Reconstruction and petroleum geological significance of lithofacies paleogeography and paleokarst geomorphology of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation in northwestern Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on analysis of outcrop,drilling,logging and seismic data,and geotectonic background,the lithofacies paleogeography and paleokarst geomorphology of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation in the northwestern Sichuan Basin were reconstructed,and the petroleum geological significance of the lithofacies paleogeography and paleokarst geomorphology were discussed.The Maokou Formation is divided into 3 long-term cycles,namely LSCl,LSC2 and LSC3,which correspond to the Member 1,Member 2 and Member 3 of the Maokou Formation,respectively.Controlled by the extensional structure caused by opening of the Mianlue Ocean in the north margin of the upper Yangtze blocks and basement faults produced by mantle plume uplifting,the area had tectonic differentiation in NWW and NE,and sedimentary basement took on episodic settlement from north to south,as a result,the sedimentary systems of Member 1 to Member 3 gradually evolved from carbonate platform to platform-slope-continental shelf.According to the residual thickness,paleokarst geomorphologic units such as karst highland,karst slope and karst depression at different stages were reconstructed.The karst geomorphological units were developed successively on the basis of sedimentary geomorphology.Sedimentary facies and paleokarst geomorphology are of great significance for oil and gas accumulation.The Maokou Formation in northwestern Sichuan has two kinds of most favorable reservoir zone combinations:high energy grain shoal and karst monadnock,platform margin slope and karst slope.Based on this understanding,the planar distribution of the two kinds of reservoir zones were predicted by overlapping the favorable reservoir facies belt with paleokarst geomorphology.The study results provide a new idea and reference for the exploration deployment of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation in the Sichuan Basin.

Relationship between Permian volcanic rocks distribution and karst paleogeomorphology of Maokou Formation and its significance for petroleum exploration in western Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on outcrop, drilling, logging, geochemical analysis and seismic data, the karst landform and distribution of Permian volcanic rocks at the end of the sedimentary period of the Maokou Formation in the western Sichuan Basin are examined, and their petroleum geological significance is discussed. Affected by normal faults formed in the early magmatic activities and extension tectonic background in the late sedimentary period of the Maokou Formation, a local karst shallow depression under the background of karst slope came up in the Jianyang area of the western Sichuan Basin, where the residual thickness of the Maokou Formation was thinner. Basic volcanic rocks like pyroclastic rock of eruptive facies, basalt of overflow facies, diabase porphyrite of intrusive facies and sedimentary tuff of volcanic sedimentary facies were formed after karstification. However, under the effects of faulting and karst paleogeomorphology, the volcanic rocks in different areas had different accumulation features. In the Jianyang area, with long eruption time, the volcanic rocks were thick and complex in lithology, and accumulated in the karst depressions. In the Zhongjiang-Santai area located in the karst slope, there’s no fault developed, only thin layers of basalt and sedimentary tuff turned up. The karst landform controls the build-up of thick explosive facies volcanic rocks and also the development of karst reservoirs in the Maokou Formation, and the western Sichuan area has oil and gas exploration potential in volcanic rocks and the Maokou Formation.

Reservoir characteristics of the first member of Middle Permian Maokou Formation in Sichuan Basin and its periphery and inspirations to petroleum exploration,SW China

Based on a large number of field outcrops and cores taken systematically from boreholes,by microscopic observa-tion,physical property analysis,mineralogy analysis,geochemical analysis etc.,reservoir characteristics of the first member of Middle Permian Maokou Formation in Sichuan Basin("Mao 1 Me mber"for short)are analyzed.(1)Rhythmic limestone-marl reservoirs of this member mostly exist in marl layers are a set of tight carbonate fracture-pore type reservoir with low porosity and low permeability,with multiple types of storage space,mainly secondary dissolution pores and fissures of clay minerals.(2)The clay minerals are mainly diagenetic clay minerals,such as sepiolite,talc and their intermediate products,aliettite,with hardly terrigenous clay minerals,and the reservoir in different regions have significant differences in the types of clay minerals.(3)The formation of high quality tight carbonate reservoir with limestone-marl interbeds is related to the differential diagene-sis in the early seawater burial stage and the exposure karstification in the early diagenetic stage.It is inferred through th e study that the inner ramp of southwestern Sichuan Basin is more likely to have sweet spots with high production,while the outer ramp in eastern Sichuan Basin is more likely to have large scale contiguous reservoir with low production.

Episodic hydrothermal alteration on Middle Permian carbonate reservoirs and its geological significance in southwestern Sichuan Basin,SW China

To analyze the episodic alteration of Middle Permian carbonate reservoirs by complex hydrothermal fluid in southwestern Sichuan Basin,petrology,geochemistry,fluid inclusion and U-Pb dating researches are conducted.The fractures and vugs of Middle Permian Qixia–Maokou formations are filled with multi-stage medium-coarse saddle dolomites and associated hydrothermal minerals,which indicates that the early limestone/dolomite episodic alteration was caused by the large-scale,high-temperature,deep magnesium-rich brine along flowing channels such as basement faults or associated fractures under the tectonic compression and napping during the Indosinian.The time of magnesium-rich hydrothermal activity was from the Middle Triassic to the Late Triassic.The siliceous and calcite fillings were triggered by hydrothermal alteration in the Middle and Late Yanshanian Movement and Himalayan Movement.Hydrothermal dolomitization is controlled by fault,hydrothermal property,flowing channel and surrounding rock lithology,which occur as equilibrium effect of porosity and permeability.The thick massive grainstone/dolomites were mainly altered by modification such as hydrothermal dolomitization/recrystallization,brecciation and fracture-vugs filling.Early thin-medium packstones were mainly altered by dissolution and infilling of fracturing,bedding dolomitization,dissolution and associated mineral fillings.The dissolved vugs and fractures are the main reservoir space under hydrothermal conditions,and the connection of dissolved vugs and network fractures is favorable for forming high-quality dolomite reservoir.Hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs are developed within a range of 1 km near faults,with a thickness of 30–60 m.Hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs with local connected pore/vugs and fractures have exploration potential.

Characterization of reservoir properties and pore structure based on micro-resistivity imaging logging: Porosity spectrum, permeability spectrum, and equivalent capillary pressure curve

According to the capillary theory,an equivalent capillary model of micro-resistivity imaging logging was built.On this basis,the theoretical models of porosity spectrum(Ф_(i)),permeability spectrum(K_(i))and equivalent capillary pressure curve(pe)were established to reflect the reservoir heterogeneity.To promote the application of the theoretical models,the Archie's equation was introduced to establish a general model for quantitatively characterizing bi,K,and pei.Compared with the existing models,it is shown that:(1)the existing porosity spectrum model is the same as the general equation of gi;(2)the Ki model can display the permeability spectrum as compared with Purcell's permeability model;(3)the per model is constructed on a theoretical basis and avoids the limitations of existing models that are built only based on the component of porosity spectrum,as compared with the empirical model of capillary pressure curve.The application in the Permian Maokou Formation of Well TsX in the Central Sichuan paleo-uplift shows that the Ф_(i),K_(i),and p_(ci) models can be effectively applied to the identification of reservoir types,calculation of reservoir properties and pore structure parameters,and evaluation of reservoir heterogeneity.

Characteristics of “Guangyuan-Wangcang” trough during Late Middle Permian and its petroleum geological significance in northern Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on outcrop characteristics, combined with regional tectonic background, drilling and geophysical data, the sedimentary characteristics of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation in the northern Sichuan Basin was studied by means of macroscopic and microscopic observation, geochemical element test, total organic carbon content and vitrinite reflectance measurement. There is a set of deep-water sediments rich in organic matter in the Guangyuan-Wangcang area of northern Sichuan during the late depositional period of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation. The strata are distributed from northwest to southeast, with thickness of 10–30 m, mainly composed of siliceous rocks and siliceous mudstones, intercalated with gravity flow deposits. Siliceous rocks and siliceous mudstones are characterized by thin single layer, flat bedding and rich siliceous radiolarians, calthrop and brachiopod with small body and thin shell, belonging to the typical sedimentary characteristics of deep-water trough facies. The contents of Cu, Co, Mo, Ni and the ratio of Ni to Co in the geochemical tests all indicate that the siliceous rocks are products of deep-water reducing environment. The TOC value ranges from 3.21% to 8.19%, with an average of 5.53%, indicating that the siliceous rocks have good hydrocarbon generation ability. The south side of the trough is in platform margin facies with high energy, and the sediments are mainly thick massive micritic-calcsparite biogenic(clastic) limestone, which is conducive to the formation and evolution of the reservoir. During the late sedimentary period of the Maokou Formation, the northward subduction and extension of the oceanic crust at the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Plate provided the internal dynamic conditions for the formation of the "Guangyuan-Wangcang" trough. According to the location, sedimentary characteristics and formation dynamics of the trough, it is similar to the "Kaijiang-Liangping" trough during Late Permian proposed by previous researchers. It is believed that the "Kaijiang-Liangping" trough already had its embryonic form during the Late Middle Permian.

Petrology and geochemical characteristics of dolomite in the Middle Permian Maoukou Formation,central Sichuan

Dolomites of the Maokou Formation in the central Sichuan were mainly developed in the middle-upper part of Member 2 and the lower part of Member 3 of Maokou Formation,it could be divided into fine-to medium-grained calcareous dolomite,fine-to medium-grained dolomite and breccia dolomite according to petrology characteristic,and the latter two were dominant.Through contrast of geochemical characteristic between micritic limestone and different types of dolomite,the dolomite was characterized by low Fe content,high Mn content and low Sr content relative to the micritc limestone.The micritic limestone and different types of dolomite had similar rare earth element(REE)distribution patterns which were characterized by depletion of light REE,weak positive anomaly of La and negative anomaly of Ce,and the dolomite also had weak positive anomaly of Eu.Compared with the micritic limestone,the fine-to medium-grained dolomite and breccia dolomite had low values of δ^(18)O and obvious high ratios of^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr.REE distribution patterns of different types of dolomite indicated that some geochemical characteristics of primitive limestone were preserved during the dolomitization process in the Maokou Formation,while weak Eu positive anomaly of dolomite and isotopic difference in dolomite and limestone might be caused by high-temperature thermal fluids during the dolomitization process.The dolomitization of the Maokou Formation was controlled by some factors:(1)strata residual seawater and hydrothermal fluids derived from magmatism were major sources of Mg during the dolomitization process;(2)heating effect of Emeishan large igneous province provided abnormal high paleogeotemperature for dolomitization;(3)fault systems offered rapid migration channels for abnormal geothermal convection and dolomitization fluid;(4)limestone of grain-shoal facies with good porosity and permeability was more prone to dolomitization than micritic limestone.Abnormal geotemperature and abundant Mg supply derived from Emeishan Large Igneous Province were key factors for dolomitization in the Maokou Formation,and different types of dolomites were formed in different periods of the dolomitization process.