Developmental modes of the Neoproterozoic-Lower Paleozoic marine hydrocarbon source rocks in China

Based on the researches on rock type, the mode of occurrence, diagnostic minerals and creatures, the sedimentary geochemistry and organic facies of Chinese marine source rocks from wells and outcrops, and on the research findings of developmental modes of foreign marine source rock, the authors consider that it is impossible to objectively make clear the formation mechanism of hydrocarbon source rock with high organic matter abundance by either single mode of preservation or high organic matter productivity. According to the Chinese geological features, the formation mechanism of the Neoproterozoic-Lower Paleozoic marine source rock is generalized into four modes, namely, thermal water activity-upwelling flow-anoxic; carbonate gentle slope-upwelling flow; xerothermic climate-brine euxinic milieu; and humid climate-retained euxinic milieu; as the Lower Cambrian undercompensation basin organic facies (the Tarim Basin, South China and southwestern margin of North China), carbonate gentle lime mud bound organic facies (the Upper Ordovician in Tazhong region of the Tarim Basin and the Lower Silurian in the Upper Yangtze Platform), the Middle Cambrian evaporation laggon organic facies (the Tarim Basin and the Upper Yangtze Platform), enclosed undercompensation terrigenous bay organic facies (the Middle-Upper Ordovician in the west of the Tarim Basin, the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Upper Yangtze platform). Chinese marine sedimentations with lower organic matter abundance are generalized into two modes of consumption-dilution mode of open epicontinental sea and depletion-dilution mode of supercompensation basin.