Table 1.

Oil content, alkane distribution, and hopanoid biomarker ratios of brown flocculent material and sediment samples compared with Macondo Well oil

Sample	Oil content* (mg/g extract)	Oil content* (mg/g dry weight sediment)	UCM n-alkane carbon range	C17-n-alkane/pristane	C18-n-alkane/phytane	Carbon Preference Index (CPI)†	Ts/(Ts+Tm)	C29-Ts/NH
Source oil
Macondo well‡	NA§	NA	NA	1.71	2.33	0.86	0.59	0.49
Surface water samples¶
1 km from well (S1)	NA	NA	C12–C40	2.21	2.66	0.81	0.59	0.50
175 km from well (M1)	NA	NA	C16–C40	1.89	2.72	0.83	0.59	0.50
175 km from well (M2)	NA	NA	C16–C40	1.89	2.72	0.83	0.58	0.51
Flocculent material samples
MC 294 coral (B8)	310	ND||	C15–C40	2.42	2.69	1.15	0.60	0.43
MC 294 coral (F6)	8.0	ND	C17–C34	2.41	2.21	1.09	0.58	0.48
MC 294 coral (A5)	74	ND	C16–C41	2.43	1.87	0.38	0.59	0.45
MC 294 coral (E3)	73	ND	C15–C42	1.34	2.28	1.22	0.58	0.48
Sediment samples
MC 294 4662 0–2 cm	630	3.46	C15–C37	0.42	0.47	1.12	0.57	0.46
MC 294 4664 0–2 cm	570	9.25	C17–C42	0.44	0.29	0.99	0.59	0.50
MC 294 4664 2–5 cm	68	0.03	C16–C42	0.56	0.81	1.31	0.52	0.38
MC 294 4664 5–10 cm	120	0.02	C11–C42	0.80	1.21	1.37	0.54	0.42

Abbreviations for biomarkers: C₂₉-T_s, 18α(H),21β(H)-30-norneohopane; NH, 17α(H),21β(H)-30-norhopane; Tm, 17α(H)-22,29,30-trinorhopane; Ts, 18α(H)-22,29,30-trinorneohopane.

*Oil content was calculated by integration of the UCM observed via GC-FID.

^†CPI = Σ(odd numbered alkane abundances from n-C₂₃ to n-C₃₅)/Σ(even numbered alkane abundances from n-C₂₂ to n-C₃₄).

^‡Described in ref. 2.

^§Not applicable to sample as pure oil was collected.

^¶Described in ref. 18.

^||Not determined due to collection protocol of flocculent onto filters, which did not allow for dry weights of the flocculent material to be taken post collection and before extraction.