Five coal and shale core samples of the Middle Jurassic Safa Formation were taken from a newly drilled water well at the depth interval from 191 to 208 m, and have been investigated in this study. Detailed organic and inorganic geochemical analyses of the Safa Formation reveal no significant differences between the upper seams and the main scam. The extracts of the coal samples have an unusual n-alkane distribution; the GC traces are dominated by unusual compounds eluting between n-C-19 and n-C-21. These compounds are thought to be diterpanes, which suggest significant conifer contributions to the coals. Higher amounts of hopanes and higher carbon preference index (CPI) values (n-C-22 to n-C-30) show significant bacterial contributions in samples characterized by high values of tissue preservation index (TPI). The C-31 alpha beta (22S/22S + 22R) hopane and C-29 alpha alpha alpha (20S/20S + 20R) sterane ratios show least variation through the shale-coal sequence. Shale and coal samples from the upper and main seams are characterized by high relative abundance of 17 beta (H)-hopanes. which could be derived from non-microbial organisms such as ferns. The petrographic and geochemical evidences suggest that the Maghara coal was formed in a "wet forest-swamp" environment situated in a marine-influenced lower delta plain.