Subsurface degradation of fuel oil spills can be estimated by examining the ratios of C17/pristane and C18/phytane. To assist in identifying these four compounds from the complex fuel oil analysis, Restek offer a product that contains these compounds for retention time determination.

Fuel oil degradation mix contains (C17) heptadecane, (C18) octadecane, pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane), phytane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylhexadecane).