Prospecting hydrocarbons via monocyclic aromatic compounds

A system, comprising:

• a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (“GC-MS”) and/or a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (“LC-MS”) configured to determine an internal distribution of monocyclic aromatic compounds of one or more geological formation water samples;
• memory to store computer executable instructions;
• and
• one or more processors, operatively coupled to the memory, that execute the computer executable instructions to implement:
• a screen analyzer configured to:
• screen the one or more geological formation water samples for contamination by comparing the internal distribution of monocyclic aromatic compounds of the one or more geological formation water samples to a reference monocyclic aromatic compound distribution, wherein the reference monocyclic aromatic compound distribution comprises benzene in a greater abundance than toluene, the toluene in a greater abundance than one or more xylenes, and the one or more xylenes in greater abundance than ethylbenzene;
• determine that a geological formation water sample from the one or more geological formation water samples is non-contaminated based on the internal distribution of monocyclic aromatic compounds of the geological formation water sample being in accordance with the reference monocyclic aromatic compound distribution;
• and
• determine that the geological formation water sample is contaminated based on the internal distribution of monocyclic aromatic compounds of the one or more geological formation water samples being different than the reference monocyclic aromatic compound distribution;
• and
• a distance model generator configured to generate a distance model representing a geographical region that includes a prospect zone associated with a non-contaminated geological formation water sample from the one or more geological formation water samples based on whether the one or more geological formation water samples is contaminated or non-contaminated, wherein a location of the prospect zone is based on a cumulative monocyclic aromatic compound concentration of the non-contaminated geological formation water sample, and wherein the prospect zone refines a hydrocarbon-water contact location of a known hydrocarbon accumulation.