Molecular and Isotope Composition of Biomarkers in Immature Oil Shale and its Liquid Pyrolysis Products (Open and Closed System)

Summary The molecular and isotopic composition of biomarkers in initial bitumen isolated from raw immature oil shale samples from the Lower Miocene Aleksinac Basin (Serbia) and liquid products (LPs) obtained by pyrolysis in open (OS) and closed systems (CS) are studied. The influence of pyrolysis type and variations of kerogen type on biomarkers composition and their isotopic signatures in LPs is determined. The molecular composition of the LPs from the OS pyrolysis is very similar to those in initial bitumen, independently on kerogen type. The LPs from the CS pyrolysis have the distributions of biomarkers similar to those in crude oils generated in an early to main stage of “oil window“. The biomarker data suggests that mixed type I/II kerogen attained slightly higher maturity level by the CS pyrolysis than type I kerogen. The isotopic signatures of n-alkanes in LPs obtained by the OS pyrolysis are isotopically lighter than in initial bitumen, independently on kerogen type, whereas in liquid products from the CS they become heavier; showing more pronounced difference for type I kerogen. The results indicate that δ13C data should be used with caution in interpretation of samples having different maturity and particularly of LPs obtained by different system pyrolysis.