Squalene in petroleum asphaltenes.

Squalene, 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene, a new biological marker, has been detected in various petroleum asphaltenes and their pyrolysis products. Since squalene is the most common triterpenoid in nature and the biological precursor of the important tetra- and pentacyclic triterpane markers, its detection in asphaltene suggests new ways for marker correlations.