Formation and distribution characteristics of Proterozoic–Lower Paleozoic marine giant oil and gas fields worldwide

There are rich oil and gas resources in marine carbonate strata worldwide.Although most of the oil and gas reserves discovered so far are mainly distributed in Mesozoic,Cenozoic,and upper Paleozoic strata,oil and gas exploration in the Proterozoic–Lower Paleozoic（PLP）strata—the oldest marine strata—has been very limited.To more clearly understand the oil and gas formation conditions and distributions in the PLP marine carbonate strata,we analyzed and characterized the petroleum geological conditions,oil and gas reservoir types,and their distributions in thirteen giant oil and gas fields worldwide.This study reveals the main factors controlling their formation and distribution.Our analyses show that the source rocks for these giant oil and gas fields are mainly shale with a great abundance of type I–II organic matter and a high thermal evolution extent.The reservoirs are mainly gas reservoirs,and the reservoir rocks are dominated by dolomite.The reservoir types are mainly karst and reef–shoal bodies with well-developed dissolved pores and cavities,intercrystalline pores,and fractures.These reservoirs arehighly heterogeneous.The burial depth of the reservoirs is highly variable and somewhat negatively correlated to the porosity.The cap rocks are mainly thick evaporites and shales,with the thickness of the cap rocks positively correlated to the oil and gas reserves.The development of high-quality evaporite cap rock is highly favorable for oil and gas preservation.We identified four hydrocarbon generation models,and that the major source rocks have undergone a long period of burial and thermal evolution and are characterized by early and long periods of hydrocarbon generation.These giant oil and gas fields have diverse types of reservoirs and are mainly distributed in paleo-uplifts,slope zones,and platform margin reef-shoal bodies.The main factors that control their formation and distribution were identified,enabling the prediction of new favorable areas for oil and gas exploration.

A facies and palaeogeography-based approach for analysis of petroleum systems in United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates(UAE) is the 8 th largest oil producing country and is rich in oil and gas resources. By the end of 2015, 68 oil and 23 gas fields had been discovered. The initial proved and probable(2 P) oil, gas and condensate reserves amount to 81,135.9 MMb(million barrels), 192.09 Tcf(trillion cubic feet),and 6496.58 MMb respectively, which are mostly reservoired in the Jurassic and Cretaceous carbonates. With the latest field data, this study attempts to document the salient features of petroleum systems in UAE. Based on depositional facies of source rock intervals, pods of source rocks were delineated. On the basis of an oiland gas-source correlation, five known petroleum systems were identified and they are Lower Silurian-Upper Permian Khuff gas, northeast foreland Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous gas, Upper Jurassic-Jurassic petroleum, Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous-Lower Cretaceous composite petroleum, and Middle Cretaceous-Middle to Upper Cretaceous/Cenozoic petroleum systems. Of them, the Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous-Lower Cretaceous composite petroleum system contains 73.2% of the total 2 P reserves and thus it is the focus of this study. The Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous source rocks consist of argillaceous limestone, mudstone and shale, which were deposited as intrashelf basin facies. The distribution of oil and gas in this system is controlled by the source kitchens and the regional evaporite seal.