Abundant coal and oil shale resources are developed in the coal-bearing member of the Shimengou Formation (J2sh1) in the northern Qaidam Basin, NW China. A better understanding of the formation mechanism of these oil shales is of great significance for the exploration of potential unconventional oil and gas resources, and the co-development of coal and oil shale resources. In this study, the geochemistry of 16 samples from drilling cores was used to determine paleoclimate, paleosalinity, redox conditions, chemical weathering intensity, provenance, and tectonic setting. The results show that the geochemical characteristics of the samples are similar to the composition of the upper continental crust, with a warm and humid paleoclimate, a freshwater to brackish paleosalinity condition, a generally anoxic condition, and intense weathering during the Middle Jurassic. The provenance was mainly felsic igneous rocks, and the prevailing tectonic setting was passive margin. During the Middle Jurassic, the warm and humid climate, caused by the low paleolatitude and water vapor from the Tethys Ocean, made the provenance mainly from Hercynian intrusive rocks, which underwent intense weathering and entered the northern Qaidam Basin along with plant material. During water regression periods, abundant terrestrial plants formed coal, while during flooding periods, the increasing water depth and the input of nutrients from terrestrial debris promoted the development of lake algae. Algae and other lake organisms, as well as terrestrial plants, provided the material basis for the formation of organic matter. The anoxic preservation conditions enabled the preservation of organic matter, resulting in the formation of oil shale. This study helps to understand the formation mechanism of the J2sh1 oil shale and promotes the utilization of oil shale in the studied area.
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