Realization of the oil-generation potential in the estimated source rocks of the sedimentary basin in the shelf of northeastern Sakhalin: Numerical simulation

The numerical simulation of the subsidence history and heat flux of sedimentary rocks in the northeastern part of the Sakhalin shelf was applied to evaluate the variation in the level of catagenesis of organic matter and the realization of the hydrocarbon potential in the course of subsidence of major sedimentary formations in the Sakhalin 5 Kaigan-Vasyukan area. Our simulations demonstrate that, according to the parameters of OM maturity and the realization of the HC potential, the oil-generating source rocks in the northeastern shelf of Sakhalin could be those of the upper part of the Upper Cretaceous complex, Eocene, Machigan, and the lower part of the Uininskii complexes, whereas the rocks of the upper part of the Uininskii, Dagin, Okobykai, Lower and Upper Nutov complexes can be interesting only as those possibly hosting traps for oil and gas generated in underlying rocks. The broadest time span of the generation of liquid hydrocarbons was typical of the rocks of the Upper Cretaceous complex, while the Eocene and younger rocks generated hydrocarbons mostly in the Pliocene-Pleistocene.