to provide reliable molecular fingerprints for biodegraded crude oils and contaminated sediment cores and to facilitate correlation studies The aim is to demonstrate the potential of hydropyrolysis (pyrolysis assisted by high hydrogen gas pressure) as a novel means to provide reliable molecular fingerprints for biodegraded oils and contaminated cores where conventional biomarker approaches fail. This will then facilitate accurate and rapid oil-source and oil-oil correlations to be determined for the first time in these situations. New experimental protocols for conducting hydropyrolysis on asphaltenes will be developed. The study will establish a firm base to exploit the commercial potential of hydropyrolysis, both in oil exploration and for characterising sedimentary organic matter as a far superior technique to pyrolysis-GC-MS through a larger industrial partner.