Hydrocarbon accumulation and orderly distribution of whole petroleum system in marine carbonate rocks of Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on the situation and progress of marine oil/gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin,SW China,the whole petroleum system is divided for marine carbonate rocks of the basin according to the combinations of hydrocarbon accumulation elements,especially the source rock.The hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics of each whole petroleum system are analyzed,the patterns of integrated conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon accumulation are summarized,and the favorable exploration targets are proposed.Under the control of multiple extensional-convergent tectonic cycles,the marine carbonate rocks of the Sichuan Basin contain three sets of regional source rocks and three sets of regional cap rocks,and can be divided into the Cambrian,Silurian and Permian whole petroleum systems.These whole petroleum systems present mainly independent hydrocarbon accumulation,containing natural gas of affinity individually.Locally,large fault zones run through multiple whole petroleum systems,forming a fault-controlled complex whole petroleum system.The hydrocarbon accumulation sequence of continental shelf facies shale gas accumulation,marginal platform facies-controlled gas reservoirs,and intra-platform fault-and facies-controlled gas reservoirs is common in the whole petroleum system,with a stereoscopic accumulation and orderly distribution pattern.High-quality source rock is fundamental to the formation of large gas fields,and natural gas in a whole petroleum system is generally enriched near and within the source rocks.The development and maintenance of large-scale reservoirs are essential for natural gas enrichment,multiple sources,oil and gas transformation,and dynamic adjustment are the characteristics of marine petroleum accumulation,and good preservation conditions are critical to natural gas accumulation.Large-scale marginal-platform reef-bank facies zones,deep shale gas,and large-scale lithological complexes related to source-connected faults are future marine hydrocarbon exploration targets in the Sichuan Basin.

Geological characteristics and accumulation mechanisms of the "continuous" tight gas reservoirs of the Xu2 Member in the middle-south transition region,Sichuan Basin,China

＂Continuous＂ tight gas reservoirs are those reservoirs which develop in widespread tight sandstones with a continuous distribution of natural gas. In this paper, we summarize the geological features of the source rocks and ＂＇continuous＂ tight gas reservoirs in the Xujiahe Formation of the middle- south transition region, Sichuan Basin. The source rocks of the Xul Member and reservoir rocks of the Xu2 Member are thick （Xul Member： 40 m, Xu2 Member： 120 m） and are distributed continuously in this study area. The results of drilled wells show that the widespread sandstone reservoirs of the Xu2 Member are charged with natural gas. Therefore, the natural gas reservoirs of the Xu2 Member in the middle-south transition region are ＂continuous＂ tight gas reservoirs. The accumulation of ＂continuous＂ tight gas reservoirs is controlled by an adequate driving force of the pressure differences between source rocks and reservoirs, which is demonstrated by a ＂one-dimensional＂ physical simulation experiment. In this simulation, the natural gas of＂continuous＂ tight gas reservoirs moves tbrward with no preferential petroleum migration pathways （PPMP）, and the natural gas saturation of＂continuous＂ tight gas reservoirs is higher than that of conventional reservoirs.

Phosphorus accumulation by bacteria isolated from a continuous-flow two-sludge system

In this article, polyphosphate-accumulating organisms （PAOs） from a lab-scale continuous-flow two-sludge system was isolated and identified, the different phosphorus accumulation characteristics of the isolates under anoxic and aerobic conditions were investigated. Two kinds of PAOs were both found in the anoxic zones of the two-sludge system, one of them utilized only oxygen as electron aeceptor, and the other one utilized either nitrate or oxygen as electron aeceptor. Of the total eight isolates, five isolates were capable of utilizing both nitrate and oxygen as electron acceptors to uptake phosphorus to some extent. And three of the five isolates showed good phosphorus accumulative capacities both under anoxic or aerobic conditions, two identified as Alcaligenes and one identified as Pseudomonas. Streptococcus was observed weak anoxic phosphorus accumulation because of its weak denitrification capacity, but it showed good phosphorus accumulation capacity under aerobic conditions. One isolates identified as Enterobacteriaceae was proved to be a special species of PAOs, which could only uptake small amounts of phosphorus under anoxic conditions, although its denitrification capacity and aerobic phosphorus accumulation capacity were excellent.

Petroleum Industry in China will Develop Continuously in the 21st Century

China Is Rich in Petroleum and natural Gas Resources China is rich in petroleum and natural gas resources with over 500 sedimentary basins and 6.7 million km2 of sedimentary rock. There are more than 420 Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins stretching over 5.3 million km2 that are over 1000- meter thick in sedimentary rock.

Petroleum Accumulation Associated with Volcanic Activity in the Tarim Basin —— Taking Tazhong-47 Oilfield as an Example

The discovery of the Tazhong-47 oilfield confirmed that it is realistic to explore oil and gas fields around igneous rocks in the Tarim basin. The favorable conditions for petroleum accumulation due to volcanic activity and igneous rocks formed during the activity show in two aspects. A) The contact surface of igneous rocks and the surrounding sedimentary rocks, like a vertical unconformity surface, formed the conduit of petroleum migration. Petroleum would accumulate once it encountered a trap in which the reservoir had fine porosity and permeability. B) It formed a trap barriered by igneous rocks, or changed or cut the original trap. In addition, volcanic rocks are a kind of potential reservoir, there are many such examples in the world, and oil also shows in the Permian igneous rocks in well Zhong-1 on Tazhong uplift. Petroleum accumulation associated with volcanic activity will be a new exploring field in the Tarim basin.

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.

Dynamic Systems of Petroleum Accumulation in the Nanpu Depression,Bohai Bay Basin,China

It is significant to distinguish the dynamic systems of petroleum accumulation （DSPA） for the understanding of petroleum accumulation and distribution. According to the formation pressure framework, genetic types of petroleum and characteristics of conduit systems, three dynamic systems of petroleum accumulation were identified in the vertical profile in the Nanpu depression, Bohai Bay basin. The deeper DSPA （including formations Es3 to Es2） is a sealed system with high-overpressure and high-mature self-sourced oil. Most of the crude oil in the system accumulated in the periods of late Oligocene （23.5 Ma） and late Pliocene （2.4 Ma）. The middle DSPA （including formations Es~ to Edl） is an overpressured half-sealed system with mature or lower-mature self-sourced oil. The accumulation of oil in the system also occurred in the late Oligocene （23.5 Ma） and late Pliocene （2.4 Ma）. The shallower DSPA （including formations Ed2 to Q） is a hydrostatic system with lower-mature aliensourced oil from the middle system. Oil within this system accumulated only in the late Pliocene period. The oil in the shallower system migrated vertically along the faults from the formerly accumulated oil in the middle system by lateral migration along the sandbodies, whereas petroleum accumulation in the deeper system was mainly derived from the system itself by lateral migration along the sandbodies and rarely migrated out of the system. In this case, it seems that the deeper system is a more potential exploration prospect in addition to the other two proved favorable systems.

Effects of Overpressured Fluid Flow on Petroleum Accumulation in the Yinggehai Basin

The Yinggehai Basin is a strongly overpressured Cenozoic basin developed in the northern continental shelf of the South China Sea. The flow of overpressured fluids in this basin has given rise to strong effects on petroleum accumulation. (1) The overpressured fluid flow has enhanced the maturation of shallow-buried source rocks, which has caused the source rocks that would have remained immature under the conduction background to be mature for hydrocarbon generation. As a result, the overpressured fluid flow has increased the volume and interval of mature source rocks. (2) The overpressured fluid flow has strong extraction effects on the immature or low-mature source rocks in the shallow parts. This has increased, to some extent, the expulsion efficiency of the source rocks. More importantly, the extraction effects have strongly limited the effectiveness of biomarker parameters from oil and condensate in reflecting the source and maturity of the oil and gas. (3) The flow has caused the sandstones in the shallow parts to get into the late diagenesis stage, and significantly reduced the porosity and permeability of the sandstones. This study confirms that even in sedimentary basins in which no topography-driven groundwater flow systems have ever developed, the cross-formation migration of overpressured fluids and the resultant energy conduction and material exchange can significantly affect the thermal regime, source rock maturation and sandstone diagenesis. As a result, the effects of overpressured fluid flow must be taken into account in analyzing the mechanism of petroleum accumulation.

Unconventional Petroleum Sedimentology:A Key to Understanding Unconventional Hydrocarbon Accumulation

The commercial exploitation of unconventional petroleum resources(e.g.,shale oil/gas and tight oil/gas)has drastically changed the global energy structure within the past two decades.Sweet-spot intervals(areas),the most prolific unconventional hydrocarbon resources,generally consist of extraordinarily high organic matter(EHOM)deposits or closely associated sandstones/carbonate rocks.The formation of sweet-spot intervals(areas)is fundamentally controlled by their depositional and subsequent diagenetic settings,which result from the coupled sedimentation of global or regional geological events,such as tectonic activity,sea level(lake level)fluctuations,climate change,bottom water anoxia,volcanic activity,biotic mass extinction or radiation,and gravity flows during a certain geological period.Black shales with EHOM content and their associated high-quality reservoir rocks deposited by the coupling of major geological events provide not only a prerequisite for massive hydrocarbon generation but also abundant hydrocarbon storage space.The Ordovician-Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi shale of the Sichuan Basin,Devonian Marcellus shale of the Appalachian Basin,Devonian-Carboniferous Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin,and Triassic Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin are four typical unconventional hydrocarbon systems selected as case studies herein.In each case,the formation of sweet-spot intervals for unconventional hydrocarbon resources was controlled by the coupled sedimentation of different global or regional geological events,collectively resulting in a favorable environment for the production,preservation,and accumulation of organic matter,as well as for the generation,migration,accumulation,and exploitation of hydrocarbons.Unconventional petroleum sedimentology,which focuses on coupled sedimentation during dramatic environmental changes driven by major geological events,is key to improve the understanding of the formation and distribution of sweet-spot intervals(areas)in unconventional petroleum systems.

Oderly accumulation theory of shale system petroleum resource and its prospecting significance-A case study of Chang 7 Member of Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin

1 Introduction Shale formations bear abundant mineral resource and*unconventional petroleum resource,and the unconventional petroleum resource that contain in the shale formation should be integrated and researched.

Fluid inclusion evidence for petroleum accumulation in northern Qaidam Basin

Based on the results of fluid inclusion study(microscopic characteristics,homogenization temperatures and grains with oil inclusions),the pool-forming time of the Nanbaxian and Mabei 1 oilfields in northern Qaidam Basin was discussed in this paper.Fluid inclusions in northern Qaidam Basin are relatively abundant,including aqueous inclusions and hydrocarbon inclusions.These inclusions are small(5-10 μm),and mainly distributed in quartz fissures,overgrowths and cementations.The abundances of grains with oil inclusions(GOI) are commonly low.The GOI values of most samples are between 2.0%-10.5%,and those of about 40 percent of total samples exceed 5%.The homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in different samples are markedly dissimilar,indicating that these inclusions were formed in different periods.According to the measured homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions and in combination with burial history and thermal evolution history,the Nanbaxian and Mabei 1 oilfields are deduced,which have experienced two hydrocarbon charging periods,with the former of N1-N21 and N22-N23,and the latter of N1 and N1 end-N2,respectively.

Mechanism of petroleum migration and accumulation in western China's superposed basins

In western China, most petroliferous basins are superposed due to their multi-periodic tectonic evolution, and the mechanisms of petroleum migration and accumulation are so complex that much more sophis- ticated methodologies are necessary for depiction of these mechanisms and identification of petroleum occurrences. For this purpose, in this article, a new methodology was formulated which includes： （I） ver- tical identification of petroleum migration and accumulation fluid dynamic systems in the superposed basins; （2） analysis of the effect of large scale regional faults and fault combinations on the fluids exchange between the vertically identified different systems; （3） analysis of petroleum migration and accumulation in each vertically identified system, and establishment of appropriate geological model of petroleum migration and accumulation for each vertically identified system. Using this methodology, the satisfactory results obtained in the Lunnan Uplift of Tarim Basin and Ludong Uplift of Jungar Basin case studies are： （1） existence of different vertical fluid dynamic systems in western China＇s superposed basins which are very necessary for understanding the mechanism of petroleum migration and accumu- lation; （2） in deep system, long-distance lateral petroleum migration and accumulation mainly take place along the long time exposed unconformity with weathered, fractured or karst reservoir rocks; （3） regio- nal faults are the main conducts for fluids migration from deep system up to middle and/or upper sys- tems. As to middle and/or upper systems, regional faults play a role of ＂petroleum source＂. Small faults within middle and/or upper systems conduct petroleum to carrier beds with less impeding force; （4） petroleum migrated from deep system vertically up to middle and/or upper systems will migrate lat- erally in carrier beds of these systems and accumulate to form nools near or far from faults.

Whole petroleum system and hydrocarbon accumulation model in shallow and medium strata in northern Songliao Basin,NE China

Based on the oil and gas exploration practice in the Songliao Basin,combined with the latest exploration and development data such as seismic,well logging and geochemistry,the basic geological conditions,oil and gas types and distribution characteristics,reservoir-forming dynamics,source-reservoir relationship and hydrocarbon accumulation model of the whole petroleum system in shallow and medium strata in the northern part of Songliao Basin are systematically studied.The shallow-medium strata in northern Songliao Basin have the conditions for the formation of whole petroleum system,with sufficient oil and gas sources,diverse reservoir types and well-developed transport system,forming a whole petroleum system centered on the source rocks of the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation.Different types of oil and gas resources in the whole petroleum system are correlated with each other in terms of depositional system,lithologic association and physical property changes,and they,to a certain extent,have created the spatial framework with orderly symbiosis of shallow-medium conventional oil reservoirs,tight oil reservoirs and shale oil reservoirs in northern Songliao Basin.Vertically,the resources are endowed as conventional oil above source,shale oil/tight oil within source,and tight oil below source.Horizontally,conventional oil,tight oil,interlayer-type shale oil,and pure shale-type shale oil are developed in an orderly way,from the margin of the basin to the center of the depression.Three hydrocarbon accumulation models are recognized for the whole petroleum system in northern Songliao Basin,namely,buoyancy-driven charging of conventional oil above source,retention of shale oil within source,and pressure differential-driven charging of tight oil below source.

Basic principles of the whole petroleum system

This paper expounds the basic principles and structures of the whole petroleum system to reveal the pattern of conventional oil/gas-tight oil/gas-shale oil/gas sequential accumulation and the hydrocarbon accumulation models and mechanisms of the whole petroleum system.It delineates the geological model,flow model,and production mechanism of shale and tight reservoirs,and proposes future research orientations.The main structure of the whole petroleum system includes three fluid dynamic fields,three types of oil and gas reservoirs/resources,and two types of reservoir-forming processes.Conventional oil/gas,tight oil/gas,and shale oil/gas are orderly in generation time and spatial distribution,and sequentially rational in genetic mechanism,showing the pattern of sequential accumulation.The whole petroleum system involves two categories of hydrocarbon accumulation models:hydrocarbon accumulation in the detrital basin and hydrocarbon accumulation in the carbonate basin/formation.The accumulation of unconventional oil/gas is self-containment,which is microscopically driven by the intermolecular force(van der Waals force).The unconventional oil/gas production has proved that the geological model,flow model,and production mechanism of shale and tight reservoirs represent a new and complex field that needs further study.Shale oil/gas must be the most important resource replacement for oil and gas resources of China.Future research efforts include:(1)the characteristics of the whole petroleum system in carbonate basins and the source-reservoir coupling patterns in the evolution of composite basins;(2)flow mechanisms in migration,accumulation,and production of shale oil/gas and tight oil/gas;(3)geological characteristics and enrichment of deep and ultra-deep shale oil/gas,tight oil/gas and coalbed methane;(4)resource evaluation and new generation of basin simulation technology of the whole petroleum system;(5)research on earth system-earth organic rock and fossil fuel system-whole petroleum system.

Development of Petroleum Geology in China:Discussion on Continuous Petroleum Accumulation

Petroleum exploration targets are extending gradually from the single conventional trap reservoirs to the large-scale unconventional continuous accumulations. Oil and gas reservoirs have been divided into two types based on the trapping mechanism and distribution of oil and gas： conven- tional single-trap reservoirs, such as the Daqing oil field in Songliao Basin and the Kela-2 gas field in Tarim Basin; and unconventional continuous petroleum accumulation, such as Upper Paleozoic tight gas and Mesozoic tight oil in Ordos Basin, and Upper Triassic tight gas in Sichuan Basin. Two typical geologic characteristics of continuous petroleum accumulation involve： （1） coexisting source and reser- voir, petroleum pervasive throughout a large area tight reservoirs, and no obvious traps or well-defined water-oil and gas contracts; （2） non-buoyancy accumulation, continuous petroleum charge, and no sig- nificant influence by buoyancy. Continuous petroleum accumulation generally have nm-scale pore throats, and the diameters range of 10-500 nm. The geometry and connectivity of these pore throats has significant impact on the migration and distribution of oil and gas in continuous petroleum accu- mulation. China has numerous continuous petroleum accumulation containing various petroleum de- posits, and the exploration of continuous resources is very promising. Unconventional petroleum geol- ogy will become an important new subject in petroleum geology in future, and the nano-technology will function greatly on research, exploration and development of the hydrocarbon accumulation in nano-pore-throats.

Control Factors and Diversities of Phase State of Oil and Gas Pools in the Kuqa Petroleum System

Based on the analysis of the hydrocarbon geochemical characteristics in the Kuqa petroleum system of the Tarim Basin, this study discusses the causes and controlling factors of the phase diversities and their differences in geochemical features. According to the characteristics and differences in oil and gas phase, the petroleum system can be divided into five categories： oil reservoir, wet gas reservoir, condensate gas-rich reservoir, condensate gas-poor reservoir and dry gas reservoir. The causes for the diversities in oil and gas phases include diversities of the sources of parent material, maturity of natural gas and the process of hydrocarbon accumulation of different hydrocarbon phases. On the whole, the Jurassic and Triassic terrestrial source rocks are the main sources for the hydrocarbon in the Kuqa Depression. The small differences in parent material may cause diversities in oil and gas amount, but the impact is small. The differences in oil and gas phase are mainly affected by maturity and the accumulation process, which closely relates with each other. Oil and gas at different thermal evolution stage can be captured in different accumulation process.

Orderly coexistence and accumulation models of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons in Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation,Mahu sag,Junggar Basin

By using the latest geological,seismic,drilling and logging data,this article studies the basic conditions for the formation of the total petroleum system and the orderly coexisting characteristics and accumulation models of conventional&unconventional reservoirs in the Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation in the Junggar Basin.Controlled by thermal evolution,hydrocarbon generation and expulsion process of the high-quality source rocks in alkaline lake as well as the characteristics of multi-type reservoirs(conglomerate,sandstone,dolomite and shale),conventional structure-lithologic reservoirs and tight oil and shale oil reservoirs controlled by source-reservoir structure have been formed.On the plane,mature conventional reservoirs,medium-high mature tight oil,and medium-high mature shale oil reservoirs coexist orderly from the slope area around Mahu sag to the sag.Based on the orderly coexisting characteristics of conventional and unconventional reservoirs in the Fengcheng Formation,it is clear that oil and gas in the Fengcheng Formation accumulate continuously over a large area in three accumulation models:integrated source-reservoir,source-reservoir in close contact,and separated source-reservoir model.The three accumulation models differ in relationship between source-reservoir structure,reservoir lithology and spatial distribution,hydrocarbon migration,oil and gas type.It is pointed out that the conventional&unconventional oil and gas should be explored and developed as a whole to achieve an overall breakthrough of the total petroleum system.This study is expected to enrich the geological theory of oil and gas enrichment in continental basins and to provide an analogy for exploration and research in other hydrocarbon-rich sags.

Upper Paleozoic total petroleum system and geological model of natural gas enrichment in Ordos Basin, NW China

Based on the analysis of Upper Paleozoic source rocks, source-reservoir-caprock assemblage, and gas accumulation characteristics in the Ordos Basin, the gas accumulation geological model of total petroleum system is determined. Then, taking the Carboniferous Benxi Formation and the Permian Taiyuan Formation and Shanxi Formation as examples, the main controlling factors of gas accumulation and enrichment are discussed, and the gas enrichment models of total petroleum system are established. The results show that the source rocks, faults and tight reservoirs and their mutual coupling relations control the distribution and enrichment of gas. Specifically, the distribution and hydrocarbon generation capacity of source rocks control the enrichment degree and distribution range of retained shale gas and tight gas in the source. The coupling between the hydrocarbon generation capacity of source rocks and the physical properties of tight reservoirs controls the distribution and sweet spot development of near-source tight gas in the basin center. The far-source tight gas in the basin margin is mainly controlled by the distribution of faults, and the distribution of inner-source, near-source and far-source gas is adjusted and reformed by faults. Generally, the Upper Paleozoic gas in the Ordos Basin is recognized in four enrichment models: inner-source coalbed gas and shale gas, inner-source tight sandstone gas, near-source tight gas, and far-source fault-transported gas. In the Ordos Basin, inner-source tight gas and near-source tight gas are the current focuses of exploration, and inner-source coalbed gas and shale gas and far-source gas will be important potential targets in the future.

Discussion on Petroleum Migration in Bamianhe Oilfield of Dongying Depression, East China

Petroleum migration process of Bamianhe oilfield of Dongying depression, EastChina is evaluated on the basis of our detailed work on geochemistry of the crude oil and thesource. Molecular tracers, especially nitrogen compounds, are employed in assessing style of oilmigration and accumulation. Additionally, absolute quantitative results of heteroaromatics includingdibenzofuran, dibenzothio-phene and fluorene with similar basic frames to pyrrolic nitrogeniccompounds are also used to evaluate the quantity of petroleum migration. According to apparentmigration effects of the pyrrolic nitrogen compounds, it is indicated that most of Bamianhe oil wasderived from potential source kitchen―Niu-zhuang sag, migrated and accumulated at Bamianhe faultbelt through selective paths according to a main filling point displayed. Generally, upwardmigration trend from the main point along the south slope is noted. There are observable migrationeffects from Guangli subsag to the north Bamianhe and Yangjiao-gou oilfields showing Guangli subsagwas a secondary kitchen accounting for the oils in the north portion. Significant vertical migrationeffects shown in several cross sections demonstrate that faults well developed in the area play animportant role in oil migration and accumulation. Unformality, sandstone reservoirs distributedlocally also suggest important fairways in connecting sources with traps. The tectonic and acombination of tectonic and lithological mechanism are identified as the critical mechanisms inentrapping hydrocarbons. Migration trend suggested by nitrogenic compounds agrees well with analysisof lateral compositional variety and thermal maturity gradient. This study also confirms well withour previous studies. It is the location of source rocks, tectonic and stratigraphic characteristicsthat have a comprehensive control on the model of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation inBamianhe oilfield. Results also show that the oils are mostly derived from the deep parts of theNiuzhuang and Guangli sags within normal oil window.

Geological theory and exploration & development practice of hydrocarbon accumulation inside continental source kitchens

Continental shale strata in China are rich in petroleum resources and are an important area to strengthen domestic oil exploration and development.Based on the latest progress in geological research and exploration and development of petroleum inside continental source kitchens of China National Petroleum Corporation exploration areas in recent two years,we have achieved the following results:(1)The geological connotations of continental hydrocarbon accumulation inside source kitchen and"sweet spot"have been proposed.The intra-source petroleum accumulation refers to the accumulation of liquid-rich hydrocarbons retained or captured in the continental organic-rich shale strata,and"sweet spot"refers to the favorable reservoir with higher oil content,better physical properties,easier to stimulate and higher in commercial development value in the overall oil-bearing continental source rock series,they can be divided into three types,interlayer,hybrid sediment and shale.(2)High-quality shale formations in both salt water and freshwater lacustrine basins can generate hydrocarbons on a large scale,shale strata have multiple types of favorable reservoirs with large-scale storage capacity,the intra-source shale strata are overall oil-bearing and large in resource scale,and there are multiple favorable shale series for development.The exploration and development practice is propelling the formation of a series of exploration and development key technologies with"sweet spot exploration"and"volume development"as the core.Some pilot tests of these technologies have provided an important scientific basis for the economic and effective development of hydrocarbon accumulation inside source kitchen,and popularization of these technologies have achieved encouraging results preliminarily.(3)Two types of continental intra-source petroleum resources in China have great potential,including medium-high maturity with liquid-rich hydrocarbons and medium-low maturity with organic-rich matter.The Ordos,Songliao,Bohai Bay and Junggar basins are the main areas of these resources.By addressing the theoretical and technical challenges in the exploration and development,the two types of resources inside continental source kitchens will become the realistic and major strategic replacement oil resources respectively in the future.