Sediment provenance studies in hydrocarbon exploration and production Sediment provenance studies concern the origin composition transportation and deposition of detritus and therefore are an important part of understanding the links between basinal sedimentation and hinterland tectonics and unroofing. Such studies can add value at many stages of hydrocarbon exploitation from identifying regional scale crustal affinities and sediment dispersal patterns during the earliest stages of exploration to detailed correlation in producing reservoirs and understanding the impact of mineralogy on reservoir diagenesis. The volume showcases the wide variety of techniques available using examples and applications from all aspects of sediment provenance research. The papers are organized into four sets around the following themes: [1] Overview: applications of provenance information in hydrocarbon reservoir sandstones [2] Provenance diagenesis and reservoir quality [3] Provenance studies linking sediment to source [3] Looking forward: development of techniques and data handling.