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Petroleum-bearing fluid inclusions emit fluorescent light when excited with UV or visible light. The fluorescence decay time of the emission is dependent upon the wavelengths of the excitation and emission light, and the chemical composition of the petroleum oil. In general heavy oils have short lifetimes, whereas the emission from light oils is much longer lived. One can thus use plots of the fluorescence lifetime versus emission wavelength ( τ– λ plots), to show even subtle changes in the chemical composition of the entrapped oil. As a consequence, these τ– λ plots can be used for fluid inclusion research to discriminate different oil populations in situ. In particular, it is demonstrated that τ– λ plots discriminate two sets of inclusion oils in each of four North Atlantic basins [Jeanne d’Arc Basin (Newfoundland), Porcupine Basin (Ireland), Clair field West of Shetland (UK) and Kangerlussuaq Basin (East Greenland)] where multistage oil charge is inferred from other geological evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured-light illumination (SLI)-based microscopy offers geologists a new perspective for screening of hydrocarbon-bearing (HCFI) and small aqueous fluid inclusion (AFI) assemblages. This optical-sectioning technique provides rapid, confocal-like imaging, using relatively simple and inexpensive instrumentation. The 3D fluorescent images of HCFI planes and large single HCFIs permit the visualization of the relationships between HCFI assemblages, examination of HCFI morphology, and volume estimates of the fluorescent components within HCFIs. By the use of normal white light illumination, SLI image capture, and varying acquisition time it is also possible to image AFI because of the random movements of vapour bubbles within the inclusions. This allows the near-simultaneous visualization of hydrocarbon and AFI which is of significant importance for the study of sedimentary basins and petroleum reservoirs. SLI is a unique and accessible 3D petrographic tool, with practical advantages over conventional epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]