Abstract
The outcome of studies on the chemistry of petroleum carried out during the last 10–15 years is examined. It is shown that petroleum is a very complex mixture of natural products, the most important place among which is occupied by C10–C40 isoprenoid hydrocarbons represented by aliphatic, alicyclic, and aromatic compounds.
The relations between the isoprenoid petroleum hydrocarbons and their possible bioorganic precursors are discussed. The possibility of using isoprenoid hydrocarbons (as biomarkers) in discovering the pathways leading to the genesis and chemical evolution of petroleums and also prospecting for petroleum deposits is demonstrated.
The bibliography includes 104 references.