The lipids of an Albian carbonaceous limestone show evidence of high algal productivity. They contain a preponderance of chlorophyll derivatives, algal markers, and marine sterol distributions. The low percentages of lipids derived from terrestrial plant waxes and resins suggest that no major vegetated continental landmasses were present nearby. This agrees with the plate-tectonic reconstructions for the Albian of the northwest Pacific. However, as an exposed feature the Hess Rise may well have contributed the small amounts of terrestrial material found. The predominance of hopanoids over other polycyclic isoprenoids may indicate extensive bacterial activity at the time of sedimentation. Nevertheless, these bacteria have not extensively altered the algal lipid distribution. The association between high productivity, good lipid preservation, and bacterial activity is rationalized here in terms of an oxygenminimum zone, overlain by productive water masses. Diagenesis has progressed to the medium stage, on the basis of lipid defunctionalization, the polycyclic isoprenoids being essentially present as hydrocarbons. However, late-stage diagenetic hydrogenation of sterenes and triterpenes has occurred only slightly, indicating that diagenesis is not as advanced as in the top zone of the Paris Basin. Backbone rearrangements of the steroidal alkenes have occurred to only a minimum extent.