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  • Title: Characterisation of crude oils by carbon and sulphur isotope ratio measurements as a tool for pollution control.
    Author: Becker S, Hirner AV.
    Journal: Isotopes Environ Health Stud; 1998; 34(3):255-64. PubMed ID: 9919680.
    Abstract:
    The potential of carbon and sulphur isotope ratios to group crude oils with respect to their origin was investigated. Sample selection was based on the actual crude oil imports to Germany. Analysed crude oils from Algeria, the Community of Independent States (CIS), Middle East, Nigeria, the North Sea and Venezuela make up over 86% of the German crude oil imports. The oil as received was deasphalted and the maltene fraction was separated by MPLC into saturated, aromatic and polar fractions. Due to overlapping areas, it is not possible to group the crude oils by their delta 13C values alone. A complete grouping of the crude oils with respect to their origin can only be achieved by the combined use of delta 13C and delta 34S of crude oils, and isotope type-curves. In some cases isotope type-curves enable differentiation between different oil fields of the same geographical origin. In order to determine the post-spill changes of delta 13C values, an experimental spill of crude oil was studied over a period of seven weeks in an outdoor aquarium containing pond water. The delta 13C measurements of crude oil fractions showed changes up to 1.1/1000 during the oil spill simulation. The delta 13C values of the polar fraction exhibited the smallest change, with a variation of 0.3/1000, and are therefore especially useful for the characterisation of crude oil spills.
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