Occurrence of Laminated Dolomitic Exhalative Rocks in Continental Rift Basins of Northwest China

Objective Researchers have recently discovered that sublacustrine sedimentary exhalative mechanism associated with volcanism,is the principle way to form lacustrine exhalative rocks.These rocks differentiate themselves from normal sedimentary rocks in their specificpetrofabric and material composition.

Dolomitization by Penesaline Sea Water in Early Cambrian Longwangmiao Formation, Central Sichuan Basin, China

The Lower Cambrian Longwangmiao Formation shoal dolostone reservoir in Sichuan Basin is currently an exploration and research highlight in China. Reservoir rocks mainly consist of crystalline dolomite with residual grain texture, and dolarenite of which the arene is mainly composed of muddy to micritic dolomite with some crystalline grain directionally aligned. The trace element indicates that the dolomites of Longwangmiao Formation may be related to the high salinity of sea water. The oxygen isotope values of crystalline dolomite and dolarenite are both similar to that of the Early Cambrian marine dolomites, and the carbon isotope values of every kind of dolomites are completely overlapped with that of the seawater in Early Cambrian, indicating the dolomitization fluid is originated from the Early Cambrian sea water. The restricted marine biological communities and a small amount of gypsum pseudonodule seen in muddy to micritic dolomite indicate that the sea water in Early Cambrian was restricted and evaporated. However, the general lack of massive evaporite mineral and gypsum karst breccia indicates that the salinity of sea water during dolomitization was lower than the value of gypsum＇s precipitation. The Longwangmiao Formation consists of several high-frequency sedimentary cycles, indicating frequent sea level changes. This study indicates that massive dolomitization may also occur in underwater palaeohigh in carbonate platform through the reflux of penesaline sea water driven by a combination of high-and low-frequency sea-level changes. This kind of dolomitization can explain the generation of massive dolomites in the absence of evaporite precipitation, and further indicates that replacement dolomites can be produced by sea water with a wide range of salinity（normal, penesaline to hypersaline）.

Oxygen Isotope Clue to Migration of Dolomitizing Fluid as Exampled by the Changxing Formation Dolomite at Panlongdong, Northeastern Sichuan

The Upper Permian Changxing dolomite reservoirs serves as one of the most important gas and oil reservoirs in the NE Sichuan Basin. Determining the dolomitizing fluid＇s pathway is regarded as the key to solve the ＂dolomite problem＂ and further petroleum exploration. Outcrop samples from Upper Permian Changhsingian Panlongdong Section were studied using oxygen isotopic analysis, cathodoluminescence（CL） and major element analysis, in an attempt to determine the migration path way and properties of the dolomitizing fluid. Of the Changxing dolomite, the δ18O values ranged from-3.494‰ to-5.481‰, which decreased from the top layer to the bottom in the section; the MgO contents varied from 9.24% to 21.43%, CaO contents from 28.65% to 39.87%, the CaO/MgO ratio from 1.40 to 4.31 and the Mn O contents from 0.004% to 0.009 8%. The Mg O contents showed a downwardly decreasing trend in the section, while the Ca O/Mg O showed an opposite rule. All of the dolomites looked dull or dark when they were exposed to the electron beam of the cathodoluminescence device. None of the fine-to medium grained dolomite showed a banded structure. Given that dolomitizing fluid＇s salinity decreased during the dolomitization process in its pathway, we concluded that the dolomitizing fluid migrated downwardly in Changxing Formation after excluding the possibility of deep burial or meteoric-marine mixing-water influences. As the dolomitizing fluid＇s pathway has always been difficult to be determined in highly dolomitized Formation, this study showed an important application of oxygen isotope values in resolving this problem.