Marine petroleum source rocks and reservoir rocks of the Miocene Monterey Formation, California, U.S.A

The Miocene Monterey Formation of California, a biogenous deposit derived mainly from diatom debris, is important both as a petroleum source and petroleum reservoir. As a source, the formation is thought to have generated much of the petroleum in California coastal basins, which are among the most prolific oil provinces in the United States. Oil generated from the Monterey tends to be sulfur-rich and heavy (