Abstract: | Hydrocarbon shows occur in Cambrian sandstones in the Welsh Borderland. In Shropshire, sandstones of the Upper Comley Group in particular contain hydrocarbons infilling residual primary porosity and secondary porosity after leaching of feldspars. In the Malvern Hills, the Hollybush Sandstone is locally black due to an impregnation by hydrocarbons. Evidence from the distribution of hydrocarbons in other Lower Palaeozoic rocks and in Precambrian rocks in Shropshire suggests that they have migrated from hydrocarbon-bearing Carboniferous sandstones. However, the source of hydrocarbons for the Hollybush Sandstone may be the immediately superjacent Upper Cambrian black shales. |