Application of advanced geochemical and statistical analysis in identifying oil families in Persian Gulf

Hierarchical cluster and principal component analysis are two statistical methods frequently used by geochemists to study the group of variables. In order to identify oil families in the Iranian sector of Persian Gulf, 33 oil samples were collected and analyzed by advanced gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Finnigan Delta Plus mass spectrometer. On the whole, 16 parameters were considered as the input data for Hierarchical cluster and principal component analysis. Four different oil families at least could be identified through the Iranian sector of Persian Gulf based on the results obtained. These families were categorized stratigraphically and regionally. Accordingly, oil families No. I and No. II in west and east of Persian Gulf respectively, are located in the Jurassic to early Cretaceous reservoirs, whereas oil families No. III and No. IV in west and east of Persian Gulf belong to Late Cretaceous to Tertiary reservoirs.