Significance of High-Wax Oils with Respect to Genesis of Petroleum

High wax content of crude oil appears to be an original characteristic related to genetic environment or to the kind of organic matter from which the oil was derived. A review of the distribution of probable high-wax crudes throughout the world indicates that they are restricted largely to certain stratigraphic sequences and certain regions. These stratigraphic sequences in large part have in common the following: (1) shale-sandstone (as opposed to carbonate) lithology; (2) nonmarine origin or origin in waters of less-than-normal-marine salinity; (3) common association with coal or other highly carbonaceous strata; (4) stratigraphic range from Devonian to Pliocene, inclusive; (5) continental, paralic, or nearshore-marine environment; (6) association with low-sulfur (rathe than high-sulfur) crudes. Subject to more complete and authoritative data on the worldwide occurrences of high-wax crudes, it appears reasonable to suggest that high-wax oils may reflect the contribution of terrigenous organic matter (or of organic matter derived from aquatic organisms associated with waters of less-than-normal-marine salinity) to the genesis of petroleum.

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