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Abstract

Catalytic hydropyrolysis was used to liberate the aliphatic biomarkers covalently bound within the asphaltene and residue bound structures of the Longyear and Svea coals from Svalbard. When analysed on a Gas chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer, the free aliphatic hydrocarbons extracted from the bitumen and the hydropyrolysis products from the bound (asphaltenes and coal residues) aliphatic biomarkers showed very similar characteristics such as the presence of algae, a shale input in a lacustrine/terrigenous depositional environment with contributions from submerged or floating aquatic macrophyte species. The biomarker profiles obtained allowed proper characterisation of both the free and bound phases in terms of source and thermal maturity. Comparison was made with earlier results obtained from the petrographic analyses, for example vitrinite reflectance rank correlation with thermal maturity obtained from the aliphatic biomarker distributions. This also suggested the sourcing of the extracted bitumen from the coals thereby proofing the source- rock potential of the coals.