Late Cretaceous carbonaceous rocks have been dredged from two sites on the Norfolk Ridge system northwest of New Zealand. On the West Norfolk Ridge, Raukumara Series (late Cenomanian to late Coniacian, 95-86.5 Ma) coal measure sandstones and mudstones contain dispersed, immature (R O 0.37%), terrestrial (type III) organic matter and have poor petroleum generative potential (TOC 2.2-2.8%, S2 1.2-1.6 mg HC/g rock). However, the in situ coal measure sequence may contain abundant coal seams with excellent generative potential, and thus constitutes a potential source rock formation for the adjacent New Caledonia and Reinga Basins that have thick sections of sediments. The coal measures probably formed in a coastal plain environment subjected to episodic marine incursions. At the second dredge site, near the junction of the Norfolk and Reinga Ridges, a late Piripauan to early Haumurian (Santonian-Campanian, 85-75 Ma) marine shale contains sparse, mixed marine and terrestrial (type II/III) organic matter. Hopane and sterane parameters imply a maturity equivalent to at least 0.6% R o , but the analysed shale has poor generative potential (TOC 0.9%, S2 1.4 mg HC/g rock).Biomarkers suggest that the terrestrial contribution to bitumen in the shale is minor compared with the marine, but kinetic parameters are more consistent with a type III G97050