Applications of Compound Specific D/H Isotope Analysis to Crude Oils and Sediments Introduction

D/H and ¹³C/¹²C technology is being applied to hydrocarbons (saturates and aromatics) from petroleum for: (i) palaeoenvironmental studies; (ii) oil-source correlation (iii) maturation studies (iv) biodegradation (v) evaporative fractionation and (vi) water-washing effects and (vii) fundamental reactions occurring in the subsurface leading to petroleum formation. The majority of crude oil and source-rock samples in use for this study are from Australia.