Traditional tools for routine environmental analysis of petrogenic carbon has relied almost exclusively on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), although there are many compounds in crude oil (and its transformation products) not chromatographically separated or amenable to GC-MS due to volatility. To enhance current and future studies on the fate, transport, and long term impact of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), we employed comprehensive two-dimensional comprehensive GC×GC and ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry in tandem to compare compositional changes between whole shale oil from the Eagle Ford formation and its water-soluble components that challenge traditional GC-based characterization. The combined approach provides unprecedented detail and insight into environmental fate of oil soluble components produced from hydraulic fracturing of sedimentary rock. This work was supported by NSF Division of Materials Research through DMR-0654118, NSF Division of Chemistry through Rapid Grant CHE-1049753, BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and the State of Florida.

Molecular-level characterization of water-soluble organic species from eagle ford shale oil by ultrahigh resolution ft-icr mass spectrometry

249th National Meeting (2015)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.