A geochemical investigation of the Athabasca bituminous sands

The Athabasca bituminous sands, Canada's largest petroleum reserve, lie in northern Alberta where they outcrop along the headwaters of the Athabasca river. The accessibility that makes it possible to exploit the formation by mining also permits study of the interrelationships of the asphaltic oil, reservoir materials, and the geochemically significant porphyrin materials. The metal-porphyrin and porphyrin aggregate contents of the Athabasca oil fractions were determined quantitatively. These fractions also were further subdivided by alcohol extraction and extensive chromatography. The metal-porphyrin contents of these fractions corroborated the bulk analyses and revealed the presence of a Ni-porphyrin complex in addition to the previously established predominant V-porphyrin complex. The Athabasca oil is similar to other asphaltic oils, of high V content, in porphyrin and metal contents as well as in many of its bulk properties. Correlations of the geochemical and petrological data indicate that the bulk of the Athabasca oil has had a sheltered existence; one relatively free of weathering influences. Identification of the N-porphyrin complex with larger amounts of the V-Ni complex is another indication of the similarity of this oil to other V-rich oils.

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