Fluid migration paths in the marine strata of typical structures in the western Hubei-eastern Chongqing area,China

The western Hubei-eastern Chongqing area is an important prospective zone for oil and gas exploration in the central Yangtze area. Three representative structures, the Xinchang structure, Longjuba gas-bearing structure and the Jiannan gas field, were selected to analyze biomarker parameters in marine strata and to examine various types of natural gas and hydrocarbon sources. Fluid inclusions; carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopic characteristics; organic geochemical analysis and simulation of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion history of source rocks were used for tracing fluid migration paths in marine strata of the study area. The Carboniferous-Triassic reservoirs in three typical structures all experienced at least two stages of fluid accumulation. All marine strata above the early Permian were shown to have fluids originating in the Permian rocks, which differed from the late stage fluids. The fluids accumulated in the late Permian reservoirs of the Xinchang structure were Cambrian fluids, while those in the late Carboniferous reservoirs were sourced from a combination of Silurian and Cambrian fluids. A long-distance and large-scale cross-formational flow of fluids destroyed the preservation conditions of earlier accumulated hydrocarbons. A short-distance cross-formational accumulation of Silurian fluids was shown in the late Permian reservoirs of the Longjuba structure with favorable hydrocarbon preservation conditions. The fluid accumulation in the Carboniferous reservoirs of the Jiannan structure mainly originated from neighboring Silurian strata with a small amount from the Cambrian strata. As a result, the Jiannan structure was determined to have the best preservation conditions of the three. Comparative analysis of fluid migration paths in the three structures revealed that the zone with a weaker late tectonism and no superimposition and modification of the Upper and Lower Paleozoic fluids or the Upper Paleozoic zone with the fluid charging from the Lower Paleozoic in the western Hubei-easteru Chongqing area are important target areas for future exploration.

Hydrocarbon Accumulation Process in the Marine Strata in Jianghan Plain Area, Middle China

Marine strata in the Jianghan Plain area are widely distributed with a total depth of more than 8,000 m from the Upper Sinian to the Middle Triassic. Six reservoir caprock units, named Z-C2, C2-O, S, D--C, P and T1, can be identified with each epoch. The geology, stratigraphy, drilling, oil testing and other basic data as well as the measured inclusion and strontium isotope data in the study area are used in the analysis of the formation and evolution process of marine petroliferous reservoirs in the Jianghan Plain area. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the further exploration of hydrocarbons in the Jianghan Plain and reduce the risks by analyzing the key factors for hydrocarbon accumulation in the marine strata. Our findings show that in the Lower Palaeozoic hydrocarbon reservoir, oil/gas migration and accumulation chiefly occurred in the early period of the Early Yanshanian, and the hydrocarbon reservoir was destroyed in the middle-late period of the Early Yanshanian. In the Lower Triassic-Carboniferous hydrocarbon reservoir, oil/gas migration and accumulation chiefly occurred in the Early Yanshanian, and the hydrocarbon reservoir suffered destruction from the Late Yanshanian to the Early Himalayanian. The preservation conditions of the marine strata in the Jianghan Plain area have been improved since the Late Himalayanian. However, because all source beds have missed the oil/gas generation fastigium and lost the capacity to generate secondary hydrocarbon, no reaccumulation of hydrocarbons can be detected in the study area＇s marine strata. No industrially exploitable oil/gas reservoir has been discovered in the marine strata of Jianghan Plain area since exploration began in 1958. This study confirms that petroliferous reservoirs in the marine strata have been completely destroyed, and that poor preservation conditions are the primary factor leading to unsuccessful hydrocarbon exploration. It is safely concluded that hydrocarbon exploration in the marine strata of the study area is quite risky.

Feature,genetic model and distribution of calcareous insulating layers in marine strata of western Pearl River Mouth basin in north of South China Sea

We have systematically investigated the feature, genetic model and distribution of calcareous insulating layers in marine strata of the Ⅰ oil group in member 2 of Zhujiang formation(ZJ2I oil formation), western Pearl River Mouth basin(PRMB) in the north of the South China Sea by using data such as cores, thin sections, X-ray diffraction of whole-rock, and calcite cement carbon and oxygen isotopes. The lithology of the calcareous insulating layers in the study area is mainly composed of the terrigenous clastic bioclastic limestone and a small amount of fine-grained calcareous sandstone. On this basis, two genetic models of calcareous insulating layers are established, including the evaporation seawater genetic model and shallow burial meteoric water genetic model. The calcareous insulating layers of the evaporation seawater genetic model developed in the foreshore subfacies, mainly at the top of the 1-1 strata and 1-3 strata. The calcareous insulating layers of the shallow burial meteoric water genetic model developed in the backshore subfacies, primarily in the 1-2 strata.

Tectonic Evolution and Geological Characteristics of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in Marine Mesozoic-Paleozoic Strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin

The South Yellow Sea Basin is the main body of the lower Yangtze area in which marine Mesozoic–Paleozoic strata are widely distributed.The latest geophysical data were used to overcome the limitation of previous poor-quality deep data.Meanwhile,the geological characteristics of hydrocarbon reservoirs in the marine Mesozoic–Paleozoic strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin were analyzed by comparing the source rocks and the reservoir and utilizing drilling and outcrop data.It is believed that the South Yellow Sea Basin roughly underwent six evolutionary stages:plate spreading,plate convergence,stable platform development,foreland basin development,faulted basin development,and depression basin development.The South Yellow Sea Basin has characteristics of a composite platform-fault depression geological structure,with a half-graben geological structure and with a ‘sandwich structure' in the vertical direction.Four sets of hydrocarbon source rocks developed – the upper Permian Longtan–Dalong formation,the lower Permian Qixia formation,the lower Silurian Gaojiabian formation,and the lower Cambrian Hetang formation/Mufushan formation,giving the South Yellow Sea Basin relatively good hydrocarbon potential.The carbonate is the main reservoir rock type in the South Yellow Sea area,and there are four carbonate reservoir types:porous dolomitic,reef-bank,weathered crust,and fractured.There are reservoir-forming horizons similar to the typical hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Yangtze land area developed in the South Yellow Sea,and there are three sets of complete source-reservoir-cap rock assemblages developed in the marine strata,with very good hydrocarbon potential.

The ridgelet transform with non-linear threshold for seismic noise attenuation in marine carbonates

Wavelet transforms have been successfully used in seismic data processing with their ability for local time - frequency analysis. However, identification of directionality is limited because wavelet transform coefficients reveal only three spatial orientations. Whereas the ridgelet transform has a superior capability for direction detection and the ability to process signals with linearly changing characteristics. In this paper, we present the issue of low signal-to-noise ratio （SNR） seismic data processing based on the ridgelet transform. Actual seismic data with low SNR from south China has been processed using ridgelet transforms to improve the SNR and the continuity of seismic events. The results show that the ridgelet transform is better than the wavelet transform for these tasks.

Types, Evolution and Pool-Controlling Significance of Pool Fluid Sources in Superimposed Basins:A Case Study from Paleozoic and Mesozoic in South China

Having multiple tectonic evolution stages, South China belongs to a superimposed basin in nature. Most marine gas pools became secondary pools. The pool fluid sources serve as the principal pool-controlling factors. On the basis of eight typical petroleum pools, the type, evolution in time-space, and the controlling of petroleum distribution of pool fluid sources are comprehensively analyzed. The main types of pool fluid sources include hydrocarbon, generated primarily and secondly from source rocks, gas cracked from crude oil, gas dissolved in water, inorganic gas, and mixed gases. In terms of evolution, the primary hydrocarbon was predominant prior to Indosinian; during Indosinian to Yenshanian the secondary gas includes gas cracked from crude oil, gas generated secondarily, gas dissolved in water, and inorganic gas dominated; during Yenshanian to Himalayan the most fluid sources were mixed gases. Controlled by pool fluid sources, the pools with mixed gas sources distributed mainly in Upper Yangtze block, especially Sichuan （四川） basin; the pools with primary hydrocarbon sources distributed in paleo-uplifts such as Jiangnan （江南）, but most of these pools became fossil pools; the pools with secondary hydrocarbon source distributed in the areas covered by Cretaceous and Eogene in Middle-Lower Yangtze blocks, and Chuxiong （楚雄）, Shiwandashan （十万大山）, and Nanpanjiang （南盘江） basins; the pools with inorganic gas source mainly formed and distributed in tensional structure areas.

Application of Acoustic Technique to Surveying a Buried Fault in Tianjin

We carried out surveying on the shallow structure and faulted-stratum of the Haihe fault in Tianjin using acoustic surveying methods such as the single-channel seismic technique. The result shows that the method can obtain satisfactory results in wide and deep river courses. It also shows that in the Tanggu area of Tianjin, the upper fault point of Haihe fault is about 30m beneath the river bed and the corresponding latest active period is Qp^3- Qh^1 , which is consistent with the former borehole survey result. In the offshore area of the Bohai Sea, Haihe fault shows as a NWW-NEE strike dense fault zone and its upper fault point is less than 30m beneath the seabed. It shows that the active characteristics of Haihe fault in the Bohai Sea correspond to the Tanggu area.

Characteristics analysis and model prediction of sea-salt water intrusion in lower reaches of the Weihe River,Shandong Province,China

Marine sedimentary strata are widely distributed in the coastal zone of the study area, and are rich in brine resources. The exploitation of underground water resources often first caused the intrusion of salt water in the marine strata. Based on the analysis of sea-salt water intrusion feature, the sea-salt water intrusion is divided into four stages: The occurrence and development stage(1976–1985), the rapid development stage(1986–1990), the slow development stage(1990–2000) and the stable development stage(2000–2015). Based on the comparative analysis of the relationship between seawater intrusion and influencing factors, this paper presents that the groundwater exploitation and the brine resources mining are the main control factors of sea-salt water intrusion. On this basis, we have established a numerical model of the sea-salt water intrusion. Using this model, we predicted the development trend of the sea-salt water intrusion. The results show that if the current development of groundwater and brine is maintained, the sea-salt water intrusion will gradually withdraw; once development of brine stops, sea-salt water will invade again. This provides the scientific basis for the rational exploitation of groundwater and the prevention of sea-salt water intrusion.

Stable carbon isotopes of gaseous alkanes as genetic indicators inferred from laboratory pyrolysis experiments of various marine hydrocarbon source materials from southern China

Using high pressure and geological condition simulation vessels, we conducted hydrous pyrolysis experiments of kerogen, solid bitumen and liquid hydrocarbons in southern China in order to study the processes of gas generation and derive geo- chemical indicators of gas genesis under approximate pressure and temperature. The results indicate that gas generation productivity of different marine material decreased in the ganic matter （solid bitumen and heavy oil）, and kerogen. order of crude oil （light oil and condensate）, dispersed soluble or- Under identical temperature-pressure regimes, pyrolysates derived from kerogen and dispersed soluble organic matter display drastically different geochemical characteristics. For example, the δ13Cc02-δ13C1 values of gaseous products from dispersed soluble organic matter are greater than 20%o, whereas those from kerogen are less than 20%~. The 813C1 values of pyrolysates from different marine hydrocarbon sources generally increase with pyrolysis temperature, but are always lower than those of the source precursors. The δ13C values of ethane and propane in the pyrolysates also increase with increasing pyrolysis temperature, eventually approaching that of their sources, at peak hydro- carbon generation. At high-over mature stages, the δ13C values of ethane and propane are often greater than those of their sources but close to those of coal gases, and thus become ineffective as gas genetic indicators. Ln（CffC3） can clearly distin- guish kerogen degradation gas from oil cracking gas and Ln（CJC2）-（δ13C1-δ13C2） can be an effective indicator for distinguishing oil cracking gas from dispersed soluble organic matter cracking gas.