemically bonded to the asphaltene molecule. Interference from adsorbed and/or co-precipitated compounds can be avoided by applying an asphaltene purification procedure.