The discovery of natural gas trapped in the late Neogene Shizigou Formation in the Yikeyawuru anticline indicates the potential for additional microbial gas reservoirs outside of the primary exploration targets for microbial gas in the younger, i.e., the Pleistocene sediments of the Qaidam Basin. In this study, a detailed investigation is presented on the bulk geochemistry and organic petrography of the potential microbial source rocks as well as on molecular organic geochemistry of the solvent extracts obtained from the late Neogene Shizigou Formation of the Yiliping Depression. The objectives are to elucidate i) the depositional environment, ii) biological sources of organic matter (OM), and iii) biodegradation levels in these microbial gas source rocks.

中文翻译：

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柴达木盆地晚期新近纪狮子沟组有机岩石学与地球化学研究：一种前瞻性微生物气源岩特征


在 Yikeyawuru 背斜中发现的新近纪 Shizigou 组晚期的天然气表明，在较年轻的微生物气体主要勘探靶区（即柴达木盆地的更新世沉积物）之外，可能存在额外的微生物气藏。本研究详细研究了潜在微生物源岩的体状地球化学和有机岩相学，以及益里坪坳陷新近纪狮子沟组晚期获得的溶剂提取物的分子有机地球化学。目标是阐明 i） 沉积环境，ii） 有机物 （OM） 的生物来源，以及 iii） 这些微生物气体源岩中的生物降解水平。