Aliphatic biomarker signatures of early Oligocene-early Miocene source rocks in the central Qiongdongnan Basin:Source analyses of organic matter

The geochemical signatures of fifty-four rock samples and three supplementary drill stem test(DST)oils from the Yacheng-Sanya formations in the central Qiongdongnan Basin(CQB)were analysed.Reconstruction of the early Oligocene-early Miocene(36–16 Ma)palaeovegetation and source analyses of organic matter(OM)were conducted using aliphatic biomarkers in ancient sediments and DST oils.Both the interpreted aquatic and terrigenous OM contributed to the CQB source rocks(SRs)but had varying relative proportions.The four distribution patterns derived from n-alkanes,terpanes,and steranes are representative of four OM composition models of the Yacheng-Sanya SRs,including model A,model B,model C,and model D,which were classified based on the increasing contribution from terrigenous OM relative to aquatic OM.Some terrigenous higher plantderived biomarkers,including oleanane,des-A-oleanane,C_(29)ααα20R sterane,bicadinanes,the C_(19)/(C_(19)+C_(23))tricyclic terpane ratio,and other n-alkane-derived ratios suggest that angiosperms had increased proportions in the palaeoflora from early Oligocene to early Miocene,and the bloom of terrigenous higher plants was observed during deposition of upper Lingshui Formation to lower Sanya Formation.These findings are consistent with the incremental total organic carbon and free hydrocarbons+potential hydrocarbons(S_1+S_2)in the lower Lingshuilower Sanya strata with a significant enrichment of OM in the E_3l_1-N_1s_2 shales.The maturity-and environmentsensitive aliphatic parameters of the CQB SRs and DST oils suggest that all the samples have predominantly reached their early oil-generation windows but have not exceeded the peak oil windows,except for some immature Sanya Formation shales.In addition,most of the OM in the analysed samples was characterised by mixed OM contributions under anoxic to sub-anoxic conditions.Furthermore,terrestrial-dominant SRs were interpreted to have developed mainly in the Lingshui-Sanya formations and were deposited in sub-oxic to oxic environments,compared to the anoxic to sub-anoxic conditions of the Yacheng Formation.

Biomarker assessments of sources and environmental implications of organic matter in sediments from potential cold seep areas of the northeastern South China Sea

Multi-biomarker indexes were analyzed for two piston cores from potential cold seep areas of the South China Sea off southwestern Taiwan. Total organic carbon（TOC） normalized terrestrial（n-alkanes） and marine（brassicasterol, dinosterol, alkenones and iso-GDGTs） biomarker contents and ratios（TMBR, 1/Pmar-aq, BIT） were used to evaluate the contributions of terrestrial and marine organic matter（TOM and MOM respectively） to the sedimentary organic matter, indicating that MOM dominated the organic sources in Core MD052911 and the sedimentary organic matter in Core ORI-_（86）0-22 was mainly derived from terrestrial inputs, and different morphologies were the likely reason for TOM percentage differences. BIT results suggested that river-transported terrestrial soil organic matter was not a major source of TOM of sedimentary organic matter around these settings.Diagnostic biomarkers for methane-oxidizing archaea（MOA） were only detected in one sample at 172 cm depth of Core ORI-_（86）0-22, with abnormally high iso-GDGTs content and Methane Index（MI） value（0.94）. These results indicated high anaerobic oxidation of methane（AOM） activities at or around 172 cm in Core ORI-_（86）0-22.However in Core MD052911, MOA biomarkers were not detected and MI values were lower（0.19–0.38）, indicated insignificant contributions of iso-GDGTs from methanotrophic archaea and the absence of significant AOM activities. Biomarker results thus indicated that the discontinuous upward methane seepage and insufficient methane flux could not induce high AOM activities in our sampling sites. In addition, the different patterns of TEX_（86） and U_（37）^（K′） temperature in two cores suggested that AOM activities affected TEX_（86）37 temperature estimates with lower values in Core ORI-_（86）0-22, but not significantly on TEX_（86） temperature estimates in Core MD052911.

Carbon and nitrogen isotopes analysis and sources of organic matter in surface sediments from the Sanggou Bay and its adjacent areas, China

Naturally existing stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes are important in the study of sedimentary organic matter sources. To identify the sources of sedimentary organic matter in Sanggou Bay and its adjacent areas, which is characterized by high-density shellfish and seaweed aquaculture, the grain size, organic carbon （OC）, total nitrogen （TN）, carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition （δ13C andδ15N） of organic matter in the surface sediment were determined. The results showed that, in August, sedimentary OC and TN ranged from 0.17% to 0.76% and 0.04% to 0.14%, respectively. In November, OC and TN ranged from 0.23% to 0.87% and 0.05% to 0.14%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between OC and TN （R=0.98, P＆lt;0.0001）, indicating that OC and TN were homologous. In August, theδ13C andδ15N of organic matter varied from -23.06‰ to -21.59‰ and 5.10‰ to 6.31‰, respectively. In November,δ13C andδ15N ranged from -22.87‰ to -21.34‰ and 5.13‰ to 7.31‰, respectively. This study found that the major sources of sedimentary organic matter were marine shellfish biodeposition, seaweed farming, and soil organic matter. Using a three-end-member mixed model, we estimated that the dominant source of sedimentary organic matter was shellfish biodeposition, with an average contribution rate of 65.53% in August and 43.00% in November. Thus, shellfish farming had a significant influence on the coastal carbon cycle.

The sources and composition of organic matter in sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay：implications for environmental changes on a centennial time scale

The Jiaozhou Bay is characterized by heavy eutrophication that is associated with intensive anthropogenic activities. Four core sediments from the Jiaozhou Bay are analyzed using bulk technologies, including sedimentary total organic carbon（TOC）, total nitrogen（TN）, the stable carbon（δ13C） and nitrogen（δ15 N） isotopic composition to obtain the comprehensive understanding of the source and composition of sedimentary organic matter and further shed light on the environmental changes of the Jiaozhou Bay on a centennial time scale.Results suggest that the TOC and TN concentrations increase in the upper core, having indicated a probable eutrophication process since the 1920 s in the inner bay and the 2000 s in the bay mouth. The TOC and TN concentrations outside the bay have also changed since 1916 owing to the variation of terrigenous input.Considering TOC/TN ratio, δ13 C and δ15 N, it can be concluded there is a mixture of terrigenous and marine organic matter sources in the study area. A simple two end-member（terrigenous and marine） mixing model usingδ13 C indicats that 45%–79% of TOC in the Jiaozhou Bay is from the marine source. The environmental changes of the Jiaozhou Bay are recorded by geochemical proxies, which are influenced by the intensive anthropogenic activities（e.g., extensive use of fertilizers, and discharge of sewage） and climate changes（e.g., rainfall）.

Distribution, sources and burial fl ux of sedimentary organic matter in the East China Sea

Distribution of total organic carbon(TOC),total nitrogen(TN),stable isotope ratio of organic carbon and nitrogen(δ13 C andδ15 N)in 31 surface sediments were examined to quantitatively discriminate the source and burial of sedimentary organic matter(SOM)in the East China Sea(ECS).Results show that high content of TOC and TN occurred in the southern inner shelf and the northeast area due to the transport of organic matter(OM)from the Changjiang(Yangtze)River southwards by the Zhejiang Fujian Coastal Current(ZFCC)and the delivery from the old Huanghe(Yellow)River estuary by the Subei Coastal Current(SbCC),respectively.The signifi cant relationship of TOC to clay provided evidence that the fi ne-grained sediment was the primary carrier for SOM from the inner shelf to open sea.The TN varied proportionally to the TOC with the neglected intercept,suggesting that most of nitrogen measured was related to the SOM and the infl uence of the sorption of inorganic nitrogen was insignifi cant.The seaward enrichment ofδ13 C and seaward depletion of C/N andδ15 N illustrated the decrease of terrestrial OM(TOM)and the increase of marine OM(MOM).The close of average C/N ratio to the Redfi eld ratio indicated the minor role of terrestrial plant debris in the SOM.Distribution of bulk OM properties was ascribed to the terrestrial and marine input by the shelf circulation and phytoplankton with the contributions of 76.1%MOM and 23.9%TOM to SOM,respectively.The burial fl ux of OC ranged within 0.34–7.56 mg/(cm 2∙a)(averaged 2.80 mg/(cm 2∙a))and enriched along the shore and in the fi ne-grained area,manifesting the signifi cant input of the land-based sources and the eff ect of shelf mud depositional process on the fate of SOM.The sharp seaward decrease of burial fl uxes of terrestrial and marine OC gave evidences that the majority of organic carbon were settled in the inner shelf with the small fraction of them further transported eastwards.

Factors Controlling Organic Matter Enrichment in Alkaline Lacustrine Source Rocks:A Case Study of the Late Paleozoic Fengcheng Formation in the Junggar Basin,NW China

The late Paleozoic Fengcheng Formation shale(LPF shale)in the Junggar Basin,NW China,is the oldest alkaline source rock discovered in the world,providing a unique perspective with which to explore organic matter(OM)enrichment in alkaline lake environments.Combined with the organic carbon isotope profile and paleoenvironmental proxies,this study reveals that the LPF shale was deposited in an arid climate with high salinity and a strong reducing environment,accompanied by frequent volcanic activity.High TOC values are concentrated in two intervals with frequent fluctuations in OM types.A negative excursion due to changes in sedimentary OM source is found in the δ^(13)C_(org) profile.The excursion corresponds to the OM enrichment interval and is accompanied by abnormally high values of Sr/Ba and Sr/Cu.This implies that the extreme arid climate has led to high salinity,resulting in strong reducibility and changes in paleontological assemblages,which in turn controlled the differential enrichment of OM.The Fengcheng Fm.high-quality source rocks are the result of the combined action of climatic events,volcanism,high-salinity water environment and superior hydrocarbon-generating organisms.The results provide new insights into the formation conditions of terrestrial alkaline high-quality source rocks and the factors controlling alkaline OM enrichment.

Supply of terrigenous organic matter from tidal flat to the marine environment:An example of neritic source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation,Xihu Depression,East China Sea Shelf Basin

The terrigenously-dominated marine shales which were deposited in the lower Eocene Pinghu Formation were thought to be a potential source rock in the Xihu Depression of the East China Sea Shelf Basin.However,the exceptionally high total organic carbon content(TOC,>6%on average)of the tidal sand ridge samples was not compatible with their sedimentary environment,indicating coal-bearing sedimentary debris may have been transferred from the coast to the ocean.In this study,new sights into the origins and supply of organic materials in the coastal environment were proposed in the neritic organic matter of the Eocene Pinghu Formation.A discriminant model was developed using plynofacies analysis data to pinpoint the source of organic materials in marine source rocks.The discrimination results suggested that marine mudstones were associated with tidal flat mudstones rather than deltaic ones.The biomarker characteristics of mudstones deposited in various environments support this assertion,indicating that the supply of plant materials in tidal flats is the primary organic matter source for the marine environment.The organic matter abundance was elevated in tidal flats due to their superior preservation conditions.Additionally,the lithological assemblage of tidal flats suggests that tidal currents can scour marshes and then transport dispersed terrigenous organic materials to neritic areas.These findings indicate that coal-bearing sedimentary debris was likely transferred from the coast to the ocean,and tidal currents are thought to be the dominant mechanism driving organic matter from the tidal to the marine environment.

Identifying the sources of organic matter in marine and riverine sediments of Bohai Bay and its catchment using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes are useful tracers for distinguishing marine and terrestrial plant sources of sedimentary organic matter(OM),and for identifying OM from different types of plants.By analyzing the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of marine and riverine sediments from Bohai Bay and its catchment,we were able to identify the source of OM in these sediments.The stable carbon isotope values of Bohai Bay sediments were between-22.94‰ and-23.90‰,while those of riverine sediments were from-24.45‰ to-32.50‰.Marine algae were the main source of OM in Bohai Bay sediments.However,lacustrine algae were the main source of riverine sediments,not terrestrial OM.The nitrogen isotopes in Bohai Bay sediments decreased in eastward direction,with increasing distance from the coastline,which suggested a higher degree of impact from human activities along the coast.

Source profiles of particulate organic matters emitted from cereal straw burnings

Cereal straw is one of the most abundant biomass burned in China but its contribution to fine particulates is not adequately understood. In this study, three main kinds of cereal straws were collected from five grain producing areas in China. Fine particulate matters （PMzs） from the cereal straws subjected to control burnings, both under smoldering and flaming status, were sampled by using a custom made dilution chamber and sampling system in the laboratory. Element carbon （EC） and organic carbon （OC） was analyzed. 141 compounds of organic matters were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrum （GC-MS）. Source profiles of particulate organic matters emitted from cereal straw burnings were obtained. The results indicated that organic matters contribute a large fraction in fine particulate matters. Levoglucosan had the highest contributions with averagely 4.5% in mass of fine particulates and can be considered as the tracer of biomass burnings. Methyloxylated phenols from lignin degradation also had high concentrations in PM2.5, and contained approximately equal amounts of guaiacyl and syringyl compounds. 13-Sitostrol also made up relatively a large fraction of PMz5 compared with the other sterols （0.18%-0.63% of the total fine particle mass）. Normal alkanes, PAHs, fatty acids, as well as normal alkanols had relatively lower concentrations compared with the compounds mentioned above. Carbon preference index （CPI） of normal alkanes and alkanoic acids showed characteristics of biogenic fuel burnings. Burning status significantly influenced the formations of EC and PAHs. The differences between the emission profiles of straw and wood combustions were displayed by the fingerprint compounds, which may be used to identify the contributions between wood and straw burnings in source apportionment researches.

Biological sources, paleoenvironment, and organic matter enrichment in source rocks of the Ordovician Majiagou Formation, Ordos Basin, China:Evidence from biomarkers,microfossils, and inorganic geochemical analyses

Carbonate deposits in the Ordovivian Majiagou Formation are significant source rocks for natural gas generation in the Ordos Basin, northwestern China. Previous studies mainly focused on the organic matter enrichment mechanism of shales rather than carbonate rocks. The biological sources and paleoenvironment of carbonate source rocks, and the main controlling factors of organic matter enrichment in the carbonate source rocks were studied in this paper in combination with evidence from biomarkers, microfossils and inorganic geochemistry analysis. The results show that four types of microfacies were identified in the Majiagou Formation, respectively as: mud flat microfacies, mud-dolomite flat microfacies, dolomite flat microfacies, and open marine microfacies. The biological sources of organic matter are chiefly planktonic algae, followed by bacteria. The mud flat and mud-dolomite flat contain a high abundance of terrigenous detrital inputs, as indicated by the high content of Al_(2)O_(3), TiO_(2), Th, and Zr. The low Sr/Cu and high Rb/Sr values reveal warm and humid paleoclimate conditions in the mud flat and mud-dolomite flat, whereas the dolomite flat and open marine were likely formed in hot and arid paleoclimate conditions. The mud flat and mud-dolomite flat deposits were characterized by high paleoproductivity of the Majiagou Formation. Low Sr/Ba values were found in the mud flat samples, indicating fresh to brackish water condition, whereas samples of other facies have a relatively high degree of salinity. Based on U_(auth), Mo_(auth), Cr_(auth), Co_(auth), δCe, and δEu values, the mud flat microfacies was formed in a suboxic and anoxic environment, whereas the mud-dolomite flat, dolomite flat and open marine microfacies were within dysoxic to oxic conditions. A model of organic matter enrichment in the Majiagou Formation is thus established. The level of terrigenous detrital inputs is the principal factor of organic matter enrichment in the Majiagou Formation, secondly are redox condition and then paleoproductivity. The mud flat and mud-dolomite flat microfacies show abundant terrestrial detrital inputs and nutrient elements, indicative of warm and humid climate that facilitated biotic productivity, including an abundance of planktonic algae(microfossils). The suboxic and anoxic environments promoted the preservation of organic matter, as evidenced by the relatively high TOC content. The mud flat as well as the mud-dolomite flat of the Majiagou Formation is prospecting for forming source rocks.

Main Controlling Factors of Organic Matter Richness in a Permian Section of Guangyuan, Northeast Sichuan

A complete Permian section in Guangyuan （广元）, Northeast Sichuan （四川）, has been investigated, to explore the variation in organic matter richness and its main controlling factors. The research results of the detailed lithological description and organic/inorganic geochemical analysis of about 325 samples indicate that a high content of total organic carbon （TOC） occurs in calcareous mudstones and laminated marls or thin-bedded limestones. In carbonate rocks, the TOC content is negatively related to the thickness of the massive beds; the thinner the bed is, the higher the TOC content is. Marine organic matter is enriched in the outer shelf and relatively shallow basin floor environments with the maximum TOC contents of 5.07% and 14.6%, respectively. The main factors that affect the quantity and quality of marine organic matter include primary productivity, depositional processes, and redox conditions during deposition and the early diagenesis stage. Three intervals of marine good quality source rocks are identified in this section; they are lower Chihsia Formation, topmost Maokou （茅口） Formation, and the middle segment of the Dalong （大隆） Formation. They are formed in anoxic environments, in association with high primary productivity. Among these, high productivity in the lower Chihsia interval may originate from an upwelling flow area, whereas, in the rest of the intervals, it is inferred to be related to hot fluid activity due to volcanic eruption. The results of this study suggest that good quality marine source rocks in the Permian strata offer significant hydrocarbon potential.

Accumulation Conditions of Organic Matter during the Deposition of Black Shales of the Buxin Formation (Early Paleogene) in the Sanshui Basin, South China

Analyses of organic carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and iron have been performed in order to understand sources and preservation of organic matter in black shale of the Buxin Formation (Early Paleogene) from the Sanshui Basin. The C/N ratios show that the organic matter is characterized by a mixture of terrestrial and phytoplanktonic contributions. The relative importance of different sources depend on climate conditions and most of organic matter is of terrestrial origin. The relationships between C, S and Fe indicate that the brackish environment with alternation of anoxia and low-O2 developed in the bottom waters during the deposition of these organic-rich sediments as a result of a mixed setting of thermal stratification and salinity stratification, the latter being the consequence of intermittent sea water incursion. Bacterial sulfate reduction is the most effective early diagenesis affecting the preservation of organic matter. The intensity of sulfate reduction is related to the relative proportion of metabolizable organic matter supplied to sediments.

Determining the Main Gas-generation Phase of Marine Organic Matters in Different Occurrence States using the Kinetic Method

This paper probes the determination of the main gas-generation phase of marine organic mattes using the kinetic method. The main gas-generation phase of marine organic matters was determined by coupling the gas generation yields and rates in geological history computed by the acquired kinetic parameters of typical marine organic matters （reservoir oil, residual bitumen, lowmaturity kerogen and residual kerogen） in both China and abroad and maturity by the EasyRo（%） method. Here, the main gas-generation phase was determined as Ro%=1.4%-2.4% for type Ⅰ kerogen, Ro%=1.5-3.0% for low-maturity type Ⅱ kerogen, Ro%=1.4-2.8% for residual kerogen, Ro%=1.5-3.2% for residual bitumen and Ro%=1.6-3.2% for reservoir oil cracking. The influences on the main gas-generation phase from the openness of the simulated system and the ＂dead line＂ of natural gas generation are also discussed. The results indicate that the openness of simulation system has a definite influence on computing the main gas-generation phase. The main gas-generation phase of type Ⅱ kerogen is Ro%=1.4-3.1% in an open system, which is earlier than that in a closed system. According to our results, the ＂dead line＂ of natural gas generation is determined as Ro=3.5 % for type Ⅰ kerogen, Ro=4.4-4.5% for type Ⅱ kerogen and Ro=4.6% for marine oil. Preliminary applications are presented taking the southwestern Tarim Basin as an example.

Occurrence of Highly Mature Organic Matter in Marine Black Shale Petroleum Source Rocks of Basal Cambrian from Northern Tarim Basin, China

More and more evidence indicates that organic matter (OM) in immature organic-rich sediments and sedimentary rocks is chemically adsorbed onto the outer surfaces of minerals and into interlayer (inner) surfaces of smectitic clay minerals in the form of amorphous molecular-scale carbon. But there have been few reports about the occurrence of highly mature OM in marine black shales (petroleum source rocks). The occurrence of highly mature OM in the black shales of basal Cambrian from northern Tarim Basin is studied in this paper. Based on the comprehensive analyses of total organic carbon contents (TOC), maximum thermolysis temperatures (T-max) of OM, mineral surface areas (MSA), and scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) and transmission electronic microscopic (TEM) observations of the black shales, it is concluded that the highly mature OM in the marine black shales of the basal Cambrian from northern Tarim Basin occurs in particulates ranging in size from 1 to 5 μm in diameter. Through the contrast of the occurrence of the highly mature OM in the black shales with that of the immature ones in modern marine continental margin sediments, some scientific problems are proposed, which are worth to study further in detail.

The contribution of bacteria to organic matter in coal-measure source rocks

On the basis of GC–MS analysis, a suite of nine coal-measure source rocks(Ro 0.51%–0.63%) from the southern margin of Junggar basin was found to contain many biomarkers for bacterially-generated hydrocarbons:hopane, sesquiterpene, C_(23)+ monomethyl alkanes(even carbon predominance), and C_(24)+ alkyl cyclohexane.Rock–eval and microscope analysis indicate that vitrinite(especially desmocollinite and homocollinite) plays a significant role in the generation of hydrocarbons in coalmeasure source rocks. Vitrinite performs this role by absorbing ultramicroscopic organic matter, generally in the form of resins or bacterial plastids. C_(23)+ monomethyl alkanes(even carbon predominance) and C_(24)+ alkyl cyclohexane series compounds are derived from bacterial metabolites of higher plants. The ultramicro organic matter adsorbed by vitrinite source rocks in the study area is probably ultramicro bacterial plastids. Because the organic matter of higher plants with low hydrogen content has been transformed into organic matter rich in hydrogen by bacteria, the hydrocarbon generation capacity of source rocks is greatly improved. In other words, in coal-measure source rocks, bacteria play an important role in hydrocarbon generation.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Organic Matter from Petroleum Source Rocksand Its Implications

Organic matter was experimentally extracted by supercritical fiuids （CO2 +1% isopropanol） from petroleum source rocks of different thermo-maturities at different buried depths in the same stratigraphic unit in the Dongying Basin. The results show that supercritical fluid extraction （SFE） is more effective than Soxhlet extraction （SE）, with higher amounts and greater varieties of hydrocarbons and soluble organic matter becoming extractive. The supercritical CO2 extraction is therefore considered more valuable in evaluation of petroleum source rocks and oil resources, particularly those of immature types.

Geochemistry of solvable organic matter from source rocks in Shangkuli Formation of Labudalin Basin

A suit of lacustrine source rocks are developed in volcanic deposits in the Shangkuli Formation of the Cretaceous. However, it is poor to understand the characteristics of source rocks due to the low degree of exploration, thus the exploration is severely constrained in this area. Based on the geochemical analysis, the analytic technique of GC and GC-MS, combined with the characteristics of solvable organic matter and biomarkers of the source rocks, the authors discussed the depositional environment, the derivation of the matrix and the maturity characteristics of the organic material of the Shangkuli Formation in Cretaceous. The results show that the organic matter mainly belongs to type Ⅱ1 kerogen, whose abundance is relatively high; it was formed in reductive surrounding where was deep-lake; the hydrocarbon is characterized by mixed-source of organic matter. The thermal evolution of source rocks had reached maturation stage.

鄂尔多斯盆地南缘长7烃源岩地球化学特征与沉积环境

鄂尔多斯盆地南缘出露多处典型长7段页岩剖面,为了加深该区域烃源岩的研究,对35个烃源岩样品开展有机碳含量测定、岩石热解分析、饱和烃气相色谱-质谱分析、微量元素含量测定等测试分析,研究其地球化学特征,分析其有机质来源及沉积环境。结果表明:暗色页岩发育于淡水和还原的半深湖—深湖环境,沉积期气候温暖湿润,适宜生物发育,Mo元素高度富集,指示湖泊富营养化,初级生产力高;物质来源为藻类等低等水生生物和陆地植物的混合来源,但藻类等低等水生生物是主要来源;源岩有机质高度富集,总有机碳(TOC)平均值为23.51%,高于陆相优质烃源岩的丰度标准;有机质以腐泥—混合型为主,生烃潜量S1+S2均值为112.93 mg/g,生烃潜力良好;岩石热解峰温及生物标志化合物参数,指示达到成熟热演化程度,具有勘探潜力。

琼东南盆地陆源海相烃源岩有机质富集机理

琼东南盆地渐新统陆源海相烃源岩是深水区的一套重要烃源岩。从盆地构造格局、古气候、沉积相和三角洲规模4个方面对琼东南盆地渐新统陆源海相烃源岩的形成机理进行了分析。结果表明:盆地构造格局整体上控制了烃源岩的发育类型,断陷期的崖城组陆源有机质主要以近岸堆积形式形成煤系烃源岩;而陵水组(E_(3)l)陆源有机质则以河流-三角洲搬运形式形成陆源海相烃源岩。崖城组三段(崖三段,E_(3)y^(3))和三亚组二段(三二段,N_(1)s^(2))沉积期陆源高等植物最繁盛;崖二段(E_(3)y^(2))-崖一段(E_(3)y^(1))和陵水组二段(陵二段,E_(3)l^(2))-陵一段(E_(3)l^(1))沉积期次之,陆源高等植物供给充足。沉积相带控制陆源有机质的差异,同时卸载的不同形成了明显差异的陆源海相烃源岩。陆源海相烃源岩有利的发育区域为三角洲前缘-内浅海以及海底扇。大规模的三角洲可以输送更高生物通量的陆源有机质,提高了烃源岩有机质丰度,从而形成海域最为重要的一类有特色的气源岩。