Polar Metabolites of Crude Oil

By Kevin A. Thorn and George R. Aiken

Abstract

Polar metabolites of crude oil in the form of nonvolatile organic acids were isolated from wells downgradient from the North oil pool and from the spray zone at the Bemidji site. The nonvolatile organic acids were subjected to spectroscopic and other characterization methods. The nonvolatile organic acids were distinguishable from naturally occurring ground-water humic substances in the aquifer, and appear to represent the partial oxidation products of the C₁₈ or greater alkylaromatic, naphthenoaromatic, and sulfur-containing constituents of the crude oil.