Depositional architecture of the late Ordovician drowned carbonate platform margin and its responses to sea-level fluctuation in the northern slope of the Tazhong region, Tarim Basin

The Tazhong Uplift of the late Ordovician is a drowned rimmed carbonate platform. The carbonate rock of the late Ordovician Lianglitage Formation in the northern slope of the Tazhong region is one of the significant petroliferous intervals. Based on petrofacies, depositional cycles, natural gammaray spectrometry and carbon/oxygen isotope data from the Lianglitage Formation, one 2nd-order, three 3rd-order and several 4th-order sequences have been recognized, and the late Ordovician relative sealevel fluctuation curve has been established. The sequences O 3 l-1 and O 3 l-2 on the platform are composed of highstand and transgressive systems tracts, but lack the lowstand systems tract. The sequence O 3 l-3 is a drowning sequence. The sequence O 3 l-1 overlapped the eroded slope and pinched out to the northwest and landward. The highstand systems tract in the sequence O 3 l-2 consists of low-angle sigmoid and high-angle shingled progradation configuration. Major sedimentary facies of the Lianglitage Formation include reef and shoal in the platform margin and lagoon, which can be subdivided into coral-sponge-stromatoporoid reef complex, sand shoal, lime mud mound, and intershoal sea. Reefs, sand shoals and their complex are potential reservoir facies. The reefs and sand shoals in the sequence O 3 l-1 developed in the upper of its highstand systems tract. In the sequence O 3 l-2, the highstand systems tract with an internal prograding configuration is a response to the lateral shifting of the complex of reef and sand shoal. The transgressive systems tract, in particular the sand shoals, developed widely on the slope of the platform margin and interior. The reefs in the sequence O 3 l-3 migrated towards high positions and formed retrograding reefs in the western platform and low relief in the platform interior. Basinward lateral migration of the reefs and pure carbonate rock both characterize highstand systems tract and show that the rise of the relative sea-level was very slow. Shingled prograding stacking pattern of the 4th-order sequences and reefs grow horizontally, which represents the late stage of highstand systems tract and implies relative sealevel stillstand. Reefs migrating towards high land and impure carbonate rock both indicate transgressive systems tract and suggest that the relative sea-level rose fast. Erosional truncation and epidiagenetic karstification represent a falling relative sea-level. The relative sea-level fluctuation and antecedent palaeotopography control the development and distribution of reef complexes and unconformity karst zones. Currently, the composite zone of epidiagenetic karstic intervals and high-energy complexes of reefs and sand shoals with prograding configuration is an important oil and gas reservoir in the northern slope of the Tazhong carbonate platform.

Distribution and Geochemical Characteristics of Hydrogen in Natural Gas from the Jiyang Depression, Eastern China

Hydrogen gas accelerates hydrocarbon generation, but little is known about its distribution and origin in petroliferous basins, which has hindered the further exploration.Taken the Jiyang Depression in eastern China as an example, this study collected natural gas from different tectonic units, and analyzed various geochemical characters including gas contents, and carbon and hydrogen isotopic composition.The result shows that:(1) hydrogen gas is widespread distributed, but its content is very low, which typically ranges from 0.01% to 0.1% in this region;(2) the ratios of H2/3He, indicative of the origins of hydrogen gas, suggest that mantle-derived hydrogen is dominant.Even in tectonically stable areas absent with deep fluid activities, there is also mantle-derived;(3) the isotopic composition of hydrogen falls in the range of –798‰ to –628‰(relative to VSMOW standard).In areas with deep-derived fluids, the hydrogen gas has a similar isotopic composition with the previously documented deep-sourced gas, with lighter isotopic composition.In contrast, hydrogen gas has a heavier isotopic composition in relatively stable areas.The isotopic signatures suggest that there is a mixture of mantle- and crust-derived hydrogen gas in the relatively stable area, which is consistent with the H2/3He ratios.Therefore, it is clear that the hydrogen gas has a much wider distribution than found in the deep-derived fluid area, resulting in a much broader area with hydrogenating effect for resource rock.This understanding will provide new insights for hydrocarbon generation research and resource assessment in petroliferous basins.