[Identification of crude oils in Bohai Sea by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon fingerprinting]

Crude oils from different sources have quite different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) distributions. Also, many PAH compounds are more resistant to weathering than their saturated counterparts (n-alkanes and isoprenoids) and volatile alkylbenzene compounds, thus PAils become one of the most valuable classes of hydrocarbons for oil identification using fingerprinting. A reliable, effective, and accurate gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for the differentiation and source identification of crude oils by the use of PAH compounds is described. PAll components of 6 crude oil samples from 5 different platforms in 4 different oil fields in Bohal Sea were analyzed by GC/MS. Using different methods, such as the comparisons of original fingerprinting, characteristic information, and diagnostic ratios of PAHs, 6 crude oil samples were identified completely, which showed distinctive characteristics of the same platform oils. Although distinction was diminutive, it can still be identified by GC/MS. PAHs could be used in weathering check of spilled oils in identification and to ensure the correctness of the identification.