Paleotopographic controls on facies development in various types of braid-delta depositional systems in lacustrine basins in China

Braid-delta depositional systems are widely developed in most continental basins in China. Research indicates that, for different types of braid delta, the facies sequence and association, which are critical to the prediction of the distribution of reservoirs, differ greatly. This study illustrates the differences in braid-delta depositional systems in terms of sedimentary characteristics, associated systems and reser- voir distributions using three typical paleodeltas in western China： the Zhenbei delta of the upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, the Yuanba delta of the upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Sichuan Basin and the Jimsar delta of the upper Permian Wutonggou Formation in the Junggar Basin. A stratigraphic framework was established using seismic data, logs and cores by choosing stable mud sections as regional correlation markers and, topographies of these deltas were reconstructed based on the decompaction and paleobathymetric corrections. Based on both the paleotopography of these deltas and the differences of their sedimentary facies, these braided deltas can be classified into two systems： steep-gradient braid-delta-turbidite system and low-gradient braid-delta-lacustrine system. Moreover, the low-gradient braid-delta-lacustrine system can be further divided into interfingered and sharp contact sub-types according to the contact relation between the delta sands and lacustrine muds. This study shows that the paleotopography of basin margins strongly controls the accommodation as braid deltas prograde into lacustrine basins and, influences the location of the shoreline in response to changes in the lake level. Furthermore, paleotopography plays a significant role in facies and reservoir distribution which is important for petroleum exploration and development.

Stable Carbon Isotopic Compositions of Methylated-MTTC in Crude Oils from Saline Lacustrine Depositional Environment:Source Implications

Significantly high abundant methyl-Methyl Trimethyl Tridecyl Chromans （MTTCs） have been detected in aromatic hydrocarbon fractions in crude oils from the Jizhong Depression and Jianghan Basin. The distribution of these compounds is dominated by methyl-MTTC and dimethyl- MTTC series, which indicate diagenetic products of a hypersaline depositional environment in the early stage and show a low degree of methylation. The occurrence of significantly high abundant methyl-MTTC depends mainly on good preservation conditions with a strongly reductive, hypersaline and water-columned depositional environment and subsequent non-intensive diagenetic transformations. The stable carbon isotopic compositions of the methyl-MTTCs and dimethyl-MTTCs in two samples are far different from the stable carbon isotopic composition of C30 hopane of apparent bacteria biogenesis （up to 4.11‰ and 5.75‰, respectively）. This obviously demonstrates that the methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTCs cannot be of bacteria origin, which is different from the previous point of view about non-photosynthetic bacteria products or possible bacteria-reworked products. On the contrary, the stable carbon isotopic compositions of methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTCs in the two samples were similar to that of the same carbon-numbered n-alkanes （nC27-nC28-nC29）, which indicates that they share the same source origin. Especially in the crude oil from the Zhao61 well, stable carbon isotopic compositions are also similar to that of the same carbon-numbered steranes with ααα- 20R isomer （mostly less than 0.4‰）. In consideration of the results of previous studies on saline lake ecological sedimentation, the authors hold that the methyl-MTTC and dimethyl-MTTCs in the saline lake sediments should be of algal biogenesis origin.

Distribution Prediction of Middle-deep Lacustrine Source Rocks in Eocene Wenchang Formation in the Kaiping Sag,Pearl Mouth Basin

Oil and gas shows are rich in drilling wells in Kaiping sag,however,large oilfield was still not found in this area.For a long time,it is thought that source rocks were developed in the middle-deep lacustrine facies in the Eocene Wenchang Formation,while there is no source rocks that in middle-deep lacustrine facies have been found in well.Thickness of Wenchang Formation is big and reservoirs with good properties could be found in this formation.Distribution and scale of source rock are significant for further direction of petroleum exploration.Distribution characterization of middle-deep lacustrine facies is the base for source rock research.Based on the sedimentary background,fault activity rate,seismic response features,and seismic attributes were analyzed.No limited classification method and multi-attributes neural network deep learning method were used for predicting of source rock distribution in Wenchang Formation.It is found that during the deposition of lower Wenchang Formation,activity rate of main fault controlling the sub sag sedimentation was bigger than 100 m/Ma,which formed development background for middle-deep lacustrine facies.Compared with the seismic response of middle-deep lacustrine source rocks developed in Zhu I depression,those in Kaiping sag are characterized in low frequency and good continuity.Through RGB frequency decomposition,areas with low frequency are main distribution parts for middle-deep lacustrine facies.Dominant frequency,instantaneous frequency,and coherency attributes of seismic could be used in no limited classification method for further identification of middle-deep lacustrine facies.Based on the limitation of geology knowledge,multi-attributes of seismic were analyzed through neural network deep learning method.Distribution of middle-deep lacustrine facies in the fourth member of Wenchang Formation is oriented from west to east and is the largest.Square of the middle-deep lacustrine facies in that member is 154 km^(2)and the volume is 50 km^(3).Achievements could be bases for hydrocarbon accumulation study and for exploration target optimization in Kaiping sag.

Distribution Characteristics of Effective Source Rocks and Their Control on Hydrocarbon Accumulation: A Case Study from the Dongying Sag, Eastern China

The exploration conducted in the Bohai Bay basin, eastern China has demonstrated that the abundant petroleum resources have close affinities to the hydrocarbon kitchen with rich organic matter. A number of oil-generating associations with various characteristics of organic geochemistry and assemblages of multiple reservoir facies are developed due to the multi-center sedimentation, multi-source supply and multi-cycle evolution of filling, which have resulted in the formation of multiple oil and gas accumulation zones of various layers and trap styles. Among them the Paleogene Shahejie Formation is the most important hydrocarbon accumulation combination in the Dongying sag. Heretofore, its proved reserve has reached nearly 1.8×109t, which accounts for more than 90% of the total proved reserves of the Dongying sag. Based on previous studies, more than 600 source rock samples and 186 crude oil samples of the Shahejie Formation, collected from 30 oilfields, have been treated with organic geochemical testing. By combining the sedimentary sequence characteristics and geochemical analysis results, the source rocks of the Shahejie Formation can be divided into three genetic types, i.e. the saline lake facies (the upper ES4, brackish water deep lake facies (the lower ES3) and fresh-water lake facies (the middle ES3), which correspond to the under-filling, balanced-filling and over-filling lake types respectively and represent the three most essential genetic models for source rocks of non-marine fault basins in China. Based on a thorough oil-source correlation, the source rocks of the saline lake and brackish deep lake facies are determined to be the most contributive source rocks in the Dongying sag. Furthermore, by probing into the accumulation of organic matter and hydrocarbon migration pattern, it can be inferred that the hydrocarbons, generated from source rocks of the saline lake facies with relatively low maturity, have mainly accumulated in the uplifted parts of the basin's margin via lateral migration and the reservoirs are dominated by the buried hill and stratigraphic types, while hydrocarbons generated from source rocks of the brackish lake facies are mainly distributed in the basin's center via vertical migration and characterized by forming lithologic reservoirs. Also, the reservoirs located in the transitional belts have complex types and mostly controlled by faults, characterized by block (structural-lithologic) reservoirs, and the crude oils mainly come from source beds of Es31 and Es42 respectively.

Formation mechanism of carbonates in the lacustrine muddy shale and it implication for shale oil and gas: A case study of source rocks in Member 4 and Member 3 of Shahejie Formation, Dongying sag

Through analysis of microscopic characteristics,mineral components,elements and isotopes,the genetic mechanism of carbonates in the deep lacustrine source rocks in the upper submember of Member 4 and lower submember of Member 3 of Shahejie Formation in Dongying sag,is well investigated.The results show that four types of carbonates in the deep lake,i.e.,lenticular coarse crystalline carbonate,lamellar micro-fine crystalline carbonate,lamellar cryptocrystalline carbonate and massive cryptocrystalline carbonate.Of which,the lenticular coarse crystalline carbonate is formed by diagenetic recrystallization.For the lamellar micro-fine crystalline carbonate and the lamellar cryptocrystalline carbonate,through the alga photosynthesis,the carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is constantly extracted from water,thus the concentration of CO_(3)^(-2) ion in water increases,and then the CO_(3)^(-2) ion reacts with Ca2+ ion in lake water surface to form the carbonates;the saline water environment is favorable for preservation of carbonate particles which mostly occur in lamellar micro-fine crystalline;in the brackish water environment,the water is deep,and the carbonate crystalline beneath the carbonate compensation depth surface is usually is dissolved,and most of lamellar cryptocrystalline are preserved.The massive cryptocrystalline carbonate is formed by the sedimentary carbonate which transport from shallow water to deep water by gravity flow.To some extent,the carbonates control reservoir property and compressibility of muddy shale in the upper submember of Member 4 and lower submember of Member 3 of Shahejie Formation in Dongying sag,and provide important information for reconstruction of sedimentary environment of the ancient lake.