Base-Level Cycles and Episodic Coal Accumulation——Case Study of Dongsheng Coalfield in Ordos Basin

The advantage of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, which takes base-levels as reference, is that it can be applied to continental depositional basins controlled by multiple factors and can effectively improve the accuracy and resolution of sequential stratigraphic analysis. Moreover, the principles of base-level cycles are also suitable for analyzing sequential stratigraphy in continental coal-bearing basins because of their accuracy in forecasting distribution of coal measures. By taking the Dongsheng coalfield in the Ordos basin as an example, the extensive application of base-level cycles in exploration and exploitation of coal is analyzed. The result shows that the Yan’an formation in the Dongsheng area is a long-term base-level cycle which is bordered by nonconformities and made up of five mid-term cycles and 13 short-term cycles. The long-term cycle and the mid-term cycles are obvious in comparison with a transverse profile. The episodic coal accumulation in the Mesozoic Ordos basin means that the deposition of primary matter (peat bogs) of coalification is discontinuous, periodical and cyclical in the evolution of the basin. The episodic accumulation of coal measures in the Yan’an stage is controlled by ascending-descending changes of a long-term cycle and middle-term cycles. Coal measures formed during the early and late periods of the long-term cycle are characterized by multiple layers, big cumulative thickness and poor continuity. Coal measures formed in the mid-term of the long cycle are dominated by good continuity, fewer layers and a small additive thickness, which is favorable for the accumulation of thick and continuous coal measures in the transition stage of mid term base-level cycles.

Development of Diapirs and Accumulation of Natural Gases in Yinggehai Basin

Overpressure developed throughout most of the Yinggehai basin. The burial depth to top overpressure varied from about 1 600 m to 4 500 m, with the shallowest top overpressure occurring in the depocenter. The main cause of the overpressure was disequilibrium compaction resulting from rapid sedimentation of fine grained sediments. The overpressure was strengthened by the retention of fluids including gases due to lack of faults before diapir development. The diapirism in the Yinggehai basin was a combined result of the strong overpressure and the tensile stress field caused by the right lateral slip of the boundary fault. The diapirism, a product of the movement of overpressured fluids and plastic shales, shaped the vertical conduits from source to traps that would be absent without overpressured fluid release. Natural gas accumulation in traps in the diapir structure zones was also intermittent, which can be inferred from the inter reservoir compositional heterogeneity, transient thermal effect of fluid flow and migration fractionation.

Mechanism of diapirism and episodic fluid injections in the Yinggehai Basin

The diapirism in the Yinggehai Basin is a combined result of strong overpressure caused by rapid sedimentation of fine-grain sediments and the tensile stress field resulting from right-lateral slip of the boundary-fault. The diapirism showed multiple-stage, episodic nature, and caused intermittent counter-direction onlaps and changes in the thickness of strata. The shallow gas reservoirs in the diapir structural zone displayed obvious inter-reservoir compositional heterogeneities, and their filling history could be divided into 4 stages, with gases injected during different stages having different hydrocarbon gas, CO2 and N2 contents and different stable isotope compositions. The multiple-episode, intermittent activities of the diapirs, multiple-stage, non-continuous injections of fluids, and the transient thermal effect of fluid flow as well as the strong migration fractionation reflected episodic fluid injection and natural gas accumulation.