A detailed analysis has been carried out on the deasphaltened Cold Lake bitumen using two different series of chromatographic separations followed by ir., u.v., n.m.r. and computerized GC/MS studies of the separated fractions: saturates (21.3), monoaromatics (8.31, diaromatics (3.6). polyaromatics and non-specific polar compounds (24.35). acids (15.2). bases (6.38). and neutral nitrogen compounds (1.15% of bitumen). The acyclic paraffin content of the maltene is low but decidedly higher than in the related Athabasca bitumen, indicating that the Cold Lake bitumen suffered a less complete biodegradation. Straight-chain paraffins and the isoprenoids phytane and pristane are present. The mono-and diaromatic fractions were analysed by high-voltage, low-resolution mass spectrometry. The monoaromatic fraction contains alkylbenzenes, naphthenebenzenes and dinaphthenebenzenes in a ratio of approximately 1: 1 :I. The ratio for naphthalenes, acenaphthenes + dibenzofurans and fluorenes in the diaromatic fraction is approximately 1:0.9:0.6. The composition of Cold
Lake bitumen closely resembles that of the Athabasca bitumen except that its asphaltene content is somewhat lower and its acidic and saturate content is slightly higher.
Recently, we have reported a detailed analytical study of Athabasca bitumen'. Another heavy crude apparently related to the Athabasca deposit is the Cold Lake bitumen located about 140 miles southeast of the McMurray formation in Northern Alberta. Since there are no published data on this material, we have carried out a detailed analytical study using essentially the same methods as in the preceding paper. Two separation procedures were used to obtain total hydrocarbons: straightforward separation on silica and alumina columns and an extended procedure (based on API-60 separations*), which removes acids and bases on ion-exchangers, neutral nitrogen compounds on an Fe3+/Attapulgus clay column and separates the hydrocarbons into saturate, mono-, di-and polyaromatic fractions.
The saturate fraction was passed through an Ag+/silica column to remove non-aromatic unsaturated material, adducted with molecular sieve to isolate straight-chain alkanes and with thiourea to separate isoalkanes and lower cyclic materials from polycyclic saturated hydrocarbons.
The saturate fractions were searched for the more important geochemical markers and the aromatics were analysed by high-voltage low-resolution mass spectrometry based on the method of Robinson and Cook3. Some comparative data on the Athabasca bitumen are included. EXPERIMENTAL