Altered ash tuff and tuffite layers in the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary rocks (Bazhenovo Formation) were studied in detail. These layers represent an interval ranging from the upper part of the middle Volgian substage to the uppermost Ryazanian and cover a huge area (more than 400 000 km²). Despite small thickness (10^–3–10^–2 m), these layers are prominent in borehole cores and correlated confidently in interborehole spaces. Therefore, they can be used as marker horizons and isochronous stratigraphic levels in the Bazhenovo Formation. The composition of ash layers is quite consistent and marked by lateral zoning, probably, related to fractionation of the primary pyroclastic material during the eolian and hydrodynamic transport and deposition. The petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical data suggest that the original ash corresponds to basaltic andesite in composition and is related to arc (suprasubduction) volcanism beyond the West Siberian Plate. The probable source of ash material was located most likely southwest of the study region in the Transcaucasus. The studied tuff layers are very important for the regional stratigraphy and global correlation, since they can potentially be traced in both Boreal and Tethyan successions, and zircons found in tuffs can be used for the U–Pb dating.

The present work is devoted to geochemical studies of the Bazhenov Formation in the north of the West Siberian Petroleum Basin. The object is the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous section, characterized by significant variations in total organic carbon content and petroleum generation potential of organic matter at the beginning of the oil window. The manuscript presents the integration of isotopic and geochemical analyses aimed at the evaluation of the genesis of the rocks in the peripheral part of the Bazhenov Sea and reconstruction of paleoenvironments that controlled the accumulation of organic matter in sediments, its composition and diagenetic alterations. According to the obtained data, the sediments were accumulated under marine conditions with a generally moderate and periodically increasing terrigenous influx. The variations in organic matter composition are determined by redox conditions and terrigenous input which correlate with the eustatic sea level changes during transgressive/regressive cycles and activation of currents. Transgression is associated with an intensive accumulation of organic matter under anoxic to euxinic conditions and insignificant influence of terrigenous sources, resulting in the formation of rocks with oil-generating properties. During the regression periods, the terrigenous sedimentation increased along with the dissolved oxygen concentration, and deposits with low organic matter content and gas-generating properties were formed.

In this study, we identified the luminescent layers containing a significant amount of alginite in the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Bazhenov Formation named “the alginite-rich layers”. Lithological and geochemical methods were used to determine distinctive features of these layers and to evaluate their impact on the total petroleum generation potential of the Bazhenov Formation. We have shown that the composition of the alginite-rich layers differs significantly from the organic-rich siliceous Bazhenov rocks. Rock-Eval pyrolysis, bulk kinetics of thermal decomposition, elemental analysis, and the composition of pyrolysis products indicate type I kerogen to be the predominant component of the organic matter (OM). Isotope composition of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur was used to provide insights into their origin and formation pathways. The luminescent alginite-rich layers proved to be good regional stratigraphic markers of the Bazhenov Formation due to widespread distribution over the central part of Western Siberia. They can also be applied for maturity evaluation of the deposits from immature to middle of the oil window, since the luminescence of the layers changes the color and intensity during maturation.

The age of tuffaceous interlayers, represented by tuffs and tuffites, which are common in the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous deposits of Western Siberia (the Bazhenovo, Tutleim and Frolov Formations), is discussed. The nature of these interlayers is associated with the subglobal (transfer of more than 1--2 thousand km) spread of volcanic ash (0.001--0.1 mm) and its sedimentation and burial in a vast epicontinental marine basin during episodes of low sedimentation rates, weak hydrodynamic activity and in the absence of bioturbation. Despite the extremely low thickness of these pyroclastic layers (<1 mm -- first cm), they are systematically noted in the drill core at certain stratigraphic levels. Tuffs and tuffites are clearly recognized due to sharp boundaries and contrasting color and mineral composition comparing to the host rocks. Moreover, these layers often demonstrate exceptionally bright luminescence in yellow and orange tones in the ultraviolet. Some of these pyroclastic layers can be traced over a vast area (more than 700,000 sq km) and hence can be used as isochronous stratigraphic markers. Considering the importance of the information about the distal pyroclastics in sedimentary strata, we have summarized data on boreholes in Western Siberia, containing tuffs and tuffites in the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous. Detailed linking of interlayers by drilling depth and geophysical logging was performed. The findings of more than 370 tuff and tuffite interlayers in the core of 136 wells have been catalogued. The age of tuffaceous interlayers is justified by the combination of lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic methods, and geophysical logging. The key ammonite taxa recovered from tuff-bearing boreholes are figured. A brief description of the zones of the Ryazanian stage of Western Siberia and the principles of their identification are given. We suggest to replace the type index of the Surites analogus zone with S. subanalogus. The described sequence of tuffaceous interlayers is combined into 8 sub-regional pyroclastic levels traced throughout the central part of Western Siberia in the Middle Volgian (4 pyroclastic levels), Ryazanian (3 levels) and Lower Valanginian (1 level) intervals. The trace elements content composition of tuffaceous layers is characterized. The enrichment of rare earth elements in the direction from the oldest to the youngest interlayers ones was revealed, and the ratios Gd/Yb, Ho/Yb, Yb/Lu, Zr/Hf, Nd/Sm determine the stratigraphic correspondence of the tuffaceous interlayer to the subregional pyroclastic level. Our results can be used as a tephrostratigraphic scale for the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary beds. Catalog of finds of Upper Jurassic -- Lower Cretaceous tuffs and tuffites in the core of wells in Western Siberia [https://doi.org/10.2205/2022ES000817-data] in text format is available on the website of the Earth Sciences Database Repository (BDNS) [http://esdb.wdcb.ru/], located at the Geophysical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.