Biomarkers of Middle to Late Jurassic marine sediments from a canonical section: New records from the Yanshiping area, northern Tibet

- These five formations are of Bajocian to Tithonian.
- They are dominated by phytoplankton, especially algae as primary source.
- They are fairly mature.
- Qiangtang basin has exited oil generation window.

The Yanshiping section, which includes the Quemo Co, Buqu, Xiali, Suowa and Xueshan Formations (Yanshiping Group) exposes organic-rich Middle to Late Jurassic deposits in the Qiangtang Basin of northern Tibet. The biostratigraphic data, from bivalves, brachiopods as well as dinoflagellate cysts, define a Bajocian to Tithonian age. This study focuses on the biomarkers present in these mudstones and limestones to determine the sources, thermal maturity and depositional environment of the organic matter. Most samples show a clear dominance of short-chain (C15-C20) n-alkanes with a maximum at C19 or C19 with a secondary maximum at C23 except for the sample BP01(22)S1 where the predominant range is C22 to C26 with a maximum at C24, significant CPI and odd-to-even predominance. The hopanoids and steroids suggest that the sources of organic matter were dominated by phytoplankton, especially algae, as the primary source. Furthermore, the Pr/Ph, Pr/nC17 and Ph/nC18, with relatively low values plus high abundance of 17α(H)-hopanes, support deposition in dysoxic to reducing, relatively shallow-water depositional settings, and the presence of gammacerane indicates normal marine salinity and/or water-column stratification. All samples are fairly mature with respect to petroleum generation, a conclusion supported by maturity parameters such as C31 22S/(22S + 22R) hopanes and C29 ααα20S/(20S + 20R) steranes.