Geochemical characteristics of the Carboniferous-Permian source rocks in Western Henan, China

55 source rock samples in the Carboniferous-Permian strata, southern Northern China basin were analyzed in this paper to obtain the sedimentary characteristics, organic matter abundance, kerogen type and thermal maturity and the unconventional oil and gas prospects. The results demonstrated that the source rocks were all dominated by the evolution of the sedimentary environment. High thermal evolution resulted in low S1, whereas poor preservation caused by strong tectonic activities resulted in low S2. The units of the southern North China Basin with weak tectonic activity and good preservation conditions may be the main areas for future unconventional gas exploration.