Neoproterozoic postglacial paleoenvironment and hydrocarbon potential: A review and new insights from the Doushantuo Formation Sichuan Basin, China

The Neoproterozoic provides an important record of glacial-postglacial paleoenvironments, organic carbon cycling, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Here, to better understand the environmental, sedimentary, and petroleum geological potential of the Neoproterozoic, we summarize and review research on paleoenvironment and hydrocarbon prospectivity during the era for regions worldwide and also present a case study of the Marinoan postglacial Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation in the Sichuan Basin, upper Yangtze region, China. Sediments that were deposited during the Neoproterozoic postglaciations generally have hydrocarbon-generating potential. In some places, the sediments have reached stages of burial and thermal evolution appropriate for hydrocarbon generation, with some sites having been exploited for commercial production. In the Sichuan Basin, the distribution and thickness of Doushantuo Formation sediments were controlled by glacially eroded topography and/or extension-related subsidence. Abundant organic matter was produced through paleo-productivity (Ba/Al and Cu/Al proxies can reach up to 181.08 and 8.94, respectively) and anoxia (U-EF and Mo-EF proxies can reach up to 5.45 and 14.00, respectively) governed by marine transgression. In South China, many depocenters of the Doushantuo Formation sediments have a strip-shaped geometry in the plane and are expected to be prospective for oil and gas. The reported findings can be used as a reference for further studies of glacial and postglacial deposits with organic matter accumulation of the Neoproterozoic and other periods.

Automated summary

The Neoproterozoic period is a significant record of glacial-postglacial paleoenvironments, organic carbon cycling, and hydrocarbon accumulation. Sediments from this period generally have the potential for hydrocarbon generation, with marine transgression influencing organic matter abundance through paleo-productivity and anoxia. The findings in the Sichuan Basin suggest potential for oil and gas exploration in certain depocenters of the Doushantuo Formation sediments.