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Shallow‐delta sedimentary systems receive both terrestrial and marine organic matter. As oil and gas exploration activities determine that the source rocks of the deep‐water area of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea, are generally rich in and even dominated by terrestrial organic matter, this has led many researchers to examine the rules governing terrestrial organic matter enrichment in shallow‐delta sea sedimentary systems. However, the deep burial of source rocks in deep‐water areas and the relatively small amount of drilling undertaken have greatly restricted the study of these rules. In this study, the 'forward modeling' research method was used to observe and analyze the deposition and preservation of terrestrial organic matter through flume experiments, where the depositional results were carefully depicted and sampled. The total organic carbon content of selected samples was measured and when combined with qualitative observations and quantitative comparison results, the dominant enrichment areas of terrestrial organic matter were identified. The experimental results show that the overbank parts of the delta front, the dune countercurrent surface, the low‐lying parts, the delta front slope area and the shallow‐prodelta sea area are where terrestrial organic matter is predominantly enriched. This provides an important basis and guidance for the prediction of the development areas of marine source rocks with terrestrial input in the deep‐water areas of the Qiongdongnan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crude oil has been discovered in the Paleogene and Neogene units of the Weixinan Sag in the Beibu Gulf Basin. To determine the source and accumulation mode of this crude oil, 12 crude oil samples and 27 source rock samples were collected and an extensive organic geochemical analysis was conducted on them. Based on the geological conditions and the analytical results, the types, origins and accumulation patterns of crude oil in the study area were elucidated. Except for a shallowly‐buried and biodegraded crude oil deposit in Neogene rocks, the crude oil samples in the study area were normal. All of the crude oils were derived from lacustrine source rocks. According to biomarker compositions, the crude oils could be divided into two families, A and B, distinctions that were reinforced by differences in carbon isotope composition and spatial distribution. Oil‐source correlation analysis based on biomarkers revealed that Family A oils were derived from the mature oil shale at the bottom of the second member of the Liushagang Formation, while the Family B oils formed in the mature shale of the Liushagang Formation. The Family A oils, generated by oil shale, mainly migrated laterally along sand bodies and were then redistributed in adjacent reservoirs above and below the oil shale layer, as well as in shallow layers at high structural positions, occupying a wide distribution range. The Family B oils were generated by other shale units before migrating vertically along faults to form reservoirs nearby, resulting in a narrow distribution range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]