Abstract Oil shows from wells in the Levant Basin and Egypt are suggestive of potential economic discoveries within unpenetrated Mesozoic reservoirs in the Eastern Mediterranean. Analysis of some of these oils indicate a non-marine source of mixed deltaic-terrestrial or lacustrine origin for the organic matter. Data from Barremian-Aptian sediments from the MNUPH-1 core in northern Israel opens a window on potential importance of terrestrial-sourced kerogen deposited in source rocks in a marine depositional environment. Core analyses of the Barremian Nabi Sa'id Fm. demonstrate the occurrence of a gas-prone immature source rock of >77 m gross thickness averaging 4.6% TOC, peaking at 37% TOC. Rock-Eval pyrolysis, biomarker n-alkane, sterane, and tricyclic terpane indices, atomic C/N ratios, and δ13Corg ranges indicate mixed terrestrial-marine organic source rocks for the Barremian, while higher up, the Aptian Hidra Fm. contains source rocks with organic matter derived dominantly from carbohydrate-rich land plants. The interval at MNUPH-1 includes abundant evidence for off-shelf mass transport of terrestrial and proximal marine sediments into the deep marine basin. These features are used to explain the anomaly of a terrestrial source for organic matter in this setting. Mass transport and consequent mixing of distal marine, proximal marine and land-derived sediment is, in fact, the norm at the foot of continental slopes globally. The dominantly type III source rocks described here would be unlikely to expel oil but might produce thermogenic gas. Thermogenic gas identified in similar marine settings might wrongly be interpreted as having been generated from marine organic matter, misleadingly indicative of a prospective oil source. When prospecting for deep-rooted hydrocarbon accumulations in offshore marine settings, an alternative system dominated by basinward sediment transport of gas-prone ‘terrestrial’ source rocks into strategically-positioned toe-of-slope marine settings, is supported here, and could well be producing gas in the Levant Basin.

中文翻译：

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引入深海系统的陆地有机质油气勘探的意义：来自黎凡特盆地下白垩统的见解

摘要 黎凡特盆地和埃及油井的石油显示表明在东地中海未渗透的中生代油藏内有潜在的经济发现。对其中一些油类的分析表明有机质的混合来源是三角洲-陆地或湖泊的非海洋来源。来自以色列北部 MNUPH-1 岩心的 Barremian-Aptian 沉积物的数据为研究海相沉积环境中烃源岩中沉积的陆源干酪根的潜在重要性打开了一扇窗。Barremian Nabi Sa'id Fm 岩心分析。证明存在大于 77 m 总厚度的含气未成熟烃源岩，平均 TOC 为 4.6%，峰值为 37% TOC。Rock-Eval 热解、生物标志物正烷烃、甾烷和三环萜烷指数、原子 C/N 比、和 δ13Corg 范围表明 Barremian 为陆海混合有机烃源岩，而更高的是 Aptian Hidra Fm。含有有机质的烃源岩，主要来自富含碳水化合物的陆地植物。MNUPH-1 的间隔包括大量证据表明陆地和近端海洋沉积物进入深海盆地的陆架质量输送。这些特征用于解释在这种情况下有机物质的陆地来源的异常。事实上，远端海洋、近端海洋和陆源沉积物的质量传输和随之而来的混合是全球大陆坡脚下的常态。这里描述的以 III 型为主的烃源岩不太可能排油，但可能会产生热成因气。在类似的海洋环境中发现的热成因气体可能被错误地解释为由海洋有机物质产生，误导性地指示潜在的石油来源。在近海海洋环境中勘探深根油气藏时，这里支持一种替代系统，该系统主要是向盆地沉积物输送易天然气的“陆地”烃源岩进入战略性定位的坡尖海相环境，并且很可能是在黎凡特盆地生产天然气。