The Chilcotin-Nechako region of south-central British Columbia includes a diverse succession of unexplored and poorly exposed elastic strata in excess of 4000 m thick, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and total organic carbon analyses of outcrop and well samples suggest the strata have low liquid hydrocarbon potential although better source rocks locally occur, Much of the Cretaceous and part of the Tertiary succession are within the oil window whereas pre-Cretaceous strata are mainly overmature, Strata in the Chilcotin-Nechako region are less mature than equivalent strata in basins to the north which is attributed to lower paleoheat flow.