Geochemical characteristics of lacustrine source rocks and oil-source correlation of the Yanchang Formation in the Zizhou area, Ordos Basin

Abstract The Zizhou area on the northeastern margin of the Ordos Basin has achieved major breakthroughs through continuous exploration over the years, demonstrating high potential for hydrocarbon exploration. However, due to the underdevelopment of source rocks, the origin of crude oil in the Chang 6 and Chang 4 + 5 Members remains unclear, which significantly hinders further hydrocarbon exploration. In this study, we use Rock-Eval pyrolysis, kerogen maceral analysis, quantitative gas chromatography (GC) of saturated hydrocarbons, and GC-mass spectrometry of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons to determine the geochemical characteristics of source rocks and oils from different sedimentary environments. In addition, we select effective biomarker parameters to identify the source of oil in the Chang 6 and Chang 4 + 5 Members in the Zizhou area. The results indicate that the Chang 7 Member source rocks have organic matter abundances ranging from good to excellent, with types classified as type I-II1, and are in a mature stage. Source rocks from the semideep to deep lacustrine facies exhibit a clear predominance of low-carbon number hydrocarbons, a higher proportion of short-chain n-alkanes, relatively lower C24 tetracyclic terpane/C26 tricyclic terpane (C24TeT/C26TT) and C30 hopane/C30 diahopane (C30H/C30DiaH) ratios, and similar abundances of C27 and C29 steranes. In contrast, deltaic facies source rocks, which developed in suboxic to oxic environments, display opposite characteristics. The reservoir extracts from the Zizhou area indicate a high degree of similarity to the deltaic facies source rocks. Moreover, the subtle geochemical differences between the reservoir extracts and their potential source rocks are mainly attributed to geochromatographic effect during hydrocarbon migration and differences in preservation conditions. These findings provide new insights into the dynamics of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in the northeastern margin of the Ordos Basin and further reinforce the reliability of using biomarker techniques to determine the relationship between crude oil and its source.