Tasmanian tasmanite: II – compound specific isotope analyses of kerogen oxidation and Raney Ni reduction products

Compound specific isotope analyses have been carried out on carboxylic acids from kerogen oxidations and hydrocarbons from Raney Ni reduction/desulfurization of maltenes from Tasmanian tasmanite. The carboxylic acids (alkanedioic and cyclic acids) have a mean δ13C of −10.5 ± 0.9‰, in the same range as the cyclic terpanes of the bitumen. The extended tricyclic terpanes (C21–C40) from the Raney Ni reduction have a mean δ13C of −10.0 ± 1.9‰, also in the same range as the tricyclanes of the bitumen. These data further support the proposed origin of the tricyclic terpanes from these tasmanite algae.