| Abstract: | The hydrocarbons in the sapropelic Serpiano oil shales have been examined. The hopanoids are the most predominant hydrocarbons present in the bitumen, with hopanes, hopenes, benzohopanes and monoaromatic secohopanoids being detected. The novelty of the Serpiano hopanoid assemblages lies in the occurrence of high concentrations of methylhopanoids. The distributions of the hopanoids and of their corresponding methylhopanoids are remarkably similar. This similarity was also observed for the hopanes and methylhopanes which were generated from the asphaltene and kerogen by hydrous pyrolysis, and is indicative of a common biosynthetic pathway. |
