Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

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Organic Geochemistry
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/orggeochem

Oil families and their source rocks in the Weixinan Sub-basin, Beibuwan
Basin, South China Sea
Baojia Huang a,b, Xianming Xiao a,, Dongsheng Cai b, R.W.T. Wilkins c, Mingquan Liu b
a

State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 Guangdong, China
Research Institute, CNOOC Ltd., Zhanjiang, 524057 Guangdong, China
c
CSIRO Petroleum, P.O. Box 136, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
b

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 8 June 2010
Received in revised form 11 November 2010
Accepted 2 December 2010
Available online 10 December 2010

a b s t r a c t
Thirty-one crude oils and 15 source rocks were selected for molecular geochemical and isotopic analyses
in order to establish the genetic relationships between discovered oils and petroleum source rocks in the
Weixinan Sub-basin, Beibuwan Basin, South China Sea. Three groups of oils were recognized. Group I oils
are only found in the upper section of the Liusagang Formation, with a moderate abundance of C30
4-methylsteranes, low oleanane contents and lighter d13C values, showing a close relation to the shale
occurring in the upper section of the Liusagang Formation. Group II is represented by the majority of
the discoveries and is distributed in multi-sets of reservoirs having different ages. The oils are characterized by a high abundance of C30 4-methylsteranes, low to moderate abundance of oleanane and heavy
d13C values, and shows a good correlation with the lacustrine shale and oil shale in the middle section
of the Liusagang Formation. Group III oils occurred in the lower section of the Liusagang Formation.
The oils have a lower concentration of C30 4-methylsteranes, relatively high abundance of oleananes
and their d13C values are intermediate. Oils of this group correlated well with the shallow lake-delta
mudstone of the lower section of Liusagang Formation. These oil-source genetic relationships suggest
a strong source facies control on the geographic distribution of oil groups within the Weixinan Sub-basin.
The geochemical data indicate shale in the middle section of the Liusagang Formation has an excellent oil
generation potential and the lower and upper sections contain dark shale and mudstone with good to fair
oil potential. Future exploration or assessment of petroleum potential of the sub-basin could be improved
by considering the proposed genetic relationship between the oil types and source rocks, as well as their
distribution.
2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The Beibuwan Basin (Fig. 1a) is one of four petroliferous basins in
the northern continental shelf area of the South China Sea. It covers
an area of nearly 40,000 km2. The Weixinan Sub-basin (Fig. 1a) is
located in the north part of the Beibuwan Basin. Over the past
30 years, petroleum exploration has been continuously conducted
in the basin, especially in the Weixinan Sub-basin where a few oil
bearing structures and several commercial oil elds have been discovered, such as the W10-3, W11-4, W11-4N, W11-1, W12-1, W6-8,
W6-9 and W12-8 oil elds (Fig. 1b). Although data from recent
exploration efforts in the sub-basin have greatly enhanced the
understanding of its petroleum system, some key problems are still
unresolved. Previous studies (Zhang and Huang, 1991; Gong and Li,
1997; Liu, 2004) have demonstrated there are several sets of source
rocks with petroleum potential within the Eocene Liushagang

Formation and the discovered oils have variable compositions.

However, little work has been done on identifying oil families and
establishing their relationships with the source rocks. Although
shales in the middle section of Liushagang Formation are considered
to be the main source rocks in the Weixinan Sub-basin, some oils are
clearly derived from other sources. For example, a few commercial
oil elds have been discovered in sandstones enclosed by dark
shales in the upper section of the Liushagang Formation, clearly
indicating an in situ oil source (Liu, 2004). The purpose of this paper
is to dene organic source facies and oil families and to make a
correlation of the oils with their source rocks through the use of
molecular and stable carbon isotopic parameters in order to achieve
a better understanding of the petroleum system and its potential for
additional oil discoveries, thereby reducing exploration risk in this
area.
2. Geological setting

Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 020 85290176.

E-mail address: xmxiao@gig.ac.cn (X. Xiao).
0146-6380/$ - see front matter 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2010.12.001

The Beibuwan Basin is a MesozoicCenozoic extensional basin,

containing six sub-basins and three uplifts (Fig. 1a). The structural

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

CHINA

GUANGZHOU

SOUTH
CHINA SEA
HAINAN
ISLAND

21o

Weixixnan
Leidong

Wushi

Haizhong

en

i-Maich

e
Haitoub

Subbasin
20o

Uplift

Fushan

(a)

Hainan Island
108o

111o

109o

A
W611
W141

W521
W683
W691

W1032

W681

W111N2
W1111
W111N3

W1033

W1224
W10330

W1221

W114N6

W1172

W1231

W1181
W1182

W1283

W114A1

Location for burial history

reconstruction
Sampling well

(b)

Fig. 1. Maps showing (a) the structural divisions of the Beibuwan Basin and (b) major structures and sampled wells in the Weixinan Sub-basin.

evolution of the basin can be divided into an early (Eocene to

Oligocene) extensional phase which was marked by fault bounded
and rifted strata, and a late (Miocene to recent) passive margin
phase with relatively unstructured strata, leading to two distinctive structural layers (Liu, 2004).
In response to the above structural evolution, the dominant
environments for sedimentary deposition in the Beibuwan Basin
evolved from the early continental non-marine uvial and lacustrine deposition of the Paleocene to Oligocene, to marine transgression during the Miocene (Fig. 2), forming syn-rift deposits
and post-rift deposits, respectively. The EoceneOligocene rifting

stage includes two signicant syn-rift phases represented by the

Changliu Formation characterized by coarse grained, matrix supported conglomerate adjacent to highly active fault scarps and
the LiushagangWeizhou formations, with interbedded sandstone
and shale more generally within the sub-basin, to a total thickness
of 3500 m. The Liushagang Formation is subdivided into upper,
middle and lower sections: Liushagang-1, Liushagang-2 and
Liushagang-3, respectively, each consisting of a combination of
dark shale or mudstone with sandstone. The Weizhou Formation
also contains dark mudstone, although dominated by sandstone.
The top of the Weizhou Formation is marked by a signicant

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

Geological
Age
Q
|
Pliocene

Age
Lithology Source Reservoir Oil
(Ma)

Strata

Depositional
Facises

Wangliugang
5.5

Dengliujiao

U. Miocene
|
M. Miocene

Marine
10.5

Jiaowei
16.5

L. Miocene

Xiayang
25.0

Oligocene

Weizhou

Lacustrine

32.0

Liushagang

U
Eocene

39.5

M
47.5

L
58.5

Paleocene

Changliu

Pre-Tertiary

shale

Oil-shale

Alluvial Fan
62.5

gravel

sandstone

siltstone

limestone

Siliciclastic
rock

Volcanic
rock

Fig. 2. Schematic stratigraphic column of the Weixinan Sub-basin.

regional unconformity surface, which denes the boundary

between the syn-rift and post-rift (passive) sedimentary lling
of the Beibuwan Basin. The post-rift marine sediments of the
Miocene to Pleistocene, consisting mainly of sandstone interbedded with mudstones with a total thickness of about 3000 m
(Fig. 2), act as an excellent regional seal for hydrocarbon uids
(Huang et al., 2008).
Available geological and geochemical data have indicated petroleum source rocks are well developed in the Liushagang Formation
(Zhang and Huang, 1991; Liu, 2004) and petroleum generated from
these source rocks migrated into the sandstones within the Liushagang Formation or migrated upwards through faults into sandstone bodies in the Weizhou, Xiayang and Jiaowei formations
(Liu, 2004). Sandstone reservoirs in these formations are all prospective exploration targets in this sub-basin.
3. Samples and experimental conditions
TOC and RockEval analysis data were obtained for about 150
core and cutting samples from 30 wells and a total of 31 crude

oil samples were collected for analysis during drill stem tests in
the Weixinan Sub-basin (Fig. 1b). Selected source rocks were
extracted using dichloromethane in a Soxhlet apparatus for 72 h.
After asphaltene was precipitated and group compositions
fractioned using column chromatography for both oils and rock
extracts, their saturate fractions were analyzed using a Hewlett
Packard 5890II equipped with a 50 m  0.32 mm i.d. HP-5 fused
silica capillary column. The carrier gas was helium at a ow rate
of 1.5 ml/min. The samples were injected using a splitless injector
maintained at 300 C. The GC oven temperature was programmed
from 35 to 300 C at 5 C/min and maintained at the nal temperature for 30 min.
Gas chromatographymass spectrometric (GCMS) analyses
were carried out using a Thermo DSQ II-Trace/MS220-5327.
Helium was used as carrier gas, and the oven temperature was
programmed from 50 to 300 C at 4 C/min. Samples were routinely analyzed in full scan mode (m/z 50500). The stable carbon
isotope (d13C) analysis of whole oils and source rock kerogens was
carried out using a Finnigan MAT-251 mass spectrometer, with an
analytical precision of 0.03 based on the PDB standard.

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

acterized by a moderate abundance of C30 4-methylsteranes

(Fig. 6) with the ratio of C30 4-methylsteranes to C29 steranes of
0.722.24, low content of oleanane and lighter carbon isotope values ( 28.30 to 27.10) compared with other group oils (Table
1, Figs. 4a and 5). The C30 4-methylsterane is a distinctive constituent of the Eocene Wenchang Formation lacustrine sediments in
the Pearl River Mouth Basin (Robison et al., 1998; Zhu et al.,
1999; Huang et al., 2003) and its biological precursors may be
related to certain dinoagellates thriving in freshwater lakes
(Brassell et al., 1988; Goodwin et al., 1988). According to an investigation made by Fu et al. (1985) on the PaleoceneEocene oil shale
from the onshore Maoming Basin, dinoagellates with high hydrocarbon source potentials occur dominantly in deep freshwater
lacustrine facies. The moderate abundance of C30 4-methylsteranes
of Group I oils indicates its source rocks deposited in a shallower
lake environment. Their C29 steroid isomerization ratio C29 (20S/
20S + 20R) ranges from 0.28 to 0.44 (Fig. 4b) and does not reach
its thermal equilibrium value of about 0.50 (Peters et al., 1986; Li
et al., 1995), further indicating the source rock has not been buried
to a great depth.

4. Results and discussion

4.1. Bulk composition
The oils from the Weixinan Sub-basin have a density ranging
from 0.8200.969 g/cm3 and a low sulfur content of less than
0.5% (Table 1), typical of oils of non-marine origin (Gransch and
Posthuma, 1974). Most of the oils have a saturated hydrocarbon
predominance (5580%); only a few oil samples (W521-1 and
W141-2) especially from the W5-2 and W1-4 oilelds have a low
abundance of saturates (Table 1). Those low saturate oils have a
high content of non-hydrocarbon + asphaltene (usually >32%),
low content of n-alkanes and low wax, indicating they have been
moderately biodegraded (Fig. 3). In general, an oil with a saturated
hydrocarbon content over 60% is not effected by biodegradation in
the Weixinan Sub-basin and biodegradation becomes obvious as
saturated hydrocarbon content decreases from 60% to 40%. The
biodegraded oils were not used for oil-source correlation in this
study.
4.2. Oil families

4.2.2. Group II oil

This group includes oils from the Xiayang Formation, Jiaowei
Formation, Weizhou Formation, Carboniferous strata and some reservoirs in the Liushagang-3, Liushagang-2 and Liushagang-1 sections in the Weixinan Sub-basin (Tables 1). The oils are black to
brown in color, with a medium density (0.8210.887 g/cm3). Most
of them have high wax (20.524.4%) and low sulfur contents. Three
oil samples from shallow reservoirs inuenced by biodegradation
have a relatively high density (0.9420.969 g/cm3), high asphaltene

On the basis of the saturated hydrocarbon biomarker distributions and stable carbon isotopic data of the studied oils from the
Weixinan Sub-basin, they can be largely classied into three compositional groups (Table 1, Figs. 46).
4.2.1. Group I oil
The oil samples from the Liushagang-1 section reservoir of W68, W6-9 and W11-1N oil elds belong to this group. The oil is char-

Table 1
Basic data and selected geochemical parameters for crude oils from the Weixinan Sub-basin.a
Sample no.

Depth (m)

Fr.

Density (g/cm3)

Sulfur%

Wax%

Sats.%

Arom.%

Res.%

Aph.%

ol/C30

C27/C29

4MSI

20S/20R

d13Coil%0

Oil group

W1032-5
W1033-3
W10330-1
W1111-4
W111N2-1
W111N3-1
W111N3-2
W111N3-3
W1124-1
W1124-2
W114A1-3
W114A1-2
W114N6-1
W1172-2
W1172-1
W1181-2
W1181-1
W1182-1
W1221-2
W1221-1
W1231-1
W1283-1
W141-2
W521-1
W611-2
W681-1
W683-2
W683-1
W691-4
W691-3
W693-1

19681978
21122127
22082220
27192726
21312177
1945
2021
2102
22082223
1689
885910
967980
2222.52235
2063.6
26392644
31043270
32883383
29693031
27992825
29132988
14091420
936940
840845
830.5901
19672052
28842917
2742
27392747
23762382
29232935
25822618

L3
L3
L3
L3
L1
L1
L1
L1
L1
WZ
JW
JW
L1
L1
L3
L3
L3
L3
L2
L3
WZ
JW
XY
C
C
L1
L1
L1
WZ
WZ
WZ

0.840
0.834
0.866
0.856
0.867
0.888
0.881
0.854
0.889
0.852
0.905
0.881
0.845
0.825
0.820
0.836
0.839
0.829
0.874
0.889
0.855
0.942
0.960
0.969
0.825
0.851
0.880
0.876
0.890
0.890
0.897

0.20
0.01
0.21
nd
0.22
nd
nd
nd
0.28
0.17
0.24
0.18
0.18
0.05
0.05
0.08
0.10
0.06
0.10
0.08
0.10
0.44
0.49
0.51
0.02
0.19
0.21
0.18
0.31
0.33
0.34

29.3
22.6
25.8
28.5
15.2
15.2
19.6
9.3
2.8
19.2
14.4
16.3
15.0
7.2
11.1
10.9
11.4
9.2
16.3
24.6
18.9
3.2
8.3
0.4
20.5
17.7
9.9
8.5
11.2
20.4
23.6

75
76
69
70
56.9
61.6
58
54.4
52.6
68.7
65
71
54.2
88
88.8
76.7
74.1
85.4
74
73
70
33.9
46.5
42
76
64.7
69.1
71.3
49
52
52.6

11
10
10
13
17.2
16.1
16.3
16.9
24.9
19
14
18
22
5.9
6.7
15.8
17.7
9.3
13
14
12
31.9
32.9
26
12
17.9
14.8
14.2
13
15
15.2

10
11
12
6
16.9
13.5
16.3
16
13.7
8.1
11
9
15.5
2
1.7
5
5.3
4.3
8
8
12
16.9
13.4
17
10
10.7
11.5
10.8
19
19
17.4

4
3
9
11
9.1
8.8
9.5
13
8.7
4.3
10
2
8.2
4.1
2.8
2.5
2.9
1
5
5
6
17
7.3
15
2
6.7
4.6
3.6
19
14
15

0.07
0.12
0.12
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.02
0.14
0.15
0.06
0.07
0.31
0.26
0.29
0.35
0.06
0.03
0.09
0.09
0.05
0.07
0.10
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.03

0.39
0.59
0.27
0.36
0.83
1.19
0.87
0.76
0.74
0.94
0.53
0.63
1.33
1.25
0.49
1.23
1.10
0.80
0.71
0.54
0.62
1.10
0.27
0.69
0.70
1.08
0.99
1.03
0.68
0.74
0.88

4.95
3.42
2.35
4.95
2.34
1.97
2.07
2.10
2.05
2.33
3.99
4.33
1.64
0.72
0.72
1.30
1.50
1.51
3.11
2.45
2.31
3.28
4.27
3.56
3.13
2.24
1.43
1.34
2.34
2.34
2.01

0.51
0.61
0.63
0.53
0.39
0.35
0.39
0.39
0.29
0.43
0.56
0.54
0.28
0.44
0.57
0.69
0.73
0.52
0.70
0.66
0.59
0.60
0.50
0.54
0.62
0.56
0.34
0.36
0.57
0.58
0.64

24.56
nd
24.66
nd
nd
nd
nd
nd
nd
nd
25.99
25.41
28.30
nd
nd
26.40
26.50
nd
nd
28.36
25.91
nd
nd
25.94
24.54
27.20
27.10
27.10
26.88
26.35
26.70

II
II
II
II
II
I
I
I
I
II
II
II
I
I
III
III
III
III
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
I
I
I
II
II
II

a
Fr. = Formation; Sats. = saturates, Arom. = aromatics, Res. = resins, Aph. = asphaltenes. Saturates, aromatics, resins, asphaltenes are normalized percent. ol/C30 = oleanane/
C30 hopane ratio, calculated from the m/z 191 mass fragmentograms; C27/C29 = C27/C29 20R steranes; 4MSI = ratio of C30 4-methylsteranes to C29 regular steranes (20R + 20S),
calculated from the m/z 217 mass fragmentograms; 20S/20R = 20S/(20S + 20R) ratio for aaa-C29 steranes; Formation name: Q = Quaternary, JW = Jiaowei, XY = Xiayang,
WZ = Weizhou, LS1 = Liushagang-1, LS2 = Liushagang-2, LS3 = Liushagang-3, C = Cretaceous. nd = not determined.

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

W521
830 893m
XY Formation
oil

n-C27
n-C17

WZ61S1
1812.1m
WZ Formation
oil
Pr
Ph

Fig. 3. Gas chromatograms of aliphatic fractions of a biodegraded oil and a normal Group II oil from the Weixinan Sub-basin.

content, and low wax content (Table 1). The carbon isotope ratios of
this group of oils vary from 24.56 to 26.88. Although the
ratios are mostly heavier than those of Group III oils, their values
overlap considerably (Table 1, Fig. 5).
Biomarker data are a valuable aid in dening a better group
identication of the oils. Oils of group II without biodegradation
show a Pr/Ph ratio of 1.52.6, indicating an origin from type I/II
kerogen deposited under suboxic conditions. These oils are differentiated from oils of other groups by a high abundance of C30
4-methylsteranes (Fig. 6), with the ratio of C30 4-methylsteranes
to C29 regular steranes of 2.345.2 and a relatively low content of
oleanane which is derived from angiosperms (Peters and
Moldowan, 1993). Thus, Group II oils were most likely derived
from source rocks deposited in a freshwater lacustrine setting.
These source rocks probably reached the peak stage of oil generation based on the ratio C2920S/(20S + 20R) of 0.440.63 (Figs. 4b
and 6, Table 1). It was found that both samples of a shallow oil
(936940 m) and a deep oil (29132988 m) from the W12-8 and
W12-2 reservoirs have a nearly identical composition and thermal
maturation level (Table 1), which suggests the oil generated from
deeply buried source rocks underwent vertical migration to charge
shallow reservoirs.
4.2.3. Group III oil
Four oil samples produced from the Liushagang-3 reservoirs
belong to this group. Similar to most of the Group II oils, these
oils have a low to medium density, high wax and low sulfur
contents (Table 1). The oils have a relatively high content of
oleanane, with ol/C30 ratio (oleanane/C30 hopane) of 0.260.35,
a high pristane/phytane ratio of 2.032.48, and a moderate abundance of C30 4-methylsteranes (Figs. 4 and 6). These oils are
slightly depleted in their 12C values compared to the Group I oil
(Table 1, Fig. 5).
The relatively high pristane/phytane ratio, lesser abundance of
4-methylsteranes and the presence of a relatively high content of
oleanane indicate that the Group III oils were derived from source

rocks with a more important contribution from terrigenous organic

matter.

4.3. Possible source rocks

As indicated by the results of regional geological and geochemical studies, there are two important sets of organic rich strata in
the Weixinan Sub-basin: the Eocene Liushagang Formation and
the Oligocene Weizhou Formation. Some of the major geochemical
parameters of these source rocks are presented in Figs. 7 and 8.
According to the results, the three sets of dark shales and mudstones in the Luishagang Formation are all good source rocks, but
the organic rich mudstone within the Weizhou Formation has a
lower oil potential.

4.3.1. Liushagang-3 section

The Liushagang-3 section in the lower part of the formation
contains approximately 200 m of interbedded sandstones and
shales. The shales occur in thin layers. They are rich in organic
matter, with a TOC content of 0.44.35%, and S1 + S2 value of
0.6622.64 mg/g rock. The organic matter is dominated by type
II1 and II2 kerogens, with a small component of type III kerogen.
The measured vitrinite reectance values of the Liushagang-3 section shales from the slope area of the sub-basin with a burial
depth of 12003100 m range from 0.50.95%, within the oil window. However, this section has a burial depth of 45005300 m in
the central area, at which the calculated Ro value is in the range
of 1.52.0%.
The extracts of the Liushagang-3 shale have the moderate ratio
of C30 4-methylsteranes to C29 regular steranes of 0.651.41, and
relatively abundant oleananes. There is a relative predominance
of the C29 relative to the C27 compound (Fig. 9). High relative
amounts of C29 steranes are generally thought to indicate a higher
content of terrigenous organic matter (Peters et al., 1986), supporting the geological interpretation that the Liushagang-3 strata were

139

B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

(a)

(b)

Fig. 4. Cross plots of (a) ol/C30ab-hopane ratio vs. C30 4MSI and (b) ol/C30ab-hopane ratio vs. C29 20S/20(S + R) for oil samples collected from the Weixinan Sub-basin,
illustrating the three different genetic oil groups. ol/C30ab-hop = oleanane/C30ab-hopane ratio, C30 4MSI = C30 4-methylsterane to C29 regular steranes (20R + 20S) ratio.

Fig. 5. Cross plot of C30 4MSI vs. whole oil d13C values, showing three different
genetic oil groups dened by biomarker parameters. 4MSI = C30 4-methylsterane to
C29 regular steranes (20R + 20S) ratio.

deposited nearshore in a lake and deltaic environment with a dominant terrigenous input during deposition.

4.3.2. Liushagang-2 section

Dark shales are widely developed in the middle section of the
Liushagang Formation, with a total thickness of 300500 m and
oil shales occur on the bottom and top of the section, with a total
thickness of 1060 m, representing a period of thriving lake development and anoxic deposition in the Weixinan Sub-basin. These
shales have a TOC content ranging from 0.45.94%, with an average
of 2.33%. The dominant kerogens are types II1 and I. Most of the
shales have a burial depth of 20004000 m, with a measured vitrinite reectance of 0.51.2%, indicating a main oil generation stage.
In the deepest area, the burial depth of this section reaches 4600 m,
with a calculated Ro value of 1.8% (Fig. 10).
Clear differences exist between the biomarkers of extracts of
the Liushagang-2 and Liushagang-3 source rocks. As shown in
Fig. 9, the shale extracts of Liushagang-2 have a relatively higher
ratio of C30 4-methylsteranes to C29 regular steranes, and lower
abundance of oleananes, indicating a higher proportion of algal organic matter. This is consistent with kerogens of types II1 and I
(Fig. 8).
The Liushagang-2 section entered the oil generation threshold
at a burial depth of approximately 2500 m, in the central Weixinan

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

M/Z 191

M/Z 217
C30

Ts

Group I

W1172
2063.6m
LS1 Section
oil
Tm

C30-4m St

OL

WZ114N6
2222.5-2235.0m
LS1 Section
oil

W114A1
899m
JW Formation
oil

Group II

W1032
1968.5-1978m
LS3 Section
oil

W611
1967-2052.4m
Carboniferous
oil

Group III

W1181
3104-3270m
LS3 Section
oil

Fig. 6. m/z 191, 217 and 369 mass fragmentograms of three genetic group of oils in the Weixinan Sub-basin (ol: oleanane; C30: C30 4-methylsteranes; Ts: 18a- trisnorhopane,
Tm: 17a trisnorhopane).

Sub-basin reaching the main stage of oil generation during the

Miocene to Pliocene.

4.3.3. Liushagang-1 section

The Liushagang-1 section in the upper part of the formation
consists of dark gray shales and sandstone. The shales have a
TOC value ranging from 0.543.81% with an average value of
1.8%, and a S1 + S2 value mostly >2 mg/g rock with an average value
of 4.8 mg/g rock (Fig. 7). According to the data of RockEval analysis, the organic matter in these samples is predominantly type
II1II2.
Biomarkers from the rock extracts have some important differences to those noted from the other two source facies. As com-

pared with source rocks from Liushagang-3 and Liushagang-2,

the rock extracts have a relatively low content of C30 4-methylsteranes, and low abundance of oleananes (Fig. 9).
The Liushagang-1 source rocks are well developed over the
whole Weixinan Sub-basin, and have a current burial depth of
20003400 m in the major part of the sub-basin, with a Ro value
between 0.4% and 1.0%. Because these source rocks have a relatively low maturity, they have only in part entered into the main
stage of oil generation (Fig. 10).
4.3.4. Weizhou Formation
The Weizhou Formation contains dark gray shales and coals.
These shales have TOC values ranging from 0.323.69% with an

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

40

S1+S2 (mg/g)

30

20

(a) LS Formation
10

LS1
LS2
LS3

0
0

10

TOC (%)
40

S1+S2 (mg/g)

30

20

10

(b) WZ Formation
0
0

10

TOC (%)
Fig. 7. Cross plots of TOC vs. RockEval S1 + S2 values for potential source rocks from the Liushagang (a) and Weizhou formations (b).

900

900

LS1
LS2
LS3

800

700

600

HI (mgHC/gTOC)

HI (mgHC/gTOC)

700

II1

500
400
300

II2

(a)

200
100
0
400

800

600
II1

500
400
300

420

440

460

480

Tmax (oC)

(b)

200
100

III

II2

0
400

III

420

440

460

480

Tmax (oC)

Fig. 8. Modied Van Krevelen diagrams showing the Hydrogen IndexTmax relationships for source rocks from the (a) Liushagang and (b) Weizhou formations.

average value of 0.57%. The kerogen types for most samples are
types III and II2, with a minor portion of type II1 (Fig. 8). Distinctive
biomarker features of the Weizhou Formation rock extracts are the
near absence of C30 4-methylsteranes (Fig. 9) and a relatively high ratio of C29/C27. This indicates that the Weizhou Formation has a greater terrigenous matter input compared to the Liushagang Formation.

The current burial depth of Weizhou Formation reaches locally

3060 m in the depositional center, but is mostly 15002800 m in
the Weixinan Sub-basin, with a measured reectance of 0.30
0.70%, in the immature to low mature stage of oil generation
(Fig. 10). Therefore, the Weizhou Formation has made no signicant contribution to the reservoirs in the Weixinan Sub-basin.

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

M/Z 191

M/Z 217
C29

C30

Tm
Ts

W1213
2436m
WZ Formation
shale

C27
C30-4m St

ol
C29
C30

C27
W1121
29222940m
LS1 Section

Ts Tm
ol

C30-4mSt

shale

W111N2
2424m
LS2 Section
shale

W1222
27882790m
LS2 Section
oil-shale

W11-8-1
33923394m
LS3 Section
shale

Fig. 9. Selected m/z 191, 217 mass fragmentograms of source rock extracts from the Liushagang and Weizhou Formations.

4.4. Oil-source rock correlation

It is clear from the above discussion that the three groups of oils
produced from the Weixinan Sub-basin were derived from different source facies. Applying the relative abundance of C30 4-methylsteranes, oleanane and stable carbon isotopic data as parameters to
trace the relationship between the oils and the source rocks in this
sub-basin, the oil-source correlation can be established. Figs. 6

and 9 show m/z 191 and 217 mass fragmentograms for the three
oil groups and their correlative source rocks. Group I oils can be
correlated to the shallow lake source facies of the Liushagang-1 section based on their moderate abundance of C30 4-methylsteranes
and relatively low oleanane. Group II oils and the medium-deep
water lacustrine shales and oil shales from the Liushagang-2
section are both high in C30 4-methylsteranes but low to moderate
in oleanane, suggesting a clear genetic relationship. Group III oils

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

Neocene

Paleogene

Q Formation

Q
|
WL
DL

1000

JW
XY
WZ

Depth (m)

2000

LS1
Ro=0.6%

3000

4000

5000

Q=Quaternary
WL=Wangliujiao
DL=Dengliujiao
JW=Jiaowei
XY=Xiayang
WZ=Weizhou
LS1=Liushagang-1
LS2=Liushagang-2
LS3=Liushagang-3
CL=Changliu

LS2

Ro=1.3%

LS3
CL

6000
60

40

20

Age (my)
Fig. 10. Burial history curves for source rocks at the depocenter of the Weixinan Sub-basin. The location of the well used for this modeling work is shown in Fig. 1b. Oil
window is dened as Ro = 0.61.35%. Formation names: CL = Changliu, LS = Liushagang; WZ = Weizhou; XY = Xiayang; JW = Jiaowei; DL = Dengliujiao; Q = Quaternary.

show a strong afnity to the shallow lake to delta source facies of

the Liushagang-3 section because both have moderate C30
4-methylsterane and relatively high oleanane values.
These oil-source correlations are further supported by the d13C
values of the oils and source rock kerogens. A non-biodegraded oil
usually displays a similar or little lighter (12) d13C value with its
source kerogens (Tissot and Welte, 1984; Sofer, 1984). Fig. 11 also
presents the genetic relationship between the three groups of oils
and their corresponding source kerogens based on their d13C
values.
Geological observations can give support to geochemical oilsource correlations in the Weixinan Sub-basin. For example, the
reservoir yielding oil samples from the W6-8 Oileld identied
as Group I (Table 1), occurs within the Liushagang-1 shale, indicating it is the only source of the oil.
Although the above simple oil-source correlation is dominant in
the Weixinan Sub-basin, mixing of oils sourced from the different
sections can be also traced from the geochemical data. For example, a few oil samples have their C30 4MSI values between Group
II oil and Group I oil (Fig. 4a). These oil samples were taken from
traps related to boundary faults which cut through the Lishagang-1 and Lishagang-2 sections.
4.5. Implications for exploration
Exploration activities have mainly focused on oils derived from
the Liushagang-II section and structure traps in the Weixinan Subbasin over past 30 years (Liu, 2004). Recent discoveries of lithological oil traps have inspired new interest in the central area of the

sub-basin (Huang et al., 2008). Future exploration or assessment

of petroleum potential of the Weixinan Sub-basin can be assisted
by considering the proposed genetic relationships between the
oil types and source rocks.
Provided that reservoirs within Liushagang-I, Liushagang-II and
Liushagang-III sections are not cut through by faults, they usually
trap oils from their own source rocks (Huang et al., 2008), therefore
all sandstone bodies within the Liushagang Formation should be
favorable exploration targets. Burial history results show that
within the basin center area where the Liushagang-1 section is
more deeply buried and strong thermal maturation occurred, there
is greater oil potential. Compared with the Liushagang-2 and Liushagang-3 sections, the reservoirs within the Liushagang-1 section
are at a fairly shallow burial depth and have therefore undergone a
relatively low degree of catagenesis and should have good reservoir properties (Liu, 2004). So the Liushagang-1 section will represent an important target, especially in the central area, for future
subtle oil-reservoir exploration in the Weixinan Sub-basin.
As discussed above, the Liushagang-2 section contains the
thickest and most widespread source rock in the Weixinan Sub-basin and a major part of the source rock is now in the main stage of
oil generation. Some boundary faults cut through this section to
connect very shallow strata including Jiaowei, Xiayang and Weizhou formations (Liu, 2004). The combination of the faults and sand
bearing strata forms good pathways for oil migration (Fig. 12).
These observations not only explain the current distribution of
group II oils, but also indicate that shallow strata, especially in
structures close to the faults in the edge area of the sub-basin,
would provide other favorable places for oil accumulation.

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B. Huang et al. / Organic Geochemistry 42 (2011) 134145

Group I oil

Group I oil /
LS1 source rock

LS1 source rock

Group II oil

Group II oil /
LS2 source rock

LS2 source rock

Group III oil

Group III oil /

LS3 source rock

-29

LS3 source rock

-28

-27

-26

-25

-24

13 C%o
Fig. 11. Correlation of three groups of oils with corresponding source rock kerogens based on their d13C values.

NW

Upper Miocene -Q
JW
XY

depth (m)

2000

WZ

LS1

4000

LS2

LS3
CL

6000
Oil

Heavy oil

Source rock Sandstone

Fig. 12. Conceptual model of petroleum generation and migration in the Weixinan Sub-basin, showing reservoirs in relation to source rocks and migration pathways. The
location of the section is shown in Fig 1b. See Fig. 10 for abbreviations.

Although the source rocks within the Lishagang-3 section have

lower oil potential compared with other two sections, the group III
oil which has been discovered from within this formation proves it
is also prospective. Further exploration should investigate sandstone bodies within the section, as well as the trap structures related to boundary faults which extend to the Lishagang-3 section.
Since the reservoir within Lishagang-3 section has evolved to the
middle-late stage of diagenesis caused by its deep burial in the
central area of the Weixjnan Sub-basin (Fig. 12), its low porosity
and permeability would be a negative for further exploration.
5. Conclusions
(1) Crude oils produced in the Weixinan Sub-basin can be largely classied into three groups based on their biomarker
distributions and carbon isotopic values.
(2) The Eocene Liushagang Formation contains three different
petroleum source rock facies. They are the shallow lake shale
facies of the Liushagang-1 section in the upper part, the medium-deep lake shale facies of the intermediate Liushagang-2
section, and the shallow lake to delta shale facies of the
Liushagang-3 section in the lower part of the formation.
(3) Groups I, II and III oils are correlated to source rocks in the
Luishagang-1, Luishagang-2 and Luishagang-3 sections,
respectively.

(4) The proposed oil-source relationships indicate a strong control of mature source rocks on the oil distribution within the
Liushagang Formation. Shallow oil accumulations have been
strongly controlled by faults cutting through the source
rocks and reservoirs.

Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to Dr. Andrew Murray and two
anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions that have signicantly improved the manuscript, and to
CNOOC-Ltd. for making available the data. This work was nancially supported by the Earmarked Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(Grant No. SKLOG2009A01). This is contribution No. IS1273 from
GIGCAS.
Associate EditorAndrew Murray
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