Changes in Concentration and Distribution of Biomarkers in Biodegraded Oils from Dongying Depression, China

The alkane fraction of 11 biodegraded oils and five non-biodegraded oils from the Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to investigate the biomarker alteration caused by biodegradation. Results indicated that the concentration of 25-norhopanes was correlated with increased biodegradation. The oil samples showed an increase in the C31 and C32 hopane 22S/(22S + 22R), C29 sterane C2920S/(20S + 20R), and C29ββ/(ββ + αα) thermal maturity parameters in the heavily biodegraded oils. Oleanane was preferentially biodegraded compared with C3017α-hopane, which was preferentially biodegraded compared with C2917α, 21β-norhopane, C30 moretane, and C29 25-norhopane. The selective depletion of C27-C29 steranes followed the order ααα 20R > ααα 20S + αββ 20R > αββ 20S and C27 > C29 > C28, and the diasteranes and C20-C21 steranes were much more resistant to biodegradation than regular C27-C29 steranes. The steranes were generally preferentially biodegraded compared with the hopanes in this study.