The characteristic and evolution of coal-forming swamp in Hanshuiquan district,Santanghu Coalfield, Xinjiang,NW China,during the Middle Jurassic: evidence from coal petrography,coal facies and sporopollen

Santanghu Coalfield is the largest integrated coalfield exploration area in China. The major coal seams developing in Xishanyao Formation (Middle Jurassic) are the high-quality steam coals characterized by large thickness, favorable horizontal continuity and high coal quality. In this paper, twenty-two samples were collected from the three typical boreholes in Hanshuiquan disirict, representing the 11 coal seam sequences (7#,8#,9#,13#, 14#,15#,17#,18#,19#,20#,22#), respectively. The petrographic characteristics of the coal-bearing sequence in Xishanyao Formation were firstly summarized systematicly, and then the coal-forming swamp characteristics and succession mechanism of the coal seam in Xishanyao Formation were defined by analyzing the samples. The maceral composition, structure, geochemical and geophysical characteristics of coal are in eluded in original genetic criteria of coal-forming swamp an alysis. And the composition of coal petrography, maceral and microlithotype are the most frequently used parameters. Coal is composed of microscopic constituents and inorganic substances. The Xishanyao Formation maceral mainly consists of vitrinite (65.74%-97.01 %), inert i nite (1.93%-34%), and the exinite shows the mode of regular change. The coal-forming swamp in Xishanyao Formation possesses the characteristics of mainly marsh, wet forest swamp facies, and shallow water covered forest swamp facies, and a few of coal seams distribute in the deep water covered forest swamp facies. In addition, the sporopollens in Xishanyao Formation are mainly Pinaceae evergreen broad leaf and needle-leaved plants. Osmundaceae, Cyatheaceae and Lygodiaceae, indicating that the warm and humid tropic-subtropical climate conductive to the persistent growth of coal-forming plants in the Middle Jurassic. The coal-forming swamp shows the characteristics of vertically upward fluctuation through the periodic transition. It indicates a shallow-deep-shallow change process of the water covered depth in the swamp. This is the prin ci pal factor for the formation of the high-quality and continuous coal seam in Hanshuiquan district, Santanghu Coalfield.

THE THRUST AND NAPPE TECTONIC ZONE ALONG THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF THE COAL-FORMING REGION OF NORTH CHINA

A thrust and nappe tectonic zone with imbricate branch thrusts is developed along the southern margin of the coal-forming region of North China. This tectonic zone is tightly related to the Qinling-Dabie collision orogen in genesis and belongs to the frontal zone of a huge thrust system developed during Yanshanian episode at the northern foot of the orogen. It is pointed out that thrusting had distorted the original depositional margin of the coal-forming region and some new coal-bearing blocks would be found out in the frontal sheets and under the undulate sole thrust.

Characteristics and evolution of inertinite abundance and atmospheric pO_(2) during China's coal-forming periods

Coal, especially the inertinite in it, is highly sensitive to climate changes, showing an obvious response to paleoclimate conditions, in particular, to paleo-oxygen concentration(pO_2 ). In this study, the inertinite abundance data of typical coal-forming periods in China were systematically collected and analyzed. Its characteristics and control factors were studied, and its evolution was established. Based on inertinite abundance data, pO_2 evolution curves of various coal-forming periods in China were established, which fluctuated between 15% and 30% during the entire Phanerozoic. The inertinite abundance in coal deposits during Paleozoic in China was basically consistent with that of other areas of the world, while it was quite different globally from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic. The results show that the inertinite abundance in coal deposits is controlled by pO_2 and other factors including climatic zones, plant differentiation, sedimentary environments, and tectonic activities. The inertinite abundance in coal deposits in China during the Jurassic was high, suggesting dry paleoclimate of inland China.

Cenozoic giant coal-bearing basin belt discovered in China's sea and its adjacent areas

Sea area is an important area of oil and gas exploration in China.It has been found that China's sea area mainly consists of coal type oil and gas,and the exploration of coal-bearing series source rocks has become an important part of oil and gas exploration there.Through years of comprehensive geological research in China's sea area,it has been revealed that it has undergone multiple occurrences of tectonic opening and closing movements in varying degrees in the Paleogene,forming 26 Cenozoic sedimentary basins of various types,such as active continental margin,passive continental margin,transitional continental margin and drift rift basins.In the present study,it is observed for the first time that coal type source rocks are mainly developed in 14 continental margin basins in China's sea area,revealing that a very large C-shaped coal-bearing basin group developed there in the Cenozoic.Next,based on the coupling analysis of paleoclimate,paleobotany,paleogeography and paleostructure,it is observed that there are five coal-forming periods in China's sea area,namely the Paleocene,Eocene,early Oligocene,late Oligocene and Miocene-Pliocene,and the coal-forming age is gradually new from north to south.It is also found that the coal seams in the sea area are mainly developed in three coal-forming environments in Cenozoic,namely delta,fan delta and tidal flat-lagoon.The coal seams developed in different environments are characterized by thin thickness,many layers and poor stability.However,the coal-bearing series source rocks in China's sea area have a wide distribution range,very high thickness and large amount,thus forming a material basis for the formation of rich coal type oil and gas.

Distribution Characteristics and Accumulation Model for the Coal-formed Gas Generated from Permo-Carboniferous Coal Measures in Bohai Bay Basin, China: A Review

Coal-formed gas generated from the Permo-Carboniferous coal measures has become one of the most important targets for deep hydrocarbon exploration in the Bohai Bay Basin,offshore eastern China.However,the proven gas reserves from this source rock remain low to date,and the distribution characteristics and accumulation model for the coal-formed gas are not clear.Here we review the coal-formed gas deposits formed from the Permo-Carboniferous coal measures in the Bohai Bay Basin.The accumulations are scattered,and dominated by middle-small sized gas fields,of which the proven reserves ranging from 0.002 to 149.4×108 m3 with an average of 44.30×108 m3 and a mid-point of 8.16×108 m3.The commercially valuable gas fields are mainly found in the central and southern parts of the basin.Vertically,the coal-formed gas is accumulated at multiple stratigraphic levels from Paleogene to Archaeozoic,among which the Paleogene and PermoCarboniferous are the main reservoir strata.According to the transporting pathway,filling mechanism and the relationship between source rocks and reservoir,the coal-formed gas accumulation model can be defined into three types:"Upward migrated,fault transported gas"accumulation model,"Laterally migrated,sandbody transported gas"accumulation model,and"Downward migrated,sub-source,fracture transported gas"accumulation model.Source rock distribution,thermal evolution and hydrocarbon generation capacity are the fundamental controlling factors for the macro distribution and enrichment of the coal-formed gas.The fault activity and the configuration of fault and caprock control the vertical enrichment pattern.

Discovery and geological knowledge of the large deep coal-formed Qingyang Gas Field, Ordos Basin, NW China

After 50 years of oil and gas exploration in Longdong area of southwest Ordos Basin,NW China,a deep coal-formed gas field was discovered for the first time in Qingyang area.Through observation of field outcrops and core,analysis of common,cast and cathode thin sections,Ro and other geochemistry indexes,carbon isotope,electron microscope and other supporting tests and analyses,the hydrocarbon generation,reserves formation and reservoir formation characteristics of gas reservoirs at different buried depths in Yishaan slope were examined and compared.The deep gas reservoir has an average buried depth of more than 4200 m,and the main gas-bearing formation is the Member 1 of Lower Permian Shanxi Formation,which is characterized by low porosity,low permeability,low pressure and low abundance.It is believed that hydrocarbon generation in thin seam coal source rocks with high thermal evolution can form large gas fields,high-quality sandstone reservoirs with dissolved pores,intergranular pores and intercrystalline pores can still develop in late diagenetic stage under deep burial depth and high thermal evolution,and fractures improve the permeability of reservoirs.High drying coefficient of natural gas and negative carbon isotope series are typical geochemical characteristics of deep coal-formed gas.The integrated exploration and development method has been innovated,and the economic and effective development mode of gas fields of"dissecting sand body by framework vertical wells,centralized development by horizontal wells"has been formed.The discovery and successful exploration of the large gas field has provided geological basis and technical support for the construction of natural gas fields of 100 billion cubic meter scale in the southwest of the basin,and has important guidance for exploration of coal-derived gas with deep buried depth and high thermal evolution widely distributed in China.

Mechanism of Forming Hydrocarbon in Coal Measures

The forming condition of coal and coaly organic matter is analyzed. The dynamics of hydrocarbon generation of coal and coaly organic matter is discussed. It has been pointed out that the temperature is the main predominant factor for the hydrocarbon generation of coal; chemical effect of structural pressing and shearing force accelerates the evolution of hydrocarbon derived from coal, and is the prerequisite for the hydrocarbons to be expelled from coal. The existence of atoms of N, S, O etc. is the prerequisite for forming the hydrocarbons at early evolution stage. The importance of NSO compounds in the evolution of hydrocarbon generation has been emphasized.

An initial discussion on major controlling factors on formation of coal-formed large-medium sas fields

The so-called "large-medium gas field" means a gas field with proven reserves equal to or larger than 100×108 m3. Up to 1997, 23 coal-formed great-medium fields are discovered in China, excluding two in Taiwan Province. Their proven reserves take 50.9% in total natural gas reserves. Therefore, the coal-formed great-medium gas field plays a decisive role in natural gas reserves and the study of their controlling factors is very important both in theory and in practice. There are six major controlling factors on the formation of coal-formed large-medium gas fields: ( Ⅰ) The generating center of coal-formed gas and its surrounding area; (Ⅱ) low potential area; (Ⅲ) late pool-forming period; (Ⅳ) traps related to the paleo-uplifits in coal-formed gas area; (Ⅴ) above or between abnormally pressured compartments; (Ⅵ) faulted traps related to coal-bed.

Discovery of cutinitic liptobiolith in northwestern China and a comparative study with Luquan Devonian coal

Devonian cutinitic liptobiolith is a special cuticle-rich coal formed during the early stage of land plant evolution. In China, this special coal has previously only been reported in the Yangtze area, with the Luquan Devonian cutinitic liptobiolith of Yunnan Province being the most well-known. Recently, this type of coal was first discovered in the Bulonggoer Sag, to the northwest of the Junggar Basin, NW Xinjiang. Its geological age is regarded as the Givetian period of the late Middle Devonian,which is equivalent to the age of the Luquan Devonian coal. The cutinitic liptobiolith from NW Xinjiang has a distinct sheet-like texture resembling a stack of paper or leaf sheets in appearance, and so it is commonly called "paper coal" or "leaf coal". Ribbonlike cutinite(thick-walled type) is the most abundant maceral in the coal(>60% and up to 80%, on a mineral-free basis), followed by ribbon-like collotelinite. The NW Xinjiang and Luquan cutinitic liptobioliths share similar maceral compositions;while their coal-forming plants and depositional conditions are distinct. The NW Xinjiang cutinitic liptobiolith was deposited in a regional fluvial or flood plain condition, with lycopsids as the dominant coal-forming plants. In contrast, the Luquan cutinitic liptobiolith formed in a coastal-lagoon environment, with primitive ferns as the predominant coal-forming plants, followed by lycopsids. The saturated fractions of the NW Xinjiang and Luquan liptobioliths are mainly composed of tetracyclic diterpanes. However, the tetracyclic diterpane compositions in the NW Xinjiang cutinitic liptobiolith are distinct from those in the Luquan Devonian coal:The former is dominated by atisanes and the latter is mainly composed of phyllocladanes. Different coal-forming plants may have contributed to the distinct tetracyclic diterpane compositions.

DISCOVERY OF Danaeopsis fecunaa HALLE FROM THE XIWAN COAL SERIES IN GUANGXI AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

The Xiwan coal series is an important coal-bearing sequence in Guangxi, which consists of carbonate rocks, intercalated with coals. The upper part of the Xiwan coal series is known as the Daling Formation and the lower part of it as the Tiantang Formation. The overlying strata are represented by the Shiti Formation. There

Genetic model for slump coalbed and extrathick coalbed from Fushun Basin, Northeast China

Coalbed genesis study is the theoretical basis for coal geology and sedimentology. It has been suggested that the most economic coalbeds are formed in situ. However, the author discovered a large number of syndepositional slump coalbeds with main allochthonous components and associated gravity-influenced muddy interlayers for the first time in the extrathick coalbeds from the Fushun Basin, and established a new coal-forming model.