Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in a Shale Strata Profile from the First Member of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Sanzhao Sag, Songliao Basin, NE China.

The first member of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation (K ) stands as the most significant source rock layer in the Songliao Basin, concurrently serving as the principal target for shale oil exploration. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as one of the main components of soluble organic matter in mudstone and shale, are of significant importance for revealing the hydrocarbon generation mechanisms in source rocks and the formation conditions of shale oil. However, systematic research on PAHs in the K layer of the Songliao Basin has not yet been conducted.