Hydrocarbons of sediments of the Oman shelf

The differences may be attributed to regional variability in organic matter composition between margin and ridge, effects of kerogen formation and condensation with age, and effects of changes in the depositional environment on the Oman margin.

Pyrolytic hydrocarbons from ridge sediments are relatively more enriched in heterocompounds, aromatic molecules, and '-alkanes and n-monoalkenes in the range n-C9 to n-C14 when compared to margin sediments. This may be indicative of input of degraded organic material on Owen Ridge and less degraded material on the Oman margin. Increases of long-chain n-alkanes and rt-monoalkenes with depth in sediments from the Oman margin are a result of the concentration of precursor moieties in the kerogen during low-temperature diagenesis.