The carbon isotope study of biomarkers in the Maoming and the Jianghan tertiary oil shale

In terms of the individual carbon isotope data of biomarkers present in the typical freshwater lake sediment (Maoming oil shale) and saline lake sediment lake (Jianghan oil shale) of China, this paper discusses their precursors and depositional environments of biomarkers in both sediment samples. Our studies showed that phytane and pristane of the Maoming oil shale were derived from the phytol side chain of chlorophyll a. By comparing the isotopic composition of 4-methyl sterane with that of sterane and hopane, it is suggested that 4-methyl sterane which has a higher abundance in the Maoming oil shale come from bacteria. The isotopic composition of biomarkers from the Jianghan rock sample (saline lake sediment ) is significantly different from that of the Maoming oil shale (freshwater lake sediment). Gammacerane was derived from haloprotozoan, with δ13C being about -25.8‰, just in consistency with the value reported in previous studies. The isotopic composition of phytane and pristane in the Jianghan rock is similar to that of sterane and 4-methyl sterane derived from phytoplanktons, illustrating their commonprecursors were algae. This paper reported for the first time the carbon isotope data of porphyrin obtained by GC-IRMS techniques. The approximate δ13C of C32DPEP and C31DPEP porphyrin from the Jianghan Basin indicated that the porphyrin was derived from chlorophyll. In the Maomingoil shale C32DPEP was enriched in 13C relative to C32etio and C31DPEP, implying that C32DPEP came from chlorophyll, and C32etio and C31DPEP are of other origins.