Sedimentary build-ups of pre-salt isolated carbonate platforms and formation of deep-water giant oil fields in Santos Basin,Brazil

In response to the problems of unclear distribution of deep-water pre-salt carbonate reservoirs and formation conditions of large oil fields in the Santos passive continental margin basin,based on comprehensive utilization of geological,seismic,and core data,and reconstruction of Early Cretaceous prototype basin and lithofacies paleogeography,it is proposed for the first time that the construction of pre-salt carbonate build-ups was controlled by two types of isolated platforms:inter-depression fault-uplift and intra-depression fault-high.The inter-depression fault-uplift isolated platforms are distributed on the present-day pre-salt uplifted zones between depressions,and are built on half-and fault-horst blocks that were inherited and developed in the early intra-continental and inter-continental rift stages.The late intra-continental rift coquinas of the ITP Formation and the early inter-continental rift microbial limestones of the BVE Formation are continuously constructed;intra-depression fault-high isolated platforms are distributed in the current pre-salt depression zones,built on the uplifted zones formed by volcanic rock build-ups in the early prototype stage of intra-continental rifts,and only the BVE microbial limestones are developed.Both types of limestones formed into mound-shoal bodies,that have the characteristics of large reservoir thickness and good physical properties.Based on the dissection of large pre-salt oil fields discovered in the Santos Basin,it has been found that both types of platforms could form large-scale combined structural-stratigraphic traps,surrounded by high-quality lacustrine and lagoon source rocks at the periphery,and efficiently sealed by thick high-quality evaporite rocks above,forming the optimal combination of source,reservoir and cap in the form of“lower generation,middle storage,and upper cap”,with a high degree of oil and gas enrichment.It has been found that the large oil fields are all bottom water massive oil fields with a unified pressure system,and they are all filled to the spill-point.The future exploration is recommended to focus on the inter-depression fault-uplift isolated platforms in the western uplift zone and the southern section of eastern uplift zones,as well as intra-depression fault-high isolated platforms in the central depression zone.The result not only provides an important basis for the advanced selection of potential play fairways,bidding of new blocks,and deployment of awarded exploration blocks in the Santos Basin,but also provides a reference for the global selection of deep-water exploration blocks in passive continental margin basins.

Tectono-Sedimentary History of Southeastern Coast Region,China:a Synthesis

According to the ideas and concepts of systems dynamic of continent structure, using previous information related to the study area, combining analyses on orogenic belt, basin and magmatic rock, the present paper synthesizes the tectono - sedimentary development of southeastern coast region, China, with special emphasis on the mountain making, basining and magmatic activity. The tectonic evolution after Late Caledonian orogeny was dominated by alternating rifting and converging, subsiding and uplifting, mountain making and basining in central and southern parts of southeastern China and the adjacent regions to the east and west. Seventeen geologic events , nine events of plate or terrain convergence , and continental crust accretion , as well as eight events of intracontinental rifting and basin faulting , are closely related to the tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the study area . The accompanied intense and frequent sedimentation , folding , faulting , magmatism and ore- forming process allowed huge coal , multimetal and potential petroleum source rocks to form in local depressions throughout the Caledonian to Himalavan time .

Petrology and geochemistry of the Shilu Fe-polymetallic ore deposit in Hainan Province of South China: Implications for the origin of Neoproterozoic BIFs

The Shilu Fe-polymetallic ore deposit,a famous hematite-rich Fe-ore deposit,is situated at the western Hainan Province of south China.The deposit characterizes the upper Fe ores and the lower Co-Cu ores,which are mainly hosted within a low-grade to medium-grade,dominantly submarine metamorphosed siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentary succession of the Neoproterozoic Shilu Group.Three facies types of metamorphosed BIFs,i.e.the oxide facies,the silicate-oxide facies and the sulfide-carbonate facies BIFs,are identified within the sixth sequence of the Shilu Group.The oxide facies BIF(i.e.the Fe-rich itabirites or ores)consists of alternating hematite-rich microbands with quartz-rich microbands;the silicate-oxide facies BIF(i.e.the Fe-poor itabirites or ores)comprises alternating millimeter-to a few tens meter-scale,magnetite-hematite-rich bands with calcsilicate-rich(garnet+actinolite+diopside+epidote+quartz)meso-to microbands;and the sulfide-carbonate facies BIF(i.e.the Co-Cu ores)contains alternating macro-to mesobands of Co-bearing pyrite and pyrrhotite,and chalcopyrite with mesobands of dolomite+calcite+diopside+quartz and/or chlorite+sericite+quartz.The blastooolitic,blastopelletoid blastocolloidal and blastopsammitic textures,and blasobedding structures which most likely represent primary sedimentation are often observed in these BIF facies.The interbedded host rocks with the BIFs mainly are the pyroxene-amphibole rocks and the banded or impure dolostones,and also contain banded or laminated structures,and lepido-gra-noblastic,nematoblastic and/or blastoclastic textures.Compositionally,the main host rocks,the pyroxene-amphibole rocks contain basic-intermediate SiO_2(~54.00 wt.%),CaO(~14.19 wt.%),MgO(~9.68 wt.%)and Al_2O_3(~8.49 wt.%)with a positive correlation between Al_2O_3 and TiO_2.The UCC-like Zr and Hf abundances,high Ba content andεNd(t)value(^-5.99)as well as the ratios of La/YbPAAS(0.17~1.00),δEuPAAS(0.88~1.12)andδCePAAS(0.93~1.13)commonly reveal that the protoliths to this type rocks are hydrogenic with a large contribution of terrigenous sediments and minor hydrothermal input.The high CaO+MgO+LOI contents and the extremely low trace element and REEconcentrations as well as the ratios of Y/Ho(44~45),δEuPAAS(1.13~1.57)andδCePAAS(0.69~0.98)reflect a marine origin with minor terrigenous materials for the banded or impure dolostones.Moreover,this type rocks also account for a negativeεNd(t)value(^-7.49).The oxide facies BIF is dominated by Fe_2O_3+FeO(~75.59wt.%)and SiO_2(~20.47 wt.%)with aεNd(t)value of^-6.10.The variable contents in Al_2O_3,TiO 2,K2O,Na2O,Zr,Hf and∑REE,and variable ratios of Y/Ho(24~39)andδEuPAAS(0.86~11.07)suggest the precursor sediments to this facies BIF are admixtures of sea-floor hydrothermal fluids and seawaters with minor involvement of detrital components.Compared to the oxide facies BIF,the silicate-oxide facies BIF is lower in Fe_2O_3+Fe O(~39.81wt.%)and Ba but higher in SiO_2(~42.54 wt.%),Al2O3(~3.60 wt.%),TiO_2(~0.19 wt.%),MgO(~1.12 wt.%),CaO(~9.06 wt.%),K_2O(~0.98 wt.%),Mn and Zr.The ratios of Y/Ho(25~34),La/YbPAAS(0.14-0.74)andδEuPAAS(0.91~1.12)most likely are linked to higher degree of detrital contamintants.While the sulfide-caronate facies BIF is main but variable in Fe_2O_3+Fe O(15.79~57.91 wt.%),SiO 2(0.54~61.52 wt.%),MgO(0.12~16.09wt.%),CaO(0.17~23.41 wt.%)and LOI(8.28-30.06 wt.%).The generally low contents in trace elements(including REE)except for an obvious enrichment in Pb,and the positive Ce anomalies(δCePAAS=1.04~1.95)and negative Pr anomalies(δPrPAAS=0.67~0.93),as well as the variable ratios ofδEuPAAS(0.72~1.71),La/YbPAAS(0.26~1.60)and Y/Ho(26~57)suggest that the precursors to the sulfide-carbonate facies BIF mainly are metalliferious sediments from deep-marine hydrotheral source with minor detrital components.The T2DM ages(ca.2.0 Ga)imply that the Shilu BIFs and interbedded host rocks contain a component with Paleoproterozoic crustal residence age due to a significant crustal accretion event at ca.2.0 Ga in Hainan Island.In connection with the petrographical and mineralogical relationship,we conclude that the precursor precipitates to the Shilu BIFs are variable degree of admixtures of the Fe-Co-Cu-(Si)-rich hydrothermal fluids and detrital components from seawater and fresh water carring continental landmass;whereas the protolith to the main interbedded host rocks,i.e.the pyroxene-amphibole rocks,most likely was terrigenous,fine-grained clastic-sediments but with significant input of hydrothermal fluids in a seawater environment.As a result,a continent marginal marine basin is proposed for deposition of the Shilu BIFs and interbedded host rocks.Sea-level fluctuations caused by marine transgression–regressions possibly contributed to changes in the composition and varied input of the terrigenous sediments.