The geochemistry of sediments is primarily controlled by their provenances, and different tectonic settings have distinctive provenance characteristics and sedimentary processes. So, it is possible to discriminate provenances, depositional environments and tectonic settings in the development of a sedimentary basin with the geochemistry of the clastic rocks. The analytical results of the present paper demonstrate that sediments in the Songliao prototype basin are enriched in silica (SiO2=66.48-80.51 %), and their ΣREE are 30-130 dmes of that of chondrite with remarkable Eu anomalies. In discriminating diagrams of Eu/Eu vs eeeeeREE and (La/Yb)N vs ΣREE, most samples locate above the line Eu/ Eu=l, on the right of the line Eu/Eu/ΣREE=1 and under the line La/Yb)N/eeeeeREE=1/8, which indicates that the depositional environment of sediments in the basin was oxidizing. In addition, variations of MgO, TiO2, A12O3, FeO+Fe2O3, Na2O and CaO vs SiO2 reflect a tendency of increasing mineral maturity of sediments