Geochemical Characteristics of Crude Oils, their Asphaltene and Related organic Matter Source Inputs from Fula Oilfields

The oils were derived from alga organic matter, which was sourced from sediments deposited in a lacustrine environment under suboxic to relatively anoxic conditions and were generated from mature source rock with a wide range of maturity ranging from early to peak oil window. This is indicated by biomarker compositions based on saturated and aromatic fractions and bulk geochemical characteristics. Previous work by Makeen et al. (2013) on the Abu Gabra shales in the basin shows similar organic matter characteristics, palaeo-depositional environment and maturity, suggesting that the Fula oils are derived from the early Cretaceous Abu Gabra shales. This genetic relationship is also confirmed by the similarities in the structural moieties of the Fula oil asphaltenes and Abu Gabra shale kerogens (Makeen et al., 2015).