Relationships between fossil Pediastrum and petroleum formation

He Cheng-quan, Wang Kai-fa, Zhang Yu-lan, Wu Guo-xuan, Li Yi-yin and Zhang Hui-zhi

pp. 21-27, in English

Abstract:

Pediastrum is a modern genus of the grass-green algae, the Chlorophyta, and it has also been recorded from nonmarine Mesozoic–Cenozoic rocks. In some of the petroleum prospective basins of China, potential source rocks contain high concentrations of Pediastrum. The authors subjected modern specimens of the genus to heat, to determine its potential for sourcing petroleum. Oil was produced at 300°C, predominantly wet gas at 400°C, and dry gas at 500°C. Thus, Pediastrum-rich rocks would appear to have some potential and are probably the source rocks for some of the petroleum discovered in the Mesozoic–Cenozoic basins of China.

Keywords: Fossil Pediastrum, petroleum formation, oil-generating source material, ecological environment