Abstract: With Rock-Eval 6 and Optkin kinetics software,the kinetics analysis on four types of kerogens of marine hydrocarbon source rocks in South China were carried out.The results showed that,in the similar maturity period,the hydrocarbon generation activation energy of kerogen was Ⅲ>Ⅱ₂>Ⅱ₁>Ⅰ;the ability of hydrocarbon generation was Ⅰ>Ⅱ₁>Ⅱ₂>Ⅲ;the span of generating effective hydrocarbon activation energy was ΔE_Ⅰ<15kJ/mol,15 kJ/mol<ΔE_Ⅱ1<20kJ/mol,20kJ/mol<ΔE_Ⅱ2<30 kJ/mol,ΔE_Ⅲ>30kJ/mol;the span of generating effective hydrocarbon temperature was ΔT_Ⅰ≤65℃,65℃≤ΔT_Ⅱ1≤75℃,75℃≤ΔT_Ⅱ2≤85℃,ΔT_Ⅲ≥110℃.The time of hydrocarbon generation conversion rate to reach 10% was Ⅲ<Ⅱ₂<Ⅱ₁<Ⅰ;and the type Ⅰ kerogen first reached to 90% conversion rate,and then the typeⅡ₁,type Ⅱ₂ and type Ⅲ of kerogen.The character of hydrocarbon generation activation energy distribution of kerogen was determined by their element composition and organic high molecular structure.The hydrocarbon generation speed of good marine source rocks was very fast.