Permian Cyanobacterial Blooms Resulted in Enrichment of Organic Matter in the Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin, NW China

The Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin, NW China is the target layer for shale oil exploration, but its hydrocarbon precursors have remained the focus of debate. In this study, we investigated the Lucaogou source rocks throughout Well J10025 by conducting detailed petrological, paleontological, and geochemical analyses for the purpose of revealing the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms as specific hydrocarbon events in the upper Lucaogou Formation. The morphological characteristics of the microfossils and the geochemical signatures of the microfossil-bearing layers support a biological affinity with Microcystis, a kind of cyanobacteria. Microcystis observed as colonial forms embedded in the upper Lucaogou Formation are of great abundance, indicating the presence of cyanobacterial blooms. They were further evidenced by cyanobacteria-derived biomarkers including low terrestrial/aquatic ratio, high 2 alpha-methylhopane index values, and high abundance of 7- and 8-monomethyl heptadecanes. The blooms occurred in a semiarid and brackish paleoenvironment with anoxic to suboxic water conditions and intermittent volcanic eruptions. Permian Microcystis blooms contributed to the enrichment of organic matter in the upper Lucaogou Formation in two main ways: by directly promoting the accumulation of algal biomass and by creating an oxygen-depleted environment for better preservation of organic matter. This study adds a new record to the geological occurrences of cyanobacterial blooms in the Permian, and provides unique insight into the hydrocarbon generation of Jimsar shale oil in the Junggar Basin.