The Characteristics and Genesis of the Massive Nitrate Deposits in the Turpan-Hami Basin of Xinjiang,China

Massive nitrate deposits have been discovered in the Turpan-Hami basin in northwestern China.Previously,large ore grade nitrate minerals were thought only to exist in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.Estimates of the

Reservoir characteristics and controlling factor of tight sandstone in Shuixigou Group in Taibei depression,Turpan-Hami basin

The positive structure belts surrounding the Taibei Sag,Turpan-Hami Basin,have been the main targets for oil and gas exploration for years and are now left with remaining resources scattering in reservoirs adjacent to source rocks in the sag,where the Shuixigou Group with substantial oil and gas potential constitutes the primary focus for near-source exploration.Consequently,characterization of development and key controlling factors of reservoir space becomes a must for future exploration in the area.This study investigates the development traits,genesis,and controlling factors of the Xishanyao and Sangonghe formations in the Shengbei and Qiudong Sub-sags of the Taibei Sag with techniques such as cast thin-section observation,porosity and permeability tests,high-pressure mercury injection,and saturation fluid NMR analysis of reservoir rocks.The findings reveal that the Shuixigou Group in the Taibei Sag consists of lithic sandstone.Reservoirs in the group are mostly poor in terms of physical properties,with undeveloped primary pores dominated by intergranular dissolved pores as a result of a strong compaction.Comparative analysis of key controlling factors of the Sangonghe Formation reveals significant distinctions in sandstone particle size,sand body thickness,genesis and distribution,provenance location,and source rock type between the Qiudong area and Shengbei area.Vertically,the coal seams of the Xishanyao Formation exhibit heightened development with shallower burial depth and lower maturity compared to those of the Sangonghe Formation.Consequently,this environment fosters the formation of organic acids,which have a stronger dissolution effect on minerals to develop secondary dissolution pores,and ultimately resulting in better reservoir physical properties.Overall,the reservoirs within the Qiudong area of the Taibei Sag demonstrate superior characteristics compared to those in the Shengbei area.Furthermore,the reservoir physical properties of the Xishanyao Formation are better than those of the Sangonghe Formation.The research findings will provide valuable guidance for the exploration and development of lithological oil and gas reservoirs within the Taibei Sag.

Spatiotemporal evolution and future simulation of land use/land cover in the Turpan-Hami Basin,China

The Turpan-Hami(Tuha)Basin in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,holds significant strategic importance as a key economic artery of the ancient Silk Road and the Belt and Road Initiative,necessitating a holistic understanding of the spatiotemporal evolution of land use/land cover(LULC)to foster sustainable planning that is tailored to the region's unique resource endowments.However,existing LULC classification methods demonstrate inadequate accuracy,hindering effective regional planning.In this study,we established a two-level LULC classification system(8 primary types and 22 secondary types)for the Tuha Basin.By employing Landsat 5/7/8 imagery at 5-a intervals,we developed the LULC dataset of the Tuha Basin from 1990 to 2020,conducted the accuracy assessment and spatiotemporal evolution analysis,and simulated the future LULC under various scenarios via the Markov-Future Land Use Simulation(Markov-FLUS)model.The results revealed that the average overall accuracy values of our LULC dataset were 0.917 and 0.864 for the primary types and secondary types,respectively.Compared with the seven mainstream LULC products(GlobeLand30,Global 30-meter Land Cover with Fine Classification System(GLC_FCS30),Finer Resolution Observation and Monitoring of Global Land Cover PLUS(FROM_GLC PLUS),ESA Global Land Cover(ESA_LC),Esri Land Cover(ESRI_LC),China Multi-Period Land Use Land Cover Change Remote Sensing Monitoring Dataset(CNLUCC),and China Annual Land Cover Dataset(CLCD))in 2020,our LULC data exhibited dramatically elevated overall accuracy and provided more precise delineations for land features,thereby yielding high-quality data backups for land resource analyses within the basin.In 2020,unused land(78.0%of the study area)and grassland(18.6%)were the dominant LULC types of the basin;although cropland and construction land constituted less than 1.0%of the total area,they played a vital role in arid land development and primarily situated within oases that form the urban cores of the cities of Turpan and Hami.Between 1990 and 2020,cropland and construction land exhibited a rapid expansion,and the total area of water body decreased yet resurging after 2015 due to an increase in areas of reservoir and pond.In future scenario simulations,significant increases in areas of construction land and cropland are anticipated under the business-as-usual scenario,whereas the wetland area will decrease,suggesting the need for ecological attention under this development pathway.In contrast,the economic development scenario underscores the fast-paced expansion of construction land,primarily from the conversion of unused land,highlighting the significant developmental potential of unused land with a slowing increase in cropland.Special attention should thus be directed toward ecological and cropland protection during development.This study provides data supports and policy recommendations for the sustainable development goals of Tuha Basin and other similar arid areas.

Discovery of Mass Independent Oxygen Isotopic Compositions in Superscale Nitrate Mineral Deposits from Turpan-Hami Basin,Xinjiang,China and Its Significance

The Turpan-Hami Basin in eastern Xinjiang is one of the driest regions on Earth and a premier environment to form and preserve nitrate.A large nitrate ore field in this basin was found recently.It is estimated there are about 2.5 billion tons of resources of nitrate,and the amount is as much as the Atacama Desert super-scale nitrate deposit in Chile.Nitrate is one of a few minerals with mass-independent fractionation（MIF）,and the oxygen isotope MIF is an effective method to determine the source of nitrate.Theδ^（17）O,δ^（18）O of nitrate were measured by fluorination and thermal decomposition method.The date indicated that this is the first time that oxygen isotope MIF has been located in inland nitrate minerals.The results obtained by two methods are similar,⊿^（17）=δ^（17）O-0.52×δ^（18）O=12‰-17‰.The experiment and observation data proved that oxygen isotope MIF of nitrate are the result of photochemical reactions in the troposphere and stratosphere.Thus, evidence from MIF oxygen isotopic compositions indicate that long term atmospheric deposition of nitrate aerosol particles produced by photochemical reactions is the source of the deposits.

A Comprehensive Appraisal on the Characteristics of Coal-Bed Methane Reservoir in Turpan-Hami Basin

The rich coal-bed methane resources in the Turpan-Hami Basin are mainly located in the Shisanjianfang,Hami,Shanshan,Sha'erhu,Kekeya,Kerjian,Aidinghu inclines and the Dananhu coal-bed methane reservoirs. The big-ger coal-bed reservoirs are sitting at a depth of less than 1500 m. The coalbed methane generation,storage and confin-ing conditions of the Turpan-Hami basin can be indicated by eight key parameters. They are coal-bed thickness,coal rank,missing period,permeability,Langmuir volume,rock covering ability,structural confinement and hydrodynamic sealing environment. These parameters constitute a comprehensive appraisal index system of the coal-bed methane res-ervoir characteristics of the Turpan-Hami basin. In these parameters,the missing period of coal-bed methane is indi-cated by a stratum missing intensity factor. It reflects the relative exposure period of coal series. The results of a fuzzy comprehensive judgment showed that the Shisanjianfang coal-bed methane reservoir has the best prospects for exploita-tion and the Sha'erhu,Shanshan,Hami coal-bed methane reservoirs are next in line.

Types of Organic Fades and Source Rock Assessment of the Coal-Measure Mudstone in the Turpan-Hami Basin

This paper discusses the enviromental characteristics of carbonaceous mudstone and mudstone (coal-measure mudstone in short) of the Early and Middle Jurassic in the Turpan-Hami basin, which were formed in swamps. Through the organic facies study of the coal-measure mudstone in this area, the authors clarify that the flowing-water swamp is the most advanced organic facies belt. Furthermore, according to the practical materials of coal-measure mudstone in the area and with the evaluation criteria of lacustrine mudstone in the past, the authors have established the integrated symbol systems from the abundance of organic matter and the type of organic matter, which can be used in the source rock evaluation of the coal-measure mudstone.

Oil accumulation related to migration of source kitchens in the Lukeqin structural belt, Turpan-Hami Basin, China

The Lukeqin structural belt is the main heavy oil accumulation zone in the Turpan-Hami Basin. The recent discovery of light oil in the Triassic indicates that there may be multiple source kitchens contributing to the oil accumulation. According to oil geochemical analysis and oil-source correlation, the oil in deep and shallow reservoirs of the Lukeqin Oilfield presents different physical and saturated hydrocarbon mass spectrum characteristics. The Triassic heavy oil is from the northern Upper Permian lacustrine source rocks, and the light oil represented by the Yudong-9 Well is from the northwestern Lower Jurassic coal-measure source rocks. The timing of oil charging was determined by K/Ar isotope dating, reservoir fluid inclusion analysis and the evolution history of different source rocks. In summary, the accumulation process consists of two stages. From the end of Triassic to early Jurassic, the northern Permian source kitchen generated a considerable amount of oil, which was finally degraded to heavy oil, migrated to the south and then accumulated. The northwestern Jurassic coal-measure source kitchen began to generate oil at the end of Cretaceous, while the northern source kitchen could only generate a little hydrocarbon. The heavy oil and the light oil have different source rock locations, migration directions and accumulation times. The migration of hydrocarbon source kitchens affects the distribution of heavy oil and light oil reservoirs at the present time.

POSITIVE INVERSION STRUCTURE OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE BELT IN TURPAN-HAMI BASIN

The central structure belt in Turpan-Hami basin is composed of the Huoyanshan structure and Qiketai structure formed in late Triassic-early Jurassic, and is characterized by extensional tectonics. The thickness of strata in the hanging wall of the growth fault is obviously larger than that in the footwall,and a deposition center was evolved in the Taibei sag where the hanging wall of the fault is located. In late Jurassic the collision between Lhasa block and Eurasia continent resulted in the transformation of the Turpan-Hami basin from an extensional structure into a compressional structure, and consequently in the tectonic inversion of the central structure belt of the Turpan-Hami basin from the extensional normal fault in the earlier stage to the compressive thrust fault in the later stage. The Tertiary collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate occurred around 55Ma, and this Himalayan orogenic event has played a profound role in shaping the Tianshan area, only the effect of the collision to this area was delayed since it culminated here approximately in late Oligocene-early Miocene. The central structure belt was strongly deformed and thrusted above the ground as a result of this tectonic event.

Radiogenesis of Low Maturity Natural Gas in the Turpan-Hami Basin,NW China

The origin of the Jurassic low maturity natural gas in the Turpan-Hami Basin has attracted scientists’attention for some time,and it is known that radiogenesis may have played a role.However,little has been done on the uranium-rich background of the whole basin.Based on plentiful logging and geological data for the Jurassic strata in the Turpan-Hami Basin,this research examined the features and factors controlling the distribution of rocks with high gamma reading.The results show that 70%-100%of the rocks with high gamma readings correspond to mudstones in the prodelta subfacies rather than those in semideep-deep lacustrine subfacies rich in mudstones.Therefore,we propose that the distribution of rocks with high gamma readings is mainly controlled by sedimentary facies rather than by lithology.Further analysis of the gamma spectrometry logging data shows that high gamma values are more strongly correlated with U content than with Th or K content.By comparing the U and Th contents of felsic rocks in peripheral provenances,we find that the Jueluotage Mountain and Harlik Mountain were the dominant uranium sources for the Jurassic Turpan-Hami Basin.Radiolysis due to high-level uranium in the prodelta subfacies can make the low maturity source rocks generate H2 and CH4,thus contributing to the production of low maturity natural gas in the Turpan-Hami Basin.

MESOZOIC-CENOZOIC INVERSION OF THE TURPAN-HAMI BASIN, NORTHWEST CHINA

The Turpan-Hami basin, rich in coal and petroleum, is a superimposed basin of three types basins in different tectonic environments. This coal, oil and gas basin has undergone a complex tectonic-sedimentary evolution, in which two important stages were the negative inversion from a foredeep to a extensional basin during Early Mesozoic and the positive inversion to a thrust foreland basin in Late MesozoicEarly Cenozoic. The early normal faults residues are recognized with the addition of tectonic-sedimentary analysis to confirm the basin extension during Jurassic time and its tectonic inversion subsequently.

Early and Middle JurassicPalaeogeography of the Turpan-Hami Basin

The Turpan-Hami oil basin is well known for its Jurassic oil-prone coal. The palaeogeograpbical units or the Early and Middle Jurassic coal measures iuclude braided chaunel-alluvial plain, meandering channel-alluvial plain, upper delta plain, lower delta plain, subaqueous delta, inter-deltaic bay,lacustrine bay and sballow lake euvironments. The beneficial environments for coal accumulation were tke inter-delta bay and the lower delta plain where intermediate subsidence was maintaiued and there was little input of coarse graiued ediments.

Sequence Stratigraphy and Paleogeography of the Early and Early Middle Jurassic Coal Measures in the Turpan-Hami Basin,Northwestern China

This paper analyses the sequence stratigraphy and palaeogeography of the Early and early Middle Jurassic coal measures in the Turpan-Hami Basin, northwestern China.The controls of the palaeogeography and sequence stratigraphy on the coal accumulation in this basin have been discussed.The results show that the coal measures were formed in a fluvial-delta-lacustrine sedimentary system,and a total of 4 third-order sequences were developed,

Stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic characteristics of natural gas from Taibei sag, Turpan-Hami Basin, NW China

Turpan-Hami Basin is a major petroliferous basin in China. To date the natural gas exploration is concentrated in the Taibei sag. The origin and source of natural gas in the Taibei sag has long been controversial. To further investigate the origin and source of the natural gas in the Taibei sag, combined with previous studies and the local geological backgrounds, this study collected 23 gas samples from the Baka, Qiuling, Shanshan and Wenmi oil fields in the Taibei sag and analyzed the sample composition, stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of all the gas samples. The results show that, gases from the four oil fields in the Taibei sag are dominated by hydrocarbon gas and belong to wet gas. Methane accounts for 65.84% to 97.94%, the content of heavy hydrocarbon (C2-5) can be up to 34.98%, while the content of nonhydrocarbon (CO2, N2) is trace. The δ13C1 value is –44.9‰ to –40.4‰,δ13C2 is –28.2‰ to –24.9‰,δ13C3 is –27.1‰ to –18.0‰ and δ13C4 is –26.7‰ to –22.1;while the variation of δD1 is not significant from –272‰ to –252‰,δD2 is –236‰ to –200‰ and δD3 is –222‰ to –174‰. Methane and its homologues (C2-5) are characterized by normal stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic distribution pattern, i.e., with the increase of carbon number, methane and its homologues become more and more enriched in 13C or D (δ13C1<δ13C2<δ13C3<δ13C4<δ13C5,δD1<δD2<δD3), which is consistent with the carbon and hydrogen isotopic features of typical thermogenic gas. All these results show that the natural gases in the four oil fields are coal-derived gas with low maturity (Ro averaged at 0.7%), and are sourced from the Middle-Lower Jurassic coal measure. The hydrogen isotopic data of natural gas are affected by both thermal maturity and the water medium of the environment where source rocks are formed. The hydrogen isotopic data indicate that the source rocks are formed in terrestrial limnetic facies with freshwater. Natural gases from Well Ba23 and Well Ke19 experienced biodegradation in the late stage.

New progresses on geothermal history of Turpan-Hami Basin,Xinjiang,China

A comprehensive study on geothermal history of the Turpan-HamiBasin by vitrinite reflectance, fluid inclusion geothermometry, apatite fission track and 40Ar-39Ar dating displays that the main effects influencing geotemperature distribution are burial depth of the basement, heat flow, magmatic activities, as well as tectonic movement, having a rugulation to be higher in the east and north, lower in the west and south, as well as higher in the past and lower at the present. The heat of the mantle source and the Indo-China tectonic thermal event have extremely influenced matura-tion of source rocks of the upper Lower Permian and the Middle and Upper Triassic in the lndo-China epoch. While, the geothermal gradient and the weak tectonic geothermal event of the Early Yanshan Movement provided necessary heat for the maturation of source rock in coal-bearing strata of the Middle and Lower Jurassic.

Zircon U-Pb SHRIMP Ages from the Late Paleozoic Turpan-Hami Basin,NW China

Permian volcanic rocks are widely distributed in the Turpan-Hami Basin, which is part of the Central Asian orogenic belt. Here we present SHRIMP zircon data for the rhyolite in Well Baocan 1, one of the deepest wells in the basin. The 283.9±2.7 Ma reported in our study provides the best precise age determination for the Yierxitu Formation, the oldest Permian layer of Hami Depression, one of the three substructural units of the Turpan-Hami Basin, and a potential hydrocarbon reservoir in this basin. Our data refines earlier imprecise 39^Ar-40^Ar ages and shows that the volcanic rocks both inside the Turpan-Hami Basin and along its margin are almost coeval. We delineate a collisional orogenesis, and the new age of 283.9±2.7 Ma may limit the latest time of the collision orogenesis.

Provenance Variability of the Triassic Strata in the TurpanHami Basin: Detrital Zircon Record of Indosinian Tectonic Reactivation in the Eastern Tianshan

The Triassic strata in the Turpan-Hami Basin potentially chronicled the missing sedimentary record of Indosinian tectonic evolution in the Eastern Tianshan.In this study,we conducted detrital zircon U-Pb geochronological analyses on subsurface Triassic samples collected from the Turpan-Hami Basin to unravel sedimentary response of Indosinian tectonic reactivation and its geodynamics.The detrital zircon age spectra of the Triassic samples are quite different,reflecting significant provenance variability.The zircon grains in the Lower Triassic sample were mainly from the Central Tianshan,while the Jueluotag acted as a minor provenance.By contrast,the Late Paleozoic rocks in Jueluotag act as the main provenance for the Middle-Upper Triassic samples,while the Central Tianshan acted as a minor provenance.Furthermore,zircon grains in the Middle Triassic sample were mainly from the Permian rocks in Jueluotag,while Indosinian strike-slipdriven rapid exhumation brought deeper Carboniferous rocks of Jueluotag as an important age population for the Upper Triassic sample.The inter-sample variability of age spectra of the Triassic samples provides sedimentary evidence for Indosinian tectonic reactivation in the Eastern Tianshan and its periphery,which could be attributed to differential exhumation of different sources driven by coeval strike-slip tectonics along deep faults.The Indosinian tectonic behavior in the Eastern Tianshan,which is characterized by partial melting of the pre-thickened crust and strike-slip deformation,acted as a far-field respond to the coeval continental accretion occurring along the southern Eurasian margin.Additionally,our new detrital zircon data,together with previously published data in the Turpan-Hami Basin,demonstrate that there are significant changes in source-to-sink system from the Permian to the Triassic,suggesting that the Permian-Triassic unconformity in the Eastern Tianshan and its periphery was generated by Late Permian-Early Triassic tectonic contraction and inversion rather than an increasingly arid climate.

Middle and Late Permian palynoflora in Tianshan Township,southeast of Bogda Mountain,Xinjiang,China

The Permian is one of the most important periods during which the vegetative earth witnessed the transition from icehouse to greenhouse climate and the global environment changes.Organisms on the planet encountered great challenge and the demise of swamp caused the extinction of arborescent lycopods and the rising of Mesophytic plants accomplished the floral transition from the Paleophytic to Mesophytic vegetation.In order to depict the climatic changes and floral succession in the middle and high latitudes of the North Hemisphere,palynological investigation was engaged,and 40 samples collected from the uppermost of Taerlang Formation,Hongyanchi Formation and Quanzijie Formation in the Tianshan Town,Turpan-Hami Basin,eastern Xinjiang,China.The result shows that the palynoflora in the studied area is composed of 50 species of 33 genera,dominated by disaccites and striatiti gymnosperm pollen,and characterized by diverse Protohaploxypinus,Hamia-pollenites,Alisporites and Klausipollenites.It is quite similar to those Middle and Late Permian palynological assemblages reported in the Dalongkou section and other localities in southern margin of Junggar Basin,and aged at Middle and Late Permian.The diversity of typical Angara and sub-Angara pollen,such as Falcisporites,Alisporites,Protohaploxypinus,Vittatina,Lunatisporites,Hamiapollenites,etc.indicates that the studied palynoflora belonged to the sub-Angara phytoprovince,while the presence of Lueckisporites virkkiae implied Euramerica pollen intruded northward sometimes.The paleoclimate of the studied area might be warm and humid with fluctuated dry seasons during the late Guadalupian and early Lopingian time.

新疆吐哈盆地连木沁构造带克拉玛依组生物地质特征

新疆吐哈盆地连木沁构造带,在连4-S井4 215～4 832m取样分析,该地层孢粉化石数量和属种较多,主要为苔癣、蕨类植物孢粉和裸子植物花粉,孢粉化石组合具有较清楚的时代地层意义,通过分析命名为Aratrisporites-Punctatisporites-Colpectopollis组合。根据组合主要分子的时限及其含量变化,以及与有关已知时代孢粉组合进行比对,可确认该地层地质时代为克拉玛依组。

Sedimentary and Heavy Mineral Records for the Oligocene-Miocene Exhumation of the Easternmost Tianshan

The topography of the Harlik Mountain has a strong impact on the formation of current arid climate in the Turpan-Hami Basin.However,it is still controversial if Harlik Mountain experienced significant exhumation during the Middle to Late Cenozoic according to the previous thermochronology studies.The features of the Oligocene to Miocene sediments in the foreland basin could provide productive information for resolving the debates.The peak ages of detrital apatite fission track analysis of the Oligocene–Miocene sandstone in the Turpan-Hami Basin are well comparable with the cooling age records of the Harlik Mountain rocks,indicating that the Oligocene–Miocene Taoshuyuanzi Formation in the basin was mostly derived from the Harlik Mountain.The stratigraphic sequence exhibits coarsening upward,reflecting that the source area was in a tectonically active period during the deposition process.Heavy mineral assemblages also suggest that the unstable minerals in the sediment increased significantly at the end of the deposition.Moreover,the proportion of apatite increased up-section,while the garnet content decreased significantly,indicating that the Carboniferous metamorphic rocks have been gradually eroded out and more intrusive rocks have been exposed to the surface.These observations suggest that the Harlik Mountain experienced exhumation during the Oligocene to Miocene,and the denudation depth afterward was probably less than 2.5 km according to the previously apatite(U-Th)/He data.The Oligocene–Miocene exhumation probably acted as one of the triggers for the heavy drought of the Turpan-Hami Basin during the Middle–Late Neogene.