Geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons in cracking gases from chloroform bitumen A, crude oil and its fractions

The composition characteristics of light hydrocarbons from crude oil, chloroform bitumen A, saturated hydrocarbon fraction, aromatic hydrocarbon fraction, and asphaltene fraction during cracking have been studied systematically. The results revealed that the content of n-alkanes, branched alkanes and cycloalkanes in light hydrocarbons from the samples gradually decreased as the simulation temperature increased, and finally almost depleted completely, while the abundance of methane, benzene and its homologues increased obviously and became the main products. The ratios of benzene/n-hexane and toluene/n-heptane can be used as measures for oil cracking levels. Variation characteristics of maturity parameters of light hydrocarbons, for example, iC(4)/nC(4,) iC(5)/nC(5), isoheptane value, 2,2-DMC4/nC(6), and 2-MC6+3-MC6/nC(7) for different samples with increasing pyrolysis temperature, are consistent with those in petroleum reservoirs, indicating that these parameters may be efficient maturity index.