Late Cretaceous carbonaceous rocks have been dredged from two sites on the
Norfolk Ridge system northwest of New Zealand. On the West Norfolk Ridge, R
aukumara Series (late Cenomanian to late Coniacian, 95-86.5 Ma) coal measur
e sandstones and mudstones contain dispersed, immature (R-0 0.37%), terrest
rial (type III) organic matter and have poor petroleum generative potential
(TOC 2.2-2.8%, S2 1.2-1.6 mg HC/g rock). However, the in situ coal measure
sequence may contain abundant coal seams with excellent generative potenti
al, and thus constitutes a potential source rock formation for the adjacent
New Caledonia and Reinga Basins that have thick sections of sediments. The
coal measures probably formed in a coastal plain environment subjected to
episodic marine incursions. At the second dredge site, near the junction of
the Norfolk and Reinga Ridges, a late Piripauan to early Haumurian (Santon
ian-Campanian, 85-75 Ma) marine shale contains sparse, mixed marine and ter
restrial (type II/III) organic matter. Hopane and sterane parameters imply
a maturity equivalent to at least 0.6% R-0, but the analysed shale has poor
generative potential (TOC 0.9%, S2 1.4 mg HC/g rock). Biomarkers suggest t
hat the terrestrial contribution to bitumen in the shale is minor compared
with the marine, but kinetic parameters are more consistent with a type III
kerogen than the type II/III kerogen identified. A likely explanation of t
he discrepancy is that early oil generation has occurred in the sample, pos
sibly associated with sulphur incorporated into the kerogen during diagenes
is. In addition, a high saturated:aromatic hydrocarbon ratio suggests that
mature bitumen may have migrated into the shale. Given greater TOC contents
and sufficient volume, the shale could be a potential source rock within t
he Reinga Basin and Norfolk and Three Kings Ridges. A simple thermal model
at a pseudo-well site in the Reinga Basin shows that at depths >4.5 km belo
w seabed, potential source rocks with the kerogen kinetic parameters of the
dredged rocks should be generating hydrocarbons and approaching the thresh
old of oil expulsion. The model does not explain the presence of migrated h
ydrocarbons in the shale sample unless similar source rocks are more deeply
buried nearby or thermal conditions were greater than those modelled. In c
omparison, a predominantly marine unit like the Waipawa Shale would be in t
he oil window at 3.0 km. Maturity levels may well have been enhanced by inc
reased heat flow associated with the latest Oligocene to early Miocene rift
ing and opening of the adjacent Norfolk Basin. If equivalent rocks with suf
ficient organic richness exist in the Northland Basin (part of the Reinga B
asin adjacent to New Zealand), where sediment thickness commonly exceeds 5
km and locally exceeds 7 km, they will have generated and expelled hydrocar
bons.