Geochemical significance of hydrocarbons desorbed from asphaltenes

Saturate hydrocarbon fractions desorbed (cleaned) from asphaltenes extracted and separated from two core samples (a tar sand and a reservoir sandstone sample) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results indicated thatn-alkanes adsorbed in asphaltenes were kept quite well during and after severe biodegradation over 360 Ma. Hydrocarbon desorption could be an alternative method of, or even better than the pyrolysis of asphaltenes to reconstruct the hydrocarbon fingerprints of primary oils and extend the understanding of the origins of hydrocarbon reservoirs.