“…Pyrobitumen forms either by aromatic condensation reactions (Ungerer et al, 1988;Behar et al, 1992), or directly from nitrogen sulphur and oxygen (NSO) compounds (Hill et al, 2003). Oil cracking to gas was described as occurring via hydrogen transfer reactions (Bailey et al, 1974;Connan et al, 1975), although it also appears that the mechanism involves free radical reactions (Rice and-Herzfeld 1934), with initiation, hydrogen transfer, decomposition of carbon-carbon bonds by ß-scission, radical isomerization, addition and termination processes in the oil (e.g. Bounaceur et al 2002a;Burkle-Vitzthum et al, 2004).…”