Control effects of the synsedimentary faults on the basin-marginal fans in the central part of the deep-water area of early Oligocene Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

The synsedimentary faults and basin-marginal fans located in the central part of the deep-water area of the early Oligocene Qiongdongnan Basin have been investigated using seismic profiles,boreholes,and well-log data.Through the formations of the characterized paleogeomorphology,such as transverse anticlines,fault ditches,and step-fault belts,the synsedimentary faults are known to have controlled the development position,distribution direction,and extension scales of the basin-marginal fans.For example,at the pitching ends of two adjacent faults,transverse anticlines developed,which controlled the development positions and distributions of the fans.During the early Oligocene,the faults controlled the subsidence center,and fault ditches were formed at the roots of the faults.In the surrounding salient or low salient areas,which were exposed as provenance areas during early Oligocene,the fault ditches acted as the source channels and determined the flow paths of the clastics,where incised valley fills were obviously developed.The fault ditches which developed in the sedimentary basins were able to capture the drainage systems and influenced the distributions of the fans.The large boundary faults and the secondary faults generated two fault terraces and formed step-fault belts.The first fault terrace caused the clastics to be unloaded.As a result,fans were formed at the entrance to the basin.Then,the second fault terrace caused the fans to move forward,with the fans developing in a larger extension scale.The results obtained in this study will potentially be beneficial in the future prospecting activities for reservoirs and coalmeasure source rocks in the basins located in the deep-water areas of the South China Sea.

Paleogeographic Reconstitution and Tangential Tectonic in the Backland of Tunisian Dorsal (Fahs Area: J. Rouas and Ruissate)

The Tunisian Dorsal backland is the Eastern Atlas side of maghrebides. Field data of Fahs area allowed us to develop new interpretations and to characterize the main structural features of the studied devices (Jebel Rouas and Ruissate). Heritage of Zaghouan accident, Triassic salt movements and strike-direction of major synsedimentary faults are the principal causes and results of the skinned and superimposed geometric architecture, generated by the reversed extensional (Jurassic-Cretaceous) tectonics. The actual geometry of Jebel Rouas and Ruissate represents a fault propagation fold, affecting Jurassic and Cretaceous sets. The backland of this thrust fault defines an imbrications structures of Barremian series. Tectonic records activities show the existence of angular unconformities (Oligocene and Eocene series on the Cretaceous sets considered as bedrock), slumps, tectonic breccias and synsedimentary faults are all of them controlled by a deep major accident;N-S to NE-SW and NW-SE. Features of the study area are probably related first;to the blockage of Zaghouan thrust oriented NE-SW in the foreland;then, to the intense halokinetic activity, which facilitates the layers displacement acting as decollment level. The detailed structural and stratigraphic study of Fahs area and its neighbors shows the presence of an intense tangential tectonic during upper Miocene, affecting Meso-Cenozoic sets, because all the structures involved are sealed by Oligocene and Miocene thinned series. This is accentuated by the existence of different sets of decollment at different depths, which are represented by a displacement to the SE through the backland of the Tunisian Dorsal. We define these features as an imbrication and thrusting Out of sequence system.

Source-sink System and Sedimentary Model of Progradational Fan Delta Controlled by Restricted Ancient Gully:An Example in the Enping Formation in the Southern Baiyun Sag,Pearl River Mouth Basin,Northern South China Sea

Tectonic activity occurred during the depositional period of the Enping Formation in the southern Baiyun Sag in the Pearl River Mouth Basin,with a series of synsedimentary faults and a set of large fan delta reservoir bodies developing.There is no data from drilling,cores,etc.for this area,so this paper applies three-dimensional seismic data to study the structural style of the steep slope zone,the seismic facies characteristics of fan deltas,and the source-sink system and sedimentary model of the Enping Formation.The control action of tectonic activity on fan deltaic sedimentary systems is studied by combining interpretation of fault systems,dissection of structural styles,seismic reflection structure,seismic facies geometry,and seismic attribute analysis,together with theoretical analysis of the source-sink deposition process.The Baiyun Sag has experienced tectonic activity since the Eocene,and a series of synsedimentary faults are developed in the southern steep slope zone.Under the common control of multiple large synsedimentary faults,a large ancient gully formed in the steep slope zone in the south,which gradually widened from south to north.The uplift area in the southern part of the sag was exposed for a long time during the deposition of the Enping Formation and consequently suffered weathering and erosion.The resulting sediments were transported through a system of provenance channels composed of slopes and an ancient gully to the depression area,where they were deposited and eventually converged to form a large fan delta.The fan delta presents the overall characteristics of NS strong wedge reflection and EW strong domal reflection—thick in the middle part and thin in the wings.It displays a lobe-shaped distribution on the plane,with the fan root pointing to the south slope.According to differences in reflection intensity from bottom to top,it can be subdivided into three stages of progradational sedimentary bodies—the southern uplift and denudation zone,the large ancient gully,and the fan delta—which together constitute a complete source-sink system.This represents a sedimentary model of progradational fan delta under the overall joint control of the re stricted ancient gully and syndepositional faults.

Effect of Sand Body Enrichment Under the Restriction of a Tectonic Transfer Zone: A Case Study on the Pinghu Formation in the Kongqueting Region on the Pinghu Slope

Results of long-term explorations in the Kongqueting region,located in an East China Sea depression,suggest that the strong fault activity during the sedimentary period of the Pinghu formation significantly influenced the development of the sedimentary system.However,the aggregation and enrichment of the sand body under a tectonic background has become a problem that requires an immediate solution.Considering research outcomes of previous studies,this study used three-dimensional seismic and logging data to identify Y-or H-type and the en echelon distribution patterns of the fault plane,as well as identify the locations wherein the fault growth index value is greater than 1 in the study region,indicating the tectonic background of the fault transfer zone in the region.Second,the development type of the fault transfer zone was studied,and the sand body enrichment site was identified based on seismic inversion data and the development position of the fault transfer point.This helps clarify the evolution of sedimentary facies of the Pinghu formation combined with the sedimentary environment of the braided-river delta.Finally,after summarizing the coupling relationship between the synsedimentary fault systems and the sand body enrichment patterns,three sand-control models were determined,namely,the flexural-parallel,the en echelon collinear,and the torsional-reformed superimposed transfer zones.The findings of this study lay a foundation for the subsequent search of tectonic lithologic oil and gas reservoirs.