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On the basis of the results of simulation experiments, now we better understand the contribution of high carbon number hydrocarbons to diamondoid generation during thermal pyrolysis of crude oil and its sub-fractions (saturated, aromatic, resin, and asphalene fractions). However, little is known about the effect of volatile components in oil on diamondoid generation and diamondoid indices due to the lack of attention to these components in experiments. In this study, the effect of volatile components in oil on diamondoid generation and maturity indices was investigated by the pyrolysis simulation experiments on a normal crude oil from the HD23 well of the Tarim Basin and its residual oil after artificial volatilization, combined with quantitative analysis of diamondoids. The results indicate that the volatile components (≤ nC) in oil have an obvious contribution to the generation of adamantanes, which occurs mainly in the early stage of oil cracking (Easy R<1.0%), and influences the variations in maturity indices of adamantanes; but they have no obvious effect on the generation and maturity indices of diamantanes. Therefore, some secondary alterations e.g., migration, gas washing, and biodegradation, which may result in the loss of light hydrocarbons in oil under actual geological conditions, could affect the identification of adamantanes generated during the late-stage cracking of crude oil, and further influence the practical application of adamantane indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal maturation-related variations in the abundance and distribution of diamondoids in source rocks were investigated by thermal simulation experiments on extracts and kerogen obtained from a same marine shale, and by quantitative analysis of diamondoids within pyrolysates using highly sensitive and selective gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–MS–MS). The results indicate that diamondoids within the marine shale are generated mainly during 0.8%–1.7% EasyRo, generally deriving from extractable organic matter within source rocks, and are destroyed after 1.7% EasyRo to be entirely removed by ca. 3.0% EasyRo. Ternary plots of the relative distribution of diamondoids and bivariate diagrams for diamondoid parameters (e.g., DMA/MD vs. DMAI-1, and DMA/MD vs. TMAI-1) show systematic changes in diamondoids with increasing thermal maturity (expressed as EasyRo). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of anhydrous pyrolysis experiments, using sealed gold tubes, were performed on three types of kerogen to investigate the effect organic matter type has on the generation and evolution of thermogenic diamondoids. Based on the compositional variation of pyrolysis products, the cracking of kerogens can be divided into three stages: oil generation (0.6%–1.5% EasyRo), wet-gas generation (1.5%–2.1% EasyRo) and dry-gas generation (>2.1% EasyRo). The experimental results indicate that diamondoids were mainly generated in the oil and wet-gas generation stages and decomposed in the dry-gas generation stage. In addition to thermal maturity, the formation of diamondoids is also influenced by the type of organic matter. Type I and II A kerogens produced more diamondoids than Type III kerogen, and diamondoids generated from Type III kerogen were dominantly adamantanes. Therefore, the concentration and concentration ratios of diamondoids can be used to assess the maturity of source rocks (1.0%–1.5% EasyRo) and determine the type of organic matter (1.0%–2.0% EasyRo). Isomerization ratios of diamondoids depend mainly on thermal maturity and the type of organic matter has little effect. The use of isomerization ratios to determine thermal maturity is best for source rocks at higher maturity levels (1.5%–3.0% EasyRo). Therefore, bivariate diagrams of concentration versus isomerization indices of diamondoids (e.g., DMAs/MDs vs. DMAI-1 and DMAs/MDs vs. TMAI-1) can be used to evaluate the source rock maturity over a wider EasyRo range (1.0%–3.0% EasyRo) than single diamondoid parameters. As there are differences in the concentration and distribution of diamondoids in the extracts of three source rocks, the possibility exists to use diamondoid indices of immature rocks to determine the type of source rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation on the use of diamondoids to assess the extent of thermal maturity, depositional environment, and origin of Niger Delta source rocks was carried out. This was done to evaluate the significant of diamondoids in petroleum exploration in the basin. Pulverized rock samples selected from four Niger Delta oil wells, were extracted with Soxhlet extraction technique. The biomarkers content of saturated hydrocarbons fraction was assayed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the diamondoids content was analyzed using GC-MS-MS. The distribution of saturated hydrocarbons; n-alkanes, pristane, pyhtane, steranes, and terpanes revealed that samples from well AW were sourced from mixed terrestrial/marine organic matter while samples from wells OP, GB, and OT were sourced largely from terrestrial organic matter origin. The Pr/Ph ratio values indicated that the organic matter of wells AW and OP samples were deposited under suboxic conditions while those of wells GB and OT were deposited under anoxic conditions. Hopane and sterane thermal maturity geochemical parameters showed that the organic matter in source rocks from the four wells are thermally mature. Diamondoids source parameters indicated that well AW source rock samples had mixed marine/terrestrial organic matter input, while samples from wells OP, GB, OT were sourced from terrestrial organic matter, which is in perfect agreement with the results of other source geochemical parameters, thus indicating that diamondoids are good tools in determining the origin of petroleum. Diamondoid maturity parameters showed that all the samples from the four wells are thermally mature with maturity level ranging from early to main oil window. This study revealed that diamondoids can be used to evaluate petroleum occurrence in the study area or any other sedimentary basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir alteration of crude oils is ubiquitous in petroleum reservoirs. Alteration can change the composition and physicochemical properties of crude oils, and complicate oil–source correlations and origin studies of crude oils. Thus, the identification and assessment of reservoir alteration could provide a better understanding of the formation and evolution of crude oils. In this study, the effects of reservoir alteration (e.g., biodegradation, gas washing, water washing, and mixing) on oils in the Junggar Basin, northwest China, were identified and assessed by combining diamondoid indices with other commonly studied crude oil properties. The results indicate that: (1) diamondoid indices can be used to evaluate the intensity of reservoir alteration on oils (e.g., slight biodegradation and water washing has no effect on diamondoids; moderate biodegradation and water washing can result in a marked increase in diamondoid concentrations; severe biodegradation and water washing significantly changes diamondoid concentration and isomerization ratios); (2) diamondoid indices can assist in determining the type of reservoir alteration of oils (e.g., condensate formed by gas washing has a lower diamondoid concentration than that generated by thermal cracking; differing from biodegradation and water washing, gas washing can affect diamondoid ratios; mixing can be identified by a combination of diamondoid concentrations and other parameters, such as API gravity and biomarker indices in oils). Therefore, diamondoids provide specific information as to the reservoir alteration of oils, which is useful in further understanding of the origin and evolution of crude oils in the Junggar Basin. • Slight to moderate biodegradation affects diamondoid concentrations not ratios. • Variations in diamondoid ratios might reflect severe biodegradation of oils. • Only severe water washing affects diamondoid isomerization and concentration ratios. • Diamondoid concentration can be used to differentiate origins of condensates. • Discrepancies between diamondoid concentration and other indices reflect oil mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two classification methods, the distribution of biomarkers and the alternating least squares (ALS) chemometric analysis were used to investigate the genetic characteristics of oils collected from the Baiyun deep-water area of the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the South China Sea. Results of the two methods were generally consistent that most of the oils were originated from the shallow lacustrine source rocks, but oils from the West Sub-Sag (WSS) and the South Sub-Sag (SSS) have a distinct geochemical characteristic with low abundances of bicadinanes and oleanane, and relatively lighter δ13C value (<−28.0‰). The ALS chemometric analysis can quantitatively determine the sources of the oils. It shows that mixing has commonly occurred between the oils, and three end-member oils were identified (i.e., EM1, EM2, and EM3), which were derived from the semideep–deep Wenchang Formation source rocks that are characterized by a predominance of C 27 steranes and low concentrations of bicadinanes and oleanane, the shallow lacustrine Enping Formation source rocks in the Main Sub-Sag (MSS) that are rich in bicadinanes but depleted in oleanane, and the shallow lacustrine Wenchang and/or Enping formations source rocks in the East Sub-Sag (ESS) that have a relatively high abundance of bicadinanes, a moderate content of oleanane, and a predominance of C 29 steranes, respectively. The oils from the Panyu Low Uplift (PLU) are dominated by >83% of EM2 oil. Oils from the SSS and WSS are dominated by EM1 oil (68.0%–93.1%). Oils from the ESS and eastern part of the MSS (E-MSS) are mixed oils consisting mainly of EM2 and EM3 oil, with an increasing proportion of EM3 moving from the E-MSS to central ESS. The maturity of the oils was assessed based on diamondoid indices, and oils from the PLU have the highest maturities (1.43%–1.59% Rc), whereas oils from the SSS have the lowest maturities (1.23%–1.25% Rc), corresponding to the different maturities of their source rocks. The semideep–deep lacustrine oils discovered in the WSS and SSS highlight the hydrocarbon generation potential of these types of source rocks in the Wenchang Formation, where further oil exploration should be focused. • Oils from different structural belts have different origins on a regional scale. • Alternating least squares analysis shows three end-member oils in the Baiyun Sag. • The end-member oils are correlated to the source rocks in the Baiyun Sag. • Maturity studies based on diamondoid indices support the genetic analysis. • Semideep–deep lacustrine oils in the WSS and SSS are a new exploration target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pyrolysis experiments on four organic matter types simulate diamondoid evolution. • Principal component analysis explains the main factors affecting diamondoid indices. • PCA-Fisher discriminant analysis model objectively identifies oil source types. • PCA-regression analysis model quantitatively predicts oil thermal maturity. Assessing the origins and thermal maturity of oils is an important issue in applied petroleum geochemistry. In this study, we extracted information regarding the sources and thermal maturity of oils from diamondoid data using multivariate statistical analysis based on four series of thermal simulation experiments conducted on Type I, II, and III kerogens and a crude oil. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA), we established the relationship between diamondoid indices and kerogen type, which was then used to identify the source of oils in some oil fields in China. PCA and regression analysis (RA) were used to determine the quantitative relationship between diamondoid indices and thermal maturity, which was then used to estimate the thermal maturity of the studied oils. Our results indicate that this approach is effective for determining the source and maturity of oils, particularly for condensates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]