Biomarker characteristics of crude oils from Ashrafi and GH oilfields in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt: An implication to source input and paleoenvironmental assessments

The present work aims to evaluate the organic geochemistry of the crude oils recovered from Ashrafi and GH oilfields within the Gulf of Suez to assess and investigate oil characterization, maturation, source depositional environments and oil families. The saturated hydrocarbons were determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Pristane/phytane, isoprenoids/n-alkanes, CPI, homohopane, diasteranes, gammacerane index, C29 20S/20S+20R, C29/C30 hopane and Ts/Tm are determined. The results suggest that the studied crude oils belong to marine oil and are characterized by high level of maturation and sourced mainly from organic matters of marine origin with few terrestrial inputs.