Polar NSO compounds geochemistry

Though comprised of dominantly saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, crude oil and rock extracts also contain organic compounds with Nitrogen, Sulphur, and Oxygen atoms in their structures (NSO-compounds). They are structurally diverse, display great variability in physicochemical properties and interact with rock-fluid systems in variable ways.

The chemistry of NSO-compounds therefore provides information for exploration and production processes that is otherwise unattainable using hydrocarbon geochemistry alone. For instance, NSO constituents contain viable information for evaluating expulsion and partition behaviour, assessing source facies, maturity, migration, and biodegradation, monitoring additives, and studying production and flowback water.

Ultrahigh resolution Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) is the state-of-the-art technique for the most comprehensive molecular investigation of the NSO-compounds in oils, rocks, sediments and water. The Tesla Petroleomics Centre of the University of Calgary, Canada with its 12T SolariX FT-ICR MS is our valued partner for providing the key data we need to solve exploration and production issues. Over the past 15 years Thomas Oldenburg and his team have developed innovative geochemical assessment tools and software, that are an important element of our partnership.

The 12T SolariX FT-ICR MS at the Tesla Petroleomics Centre of the University of Calgary, Canada.