Abstract
THE origin of gaseous hydrocarbons has been considerably illuminated by isotope analyses of natural gases. We shall try here to establish a model, explaining the isotopic fractionations of methane as a function of the thermocatalytic development of the corresponding source material. Because the origin of gaseous hydrocarbons is closely related to the formation of crude oil on one hand and the thermocatalytic state of the organic source material on the other, isotopic investigations can be of great interest in exploration for hydrocarbons.
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STAHL, W. Carbon isotope fractionations in natural gases. Nature 251, 134–135 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251134a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251134a0
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