Petroleum Hydrocarbons

1 General Characteristics of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Molecular and Group-Type Methods of Analysis and Classification.- Biological Markers and Transformed Hydrocarbons.- Homology of Biological Markers.- Chemical Classification of Crude Oils.- Group-Type Distribution of Naphthenic Hydrocarbons in Crudes (Naphthenic Fingerprint).- 2 C5-C40 Alkanes.- Gas Chromatography in the Analysis of Alkanes.- Quantitative Distribution of Alkanes in Petroleums Possible Ways of Alkane Formation.- 3 Cycloalkanes (Naphthenes).- C7-C10 Monocyclic Naphthenes.- C12-C25 Monocyclic Naphthenes.- Trimethyl-Substituted Cyclohexanes with Isoprenoid Chains (Cyclohexanes of the Carotenoid Type).- Bicyclic Naphthenes.- Tricyclic Naphthenes.- Tetracyclic Naphthenes.- Steranes.- Triterpenoid Hydrocarbons. Hopanes.- 4 Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Arenes).- Group-Type Distribution of Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Crude Oils (Aromatic Fingerprint).- Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons.- Diaromatic Hydrocarbons.- Triaromatic Hydrocarbons.- Aromatic Steroid Hydrocarbons.- Aromatic Triterpenoids and Hopanes.- Other Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons.- 5 Sources and Reactions of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Formation.- Sources of Petroleum Hydrocarbons.- Transformations of Organic Molecules in Sediments (Dia- and Catagenesis).- Compositional Transformations of Coal Hydrocarbons at Various Stages of Catagenesis.- Laboratory Simulation of Petroleum Formation Reactions (Aluminosilicates as Catalysts).- 6 Transformations of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Nature (Chemical and Biochemical Alteration of Crude Oils).- Alteration of Crude Oil under Thermal Stress (Thermolysis).- Alterations in the Chemical Composition of Crudes under Microbiological Influence (Petroleum Biodegradation).- Compositional Alteration of Crudes in Nature (Comparison ofExperimental Data).- Asphaltenes and the Geochemical History of Crudes.- Biological Markers and the Genetic Classification of Crudes.- Conclusion: Venues of Further Research on Petroleum Hydrocarbon Composition and Structure.- References.