Facies Architecture Model of the Shimentan Formation Pyroclastic Rocks in the Block-T Units, Xihu Sag, East China Sea Basin, and its Exploration Significance

A gas field consisting of volcanic reservoir rocks was discovered in the block-T units of the Xihu Sag,East China Sea Basin.The lithology of the volcanic rocks is dominated by tuff and reworked tuff.The lithofacies are dominated by base surge deposits of explosive facies.As the architecture model of volcanic facies is still uncertain,it has restricted the exploration and development of mineral resources in this area.Using core and cuttings data,the lithology,lithofacies,geochemistry as well as grain size characteristics of volcanic rocks were analyzed.Based on these analyses,the volcanic rocks in the well section are divided into three eruptive stages.The transport direction of each volcanic eruption is analyzed using crystal fragment size analysis.The facies architecture of the block-T units was established based on the reconstruction results of paleo-geomorphology.The results show that the drilling reveals proximal facies(PF)and distal facies(DF)of the volcanic edifices.However,the crater-near crater facies(CNCF)are not revealed.Compared with the reservoirs of the Songliao Basin,it is shown that the volcanic rocks in the Xihu Sag have good exploration potential;a favorable target area is the CNCF near the contemporaneous fault.

Filling Pattern of Volcanostratigraphy of Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks in the Changbaishan Area and Possible Future Eruptions

The Cenozoic volcanostratigraphy in the Changbaishan area had complex building processes.Twenty-two eruption periods have been determined from the Wangtian＇e, Touxi, and Changbaishan volcanoes. The complex volcanostratigraphy of the Changbaishan area can be divided into four types of filling patterns from bottom to top. They are lava flows filling in valleys（LFFV）, lava flows filling in platform（LFFP）, lava flows formed the cone（LFFC）, and pyroclastic Flow filling in crater or valleys（PFFC/V）. LFFV has been divided into four layers and terminates as a lateral overlap. The topography of LFFV, which is controlled by the landform, is lens shaped with a wide flat top and narrow bottom.LFFP has been divided into three layers and terminates as a lateral downlap. The topography of LFFP is sheet and tabular shaped with a narrow top and wide bottom. It has large width to thickness ratio. It was built by multiple eruptive centers distributed along the fissure. The topography of LFFC, which is located above the LFFP, has a hummocky shape with a narrow sloping top and a wide flat bottom. It terminates as a later downlap or backstepping. It has large width to thickness ratio. It was built by a single eruptive center. The topography of PFFC/V, which located above the LFFC, LFFP, or valley, has the shape of fan and terminates as a lateral downlap or overlap. It has a small width to thickness ratio and was built by a single eruptive center. The filling pattern is controlled by temperature, SiO_2 content,volatile content, magma volume, and the paleolandform. In the short term, the eruptive production of the Changbaishan area is comenditic ash or pumice of a Plinian type eruption. The eruptive volume in future should be smaller than that of the Baguamiao period, and the filling pattern should be PFFC/V,which may cause huge damage to adjacent areas.

Distributive characteristics of reservoirs and exploration potential associated with intrusive rocks of Yingcheng Formation in Yingtai rift depression, NE China

Petroleum geologists have paid great attentions to the volcanic reservoirs of Songliao Basin in NE Chi- na. There are plenty of subvolcanic rocks in the Songliao Basin accompanying the Early Cretaceous Yingeheng Formation. The logging data show the good reservoir potential of these intrusive rocks but the distribution char- acteristics and formation mechanisms of these reservoirs are not clearly understood. Based on the previous stud- ies by using coring, cuts and logging data of Yingtai rift depression, the reservoirs＇ characteristics of intrusive rocks are presented. There are two types of intrusive rocks namely the syenodiorite-porphyrite and diabase which occur as laccolith and/or sill, both having the characteristics of low gamma and high density with little primary porosity and permeability. The prevalent reservoir porosity is the secondary porosity, such as spongy/cavernous pore, tectonic fracture. The laboratory data of porosity of diabase can reach 6.7%, but the permeability is less than 0.6 x 10-3μm2, median pressure is high, indicating that the pore throat of this kind reservoir is small. The maximum logging porosity is about 12%. The change of porosity does not correlate to the buried depth. It is the major significant differences in the distributive characteristics compared to the normal sedimentary rock reservoirs. Most of intrusive rocks underwent alteration diagenesis whilst some were subjected to precipitation diagenesis. The spongy and cavernous pore can be formed during the alteration processes of plagioclase to illite and pyroxene to chlorite. The secondary porosity is greatly correlated with the alteration intensity of matrix, pla- gioclase and pyroxene. There are pyroxenes and more plagioclases in diabase, which cause the higher alteration intensity than the syenodiorite-porphyrites in the same acid fluid. So the porosity of diabase is higher than that of syenodiorite-porphyrites. The top or/and bottom part of intrusive rocks develop the higher porosity. Because those parts are easy to contact formation fluid, and the shrink fractures give the more surface for reaction be- tween fluid and rock. The porosity of intrusive rocks is same to the volcanic rocks in Yingtai rift depression and Xujiaweizi rift depression which bear the prolific gas. It suggests good reservoir potential. Intrusive rocks are hosted by the dark mudstone which indicates semi-deep and deep lake facies belt.