The oils of Shuntuoguole low uplift of Tarim Basin in western China have high contents of saturated hydrocarbons and a high loss of light hydrocarbon components because of volatilization. These oils are characterized by low abundance of hopanes and high abundance of C28–30 tricyclic terpanes and dibenzothiophenes and relative high abundance of C20–23 terpanes, C21–22 5α-steranes, and diasteranes in the oils. Quantitative analysis of carbon isotope and biomarkers show that the oils in the Ordovician carbonate rocks are sourced by deep Cambrian and Ordovician marine shales and marls. Geochemistry of the oils indicates that the reservoir has undergone multistage accumulations, with the late-stage oils obscuring traces of biodegradation of paleo-oils charged in the early stage. The concentration of methyl adamantanes and steranes demonstrates that oils occurred in an early stage of intense oil-to-gas cracking. Most of the gases are wet, with dryness lower than 90%, and geochemical analysis suggests that they are mainly from thermal degradation of kerogen. This study suggests that in addition to oils sourced by deeper source rocks in the Shuntuoguole low uplift in situ, there are oils that migrated from the Manjiaer depression into the Shuntuoguole low uplift.

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