THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF THE CARBON ISOTOPES IN PETROLEUM

Abstract

The relative abundance of the isotopes of carbon has been measured in samples of oil and gas from 32 wells in the Silica and Ellinwood Fields of Barton and Rice Counties, Kansas, and 3 wells in Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming, as well as in surface vegetation, hydrocarbons from well cuttings, and carbon dioxide desorbed from soil. For the samples from Silica and Ellinwood Fields, [Formula: see text]. Relative abundance appears to be independent of the source of petroleum, but is about 1.6% lower for vegetation. It is concluded that this quantity cannot be used to distinguish sources of petroleum and that its use to determine the origin of soil hydrocarbons requires an accuracy of measurement not hitherto attainable.