The Role of Minerals on Petroleum Generation: An implication for the pyrolysis of Asphaltene from Bitumen

Abstract

This laboratory study replicates natural petroleum generation processes using analytical pyrolysis techniques applied to sedimentary organic matter. We focus on assessing pyrite and silica's roles in petroleum formation by analyzing changes in pyrolysate during analytical pyrolysis. We vary temperature (750°C to 1000°C) and heating time (8 to 15 seconds) as key factors to relate with the natural petroleum generation processes which consider the duration or time of decomposition of organic matter with temperature. Asphaltene is employed as a primary component to simulate petroleum product generation. We investigate asphaltene's thermal degradation behavior and physical characteristics, extracting it from bitumen samples using n-hexane. Pyrite (FeS2) and silica (SiO2) minerals are matrix feedstock or adsorbent. A pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PyGC/MS) is an essential tool for identifying pyrolysates. Our study highlights significant aliphatic chain products such as n-alkanes and n-alkenes up to C32 in asphaltene from an Iraq bitumen sample. Notable, the heavy hydrocarbons in the pyrolysate are aromatic.