Identification and occurrence of dihydro-ar-curcumene in crude oils and sediments

A suite of crude oils and sediments with a range of locations, source types, palaeoenvironments and ages has been analysed for dihydro-ar-curcumene. The concentrations of dihydro-ar-curcumene in 16 crude oils and sediments ranged from <5 to 700 μg/g. Dihydro-ar-curcumene in sediments is suggested to be derived from sesquiterpenoids of the bisabolane skeletal type. The widespread occurrence of this type of sesquiterpenoid in terrestrial plants, and the association of this compound with biomarkers of higher plant origin in sediments, suggests that dihydro-ar-curcumene in sediments is derived primarily from higher plants.