Petroleum geology features and research developments of hydrocarbon accumulation in deep petroliferous basins

As petroleum exploration advances and as most of the oil-gas reservoirs in shallow layers have been explored, petroleum exploration starts to move toward deep basins, which has become an inevitable choice. In this paper, the petroleum geology features and research progress on oil-gas reservoirs in deep petroliferous basins across the world are characterized by using the latest results of worldwide deep petroleum exploration. Research has demonstrated that the deep petroleum shows ten major geological features. （1） While oil-gas reservoirs have been discovered in many different types of deep petroliferous basins, most have been discovered in low heat flux deep basins. （2） Many types of petroliferous traps are developed in deep basins, and tight oil-gas reservoirs in deep basin traps are arousing increasing attention. （3） Deep petroleum normally has more natural gas than liquid oil, and the natural gas ratio increases with the burial depth. （4） The residual organic matter in deep source rocks reduces but the hydrocarbon expulsion rate and efficiency increase with the burial depth. （5） There are many types of rocks in deep hydrocarbon reservoirs, and most are clastic rocks and carbonates. （6） The age of deep hydrocarbon reservoirs is widely different, but those recently discovered are pre- dominantly Paleogene and Upper Paleozoic. （7） The porosity and permeability of deep hydrocarbon reservoirs differ widely, but they vary in a regular way with lithology and burial depth. （8） The temperatures of deep oil-gas reservoirs are widely different, but they typically vary with the burial depth and basin geothermal gradient. （9） The pressures of deep oil-gas reservoirs differ significantly, but they typically vary with burial depth, genesis, and evolu- tion period. （10） Deep oil-gas reservoirs may exist with or without a cap, and those without a cap are typically of unconventional genesis. Over the past decade, six major steps have been made in the understanding of deep hydrocarbon reservoir formation. （1） Deep petroleum in petroliferous basins has multiple sources and many dif- ferent genetic mechanisms. （2） There are high-porosity, high-permeability reservoirs in deep basins, the formation of which is associated with tectonic events and subsurface fluid movement. （3） Capillary pressure differences inside and outside the target reservoir are the principal driving force of hydrocarbon enrichment in deep basins. （4） There are three dynamic boundaries for deep oil-gas reservoirs; a buoyancy-controlled threshold, hydrocarbon accumulation limits, and the upper limit of hydrocarbon generation. （5） The formation and distribution of deep hydrocarbon res- ervoirs are controlled by free, limited, and bound fluid dynamic fields. And （6） tight conventional, tight deep, tight superimposed, and related reconstructed hydrocarbon reservoirs formed in deep-limited fluid dynamic fields have great resource potential and vast scope for exploration. Compared with middle-shallow strata, the petroleum geology and accumulation in deep basins are more complex, which overlap the feature of basin evolution in different stages. We recommend that further study should pay more attention to four aspects： （1） identification of deep petroleum sources and evaluation of their relative contributions; （2） preservation conditions and genetic mechanisms of deep high-quality reservoirs with high permeability and high porosity; （3） facies feature and transformation of deep petroleum and their potential distribution; and （4） economic feasibility evaluation of deep tight petroleum exploration and development.

Research on the relationship between geophysical structural features and earthquakes in Mid-Yunnan and the surrounding area

In this study, we analyzed the gravity and, magnetic characteristics, and the occurrence of a fault zone and discussed the relationships between the two locations. The results reveal that the subsurface structures strikes are different compared with those in the research region. In other words, the geophysical advantageous directions from the gravity and magnetic anomalies are not the same as those caused by the surface structures. The local horizontal gradient results from the gravity and magnetic anomalies show that the majority of earthquakes occur along an intense fault zone, which is a zone of abrupt gravity and negative magnetic change, where the shapes match very well. From the distribution of earthquakes in this area, we find that it has experienced more than 11 earthquake events with magnitude larger than Ms7.0. In addition, water development sites such as Jinshajiang, Lancangjiang, and the Red River and Pearl River watersheds have been hit ten times by earthquakes of this magnitude. It is observed that strong earthquakes occur frequently in the Holocene active fault zone.

Metallogenic Features and Metalogenic Model of Laterite Gold Deposits in Southern China

The modern laterite gold deposits in southern China, which belong to reworked laterite deposits, can be further divided into three subclasses and seven types. Their geological features, ore-forming conditions and regularities are discussed. A geologic-geochemical metallogenic model for laterite gold deposits has been established.

Geological Features,Mineralization Types and Metallogenic Setting of the Phlaythong Large Iron Deposit,Southern Laos

The Phlaythong large iron deposit in Shampasak of southern Laos,is located in the Kon Tum microblock （Fig.1A）,central-southern part of the Indo-China block,and the geographic coordinate of the central mining area is 14°43′04″ N and 106°07′02″ E.

Effect of natural prolongation with geological features on maritime delimitation

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea entitled the coastal States to naturally extend the continental shelf, which has caused more drastic disputes of maritime delimitation. This paper devotes to clarifying the significant concept of natural prolongation through an effect method combing the legal principles and technical analysis. Firstly, the classic samples with respect of the development of geological features are traced. Based on these samples, the classification with a model is proposed in order to affirm the concept＇s significance under certain geomorphologic situations. Lastly, scientific analysis is used to present two potential prolongation situations and emphasize that all the technical analysis on maritime delimitation should be complied with international law and protect the common interest of all the mankind.

Geophysical and Geological Features of the Meso-Cenozoic Lower Yangtze Rift Zone

It is clarified in this paper that the Lower Yangtze depression is a Meso-Cenozoic rift zone formed on thebasement of the Hercynian-Indosinian foreland basins. The rift zone is divided into eastern and western sectorsand is different in northern and southern parts. The rift zone in plane combination comprises parallel.trifurcate or splitting rifts. The North Jiangsu-South Yellow Sea region represents a 'drift-type' rift basinwhose deposition center migrates gradually castward. The formation mechanism and dynamic evolution of therift basin are discussed from a viewpoint of the crustal fine-structure, with evidence in geology and geophysicsand analysis results of dynamic forces given.

Geological characteristics and ‘‘sweet area'' evaluation for tight oil

Tight oil has become the focus in exploration and development of unconventional oil in the world, especially in North America and China. In North America, there has been intensive exploration for tight oil in marine. In China, commercial exploration for tight oil in conti- nental sediments is now steadily underway. With the dis- covery of China＇s first tight oil field--Xin＇anbian Oilfield in the Ordos Basin, tight oil has been integrated officially into the category for reserves evaluation. Geologically, tight oil is characterized by distribution in depressions and slopes of basins, extensive, mature, and high-quality source rocks, large-scale reservoir space with micro- and nanopore throat systems, source rocks and reservoirs in close contact and with continuous distribution, and local ＂sweet area.＂ The evaluation of the distribution of tight oil ＂sweet area＂ should focus on relationships between ＂six features.＂ These are source properties, lithology, physical properties, brittleness, hydrocarbon potential, and stress anisotropy. In North America, tight oil prospects are distributed in lamellar shale or marl, where natural fractures are fre- quently present, with TOC 〉 4 %, porosity 〉 7 %, brittle mineral content 〉 50 %, oil saturation of 50 %-80 %, API 〉 35~, and pressure coefficient 〉 1.30. In China, tight oil prospects are distributed in lamellar shale, tight sand- stone, or tight carbonate rocks, with TOC 〉 2 %, poros- ity 〉 8 %, brittle mineral content 〉 40 %, oil saturation of 60 %-90 %, low crude oil viscosity, or high formation pressure. Continental tight oil is pervasive in China and its preliminary estimated technically recoverable resources are about （20-25） × lO8^ t.

A Research Review of Iron Oxide Copper-Gold Deposits

Iron oxide copper-gold （IOCG） deposits are a research focus of the current ore deposit geology, and have attracted much attention among the worldwide geologists and exploration experts due to their shallow depth, a wide variety of mineral species and large scale. This paper presents a review of the present IOCG deposits research, which includes the definition of IOCG deposits, temporal and spatial distribution, ore-forming environments, ore-forming magmatic rocks, their geological features, ore-controlling structures and ore-bearing rocks, mineralized alteration zoning, and their genesis and ore-forming process. This work also proposed the ore prospecting direction of IOCG deposits from a trinity model of metaUogenic geological bodies, metallogenic structure surface and metailogenic information signs, and discussed the existing problems of the IOCG deposits research.

Geological Characteristics and Prospecting Criteria of Senji Molybdenum Ore Body in Urad Houqi, Inner Mongolia, China

Geological Characteristics and Prospecting Indicators of Senji Molybdenum Ore Body in Urad Houqi, Inner Mongolia Based on geological mapping, soil geochemical survey, surface trough exploration and deep drilling verification and control, the Senji Molybdenum deposit was discovered. Geological characteristics of the molybdenum ore body are described. The host lithology of molybdenum ore body is mainly in the cataclastic carbonated black plagioclase gneiss of the second rock member of the Paleoproterozoic Baoyintu Group, followed by Early Carboniferous monzogranite. The genetic type of the deposit is preliminarily deduced to be a hydrothermal filling vein-type molybdenum deposit. The significance of this paper is to summarize the prospecting marks of the molybdenum ore body in this area, so as to further guide the exploration work in this area, and at the same time provide a useful reference for the exploration work of similar deposits in other areas.

A drilling technology guided by well-seismic information integration

The predictions by drilling-related mechanical and geological models are in some degree inaccurate due to non-unique solution of seismic velocity model.To address this problem,a new drilling technology guided by well-seismic information integration is proposed which consists of seismic velocity update of drilled formations,seismic velocity prediction of the formation ahead of drilling bit,and the prediction of geological feature and drilling geological environmental factors ahead of bit.In this technology,real information(velocity,formation and depth)behind the drilling bit and local pre-stack seismic data around the wellbore being drilled are used to correct the primitive seismic velocity field for a re-migration of seismic data and to update geological features and drilling geological environmental factors ahead of the drilling bit.Field application shows that this technology can describe and predict the geological features,drilling geological environmental factors and complex drilling problems ahead of the bit timely and improve the prediction efficiency and accuracy greatly.These new updated results are able to provide scientific basis for optimizing drilling decisions.