Geologists Need to Know the Details: What are Coal Type Hopane? What is Coal Type Hopane? A high moretane/hopane ratio commonly occurs in the immature organic matter regardless of the lithology of sediments when accompanied by the high maturity stage, it usually indicates terrigenous plant-derived organic matter. This pattern of hopane distribution is called coal type hopane. The high abundance of moretane is most probably related to acidic and oxic conditions in peat or coal-enriched sediments. Coal type Hopan is called because the ratio of Moretane and Hopan is much higher and this type of hopane anomaly is usual in the coal forming depositional setting in marine sediments, hence the…