| Abstract: | Petroleum associated with sulfide-rich sediment is present in Escanaba Trough at the southern end of the Gorda Ridge spreading axis offshore from northern California within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the U.S. This location and occurrence are important for evaluation of the mineral and energy resource potential of the seafloor under U.S. jurisdiction. In Escanaba Trough, petroleum is believed to be formed by hydrothermal processes acting on mainly terrigenous organic material in Quaternary, river-derived sediment. To attempt to simulate these processes in the laboratory, portions of a Pleistocene gray-green mud, obtained from ??? 1.5 m below the seafloor at a water depth of ??? 3250 m in Escanaba Trough, were heated in the presence of water in four hydrous-pyrolysis experiments conducted at temperatures ranging from 250 to 350??C and at a pressure of 350 bar for 1.0-4.5 days. Distributions of n-alkanes, isoprenoid hydrocarbons, triterpanes, and steranes in the heated samples were compared with those in a sample of hydrothermal petroleum from the same area. Mud samples heated for less than 4.5 days at less than 350??C show changes in some, but not all, molecular marker ratios of organic compounds that are consistent with those expected during hydrothermal petroleum formation. Our results suggest that the organic matter in this type of sediment serves as one possible source for some of the compounds found in the hydrothermal petroleum. ?? 1994. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70017391 |
| Citation Author: | Kvenvolden, K. A.; Rapp, J. B.; Hostettler, F. D.; Rosenbauer, R. J. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | |
| Citation Datum: | |
| Citation Day: | |
| Citation Edition: | |
| Citation Editor: | |
| Citation End Page: | 945 |
| Citation Issue: | 6 |
| Citation Keywords: | |
| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Organic Geochemistry |
| Citation LatN: | |
| Citation LatS: | |
| Citation LonE: | |
| Citation LonW: | |
| Citation Month: | |
| Citation No Pagination: | |
| Citation Number Of Pages: | 11 |
| Citation Online Only Flag: | |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | |
| Citation Projection: | |
| Citation Public Comments: | |
| Citation Publisher: | |
| Citation Series: | |
| Citation Series Code: | |
| Citation Series Number: | |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Laboratory simulation of hydrothermal petroleum formation from sediment in Escanaba Trough, offshore from northern California; 1994; Article; Journal; Organic Geochemistry; Kvenvolden, K. A.; Rapp, J. B.; Hostettler, F. D.; Rosenbauer, R. J. |
| Citation Start Page: | 935 |
| Citation Volume: | 22 |
| Citation Year: | 1994 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Laboratory simulation of hydrothermal petroleum formation from sediment in Escanaba Trough, offshore from northern California; 1994; Article; Journal; Organic Geochemistry; Kvenvolden, K. A.; Rapp, J. B.; Hostettler, F. D.; Rosenbauer, R. J. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Jan 1994 00:00 -0600 |
| Publisher: | |
