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Petroporphyrins as indicators of geothermal maturation

Abstract

WE report here two new sets of data which provide evidence of the occurrence of the postulated conversion of deoxyphylloerythroetioporphyrin (DPEP) to etioporphyrin. Simulated geothermal maturation in the laboratory demonstrates that DPEP–etio conversion occurs proportionally to the severity of the treatment, and an analysis of petroporphyrins from a suite of genetically related petroleums and their source rocks reveal that the DPEP:etio ratio is inversely proportional to the presumed severity of the geothermal history of the sample.

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DIDYK, B., ALTURKI, Y., PILLINGER, C. et al. Petroporphyrins as indicators of geothermal maturation. Nature 256, 563–565 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/256563a0

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