Hybrid Mass Spectrometer Selected by New Brazilian Petroleomics Laboratory to Rapidly Characterise Petroleum Samples

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., (USA) have announced that the new petroleomics laboratory at the Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, part of the Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Brazil, has purchased a Thermo Scientific LTQ FT Ultra hybrid mass spectrometer. The laboratory will use the LTQ FT Ultra™ to rapidly and simultaneously characterise multiple compounds in petroleum samples, accelerating productivity and delivering improved efficiencies in the laboratory.

Petroleum is the world’s most complex natural mixture and one of the most challenging samples for chemical analysis. The new laboratory is a partnership between leading Brazilian oil producer Petrobras, the Brazilian Energy Company and the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum (ANP). With the goal of fostering the research and development of new analytical technologies through academic research, Petrobras has invested more than $2.5 million to establish and equip a petroleomics laboratory within the Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. The petroleomics laboratory will evaluate the application of Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) technology for crude oil production and processing. Experiments performed in the laboratory have already highlighted the power of the technology to achieve direct characterisation of crude oil samples without prior or on-line separation methods.

The laboratory selected the Thermo Scientific LTQ FT Ultra for its unique capability to identify by molecular formula up to 10,000 crude components in a single petroleum sample in as little as 10-15 minutes. In addition, the
instrument gives the petroleomics laboratory a unique combination of the most advanced ion trap and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance technologies in a single instrument with exceptional analytical power and
versatility. Since its implementation, the LTQ FT Ultra has significantly improved the quality and quantity of data being acquired.

Professor Dr. Marcos Nogueira Eberlin, coordinator of the new laboratory, comments: “Until recently, the research and development of new petroleomics technologies in Brazil was mainly done using public resources.
However, Brazilian petroleum companies are now increasingly working with academic laboratories to develop upto-date, advanced analytical techniques. By implementing superior technology such as the LTQ FT Ultra hybrid mass spectrometer in our petroleomics laboratory, we ensure that this technology can fulfill Petrobras’ requirements for maximum analytical speed and optimal data quality. The LTQ FT Ultra is a critical tool in our
laboratory infrastructure that enables us to greatly enhance Petrobras’ oil exploration and production processes.”