Asphalts, heavy oils, ozocerite and gases in the Dead Sea Basin |
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| Authors: | A Nissenbaum M Goldberg |
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| Abstract: | Solid, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons occur throughout the Dead Sea Basin (Israel and Jordan) both in surface exposures and in drillings. The unaltered asphalts and heavy oils are characterized by very high sulfur content (ca. 11%) with δ34S = +5% and δ13C = −28% to −29%, low content of n-paraffins, pristane to phytane ratio of 0.5 and by containing almost exclusively VO-porphyrins. The distribution of n-paraffins in samples from deep sources shows a smooth enveloped miximizing at C15–20. Surface and shallow samples show clear evidence of biodegradation. The ozokerite, known only from the east side of the basin, is composed primarily of long chain n-paraffins with a maximum at C39. The gases known from the southern margin of the basin are composed mostly of methane.The source for the bitumens is unknown. Two hypotheses are discussed. The first is that the asphalts and heavy oils represent an alteration products of crude oil which migrated into the basin or which might have been generated in the basin itself. The second hypothesis favors an origin from low temperature alteration of organic matter from a thermally immature source. |
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