Diversity of depositional architecture and sandbody distribution of sublacustrine fans during forced regression: A case study of Paleogene Middle Sha 3 Member in Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, East China

Currently, the differences in gravity flow deposits within different systems tracts in continental lacustrine basins are not clear. Taking the middle submember of the third member of Paleogene Shahejie Formation(Sha 3 Member) in the Shishen 100 area of the Dongying Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin as an example, the depositional architecture of sublacustrine fans during forced regression and the impact of the fourth-order base-level changes on their growth were investigated using cores, well logs and 3D seismic data. Sublacustrine fans were mainly caused by hyperpycnal flow during the fourth-order base-level rise, while the proportion of slump-induced sublacustrine fans gradually increased during the late fourth-order base-level fall. From rising to falling of the fourth-order base-level, the extension distance of channels inside hyperpycnal-fed sublacustrine fans reduced progressively, resulting in the transformation in their morphology from a significantly channelized fan to a skirt-like fan. Furthermore, the depositional architecture of distributary channel complexes in sublacustrine fans changed from vertical aggradation to lateral migration, and the lateral size of individual channel steadily decreased. The lobe complex's architectural patterns evolved from compensational stacking of lateral migration to aggradational stacking, and the lateral size of individual lobe steadily grew. This study deepens the understanding of depositional features of gravity flow in high-frequency sequence stratigraphy and provides a geological foundation for the fine development of sublacustrine fan reservoirs.

Depositional architecture of the late Ordovician drowned carbonate platform margin and its responses to sea-level fluctuation in the northern slope of the Tazhong region, Tarim Basin

The Tazhong Uplift of the late Ordovician is a drowned rimmed carbonate platform. The carbonate rock of the late Ordovician Lianglitage Formation in the northern slope of the Tazhong region is one of the significant petroliferous intervals. Based on petrofacies, depositional cycles, natural gammaray spectrometry and carbon/oxygen isotope data from the Lianglitage Formation, one 2nd-order, three 3rd-order and several 4th-order sequences have been recognized, and the late Ordovician relative sealevel fluctuation curve has been established. The sequences O3 1-1 and O3 1-2 on the platform are composed of highstand and transgressive systems tracts, but lack the lowstand systems tract. The sequence O3 1-3 is a drowning sequence. The sequence O3 1-1 overlapped the eroded slope and pinched out to the northwest and landward. The highstand systems tract in the sequence O3 1-2 consists of low-angle sigmoid and high-angle shingled progradation configuration. Major sedimentary facies of the Lianglitage Formation include reef and shoal in the platform margin and lagoon, which can be subdivided into coral-sponge-stromatoporoid reef complex, sand shoal, lime mud mound, and intershoal sea. Reefs, sand shoals and their complex are potential reservoir facies. The reefs and sand shoals in the sequence O3 1-1 developed in the upper of its highstand systems tract. In the sequence O3 1-2, the highstand systems tract with an internal prograding configuration is a response to the lateral shifting of the complex of reef and sand shoal. The transgressive systems tract, in particular the sand shoals, developed widely on the slope of the platform margin and interior. The reefs in the sequence O3 1-3 migrated towards high positions and formed retrograding reefs in the western platform and low relief in the platform interior. Basinward lateral migration of the reefs and pure carbonate rock both characterize highstand systems tract and show that the rise of the relative sea-level was very slow. Shingled prograding stacking pattern of the 4th-order sequences and reefs grow horizontally, which represents the late stage of highstand systems tract and implies relative sealevel stillstand. Reefs migrating towards high land and impure carbonate rock both indicate transgressive systems tract and suggest that the relative sea-level rose fast. Erosional truncation and epidiagenetic karstification represent a falling relative sea-level. The relative sea-level fluctuation and antecedent palaeotopography control the development and distribution of reef complexes and unconformity karst zones. Currently, the composite zone of epidiagenetic karstic intervals and high-energy complexes of reefs and sand shoals with prograding configuration is an important oil and gas reservoir in the northern slope of the Tazhong carbonate platform.

Stratigraphic Architecture and Computer Modelling of Carbonate Platform Margin,Late Ordovician Lianglitage Formation,Central Tarim Basin

According to the different geometries and reflected characteristics in the seismic sections, the carbonate platform margin of the northern slope can be summarized as three basic depositional architectures in the Late Ordovician Lianglitage （良里塔格） Formation of the Tazhong （塔中） uplift. The type one mainly located in the west of the carbonate platform margin, and it showed obvious imbricate progradation from the interior to the margin of the platform. The type two was in the middle of the carbonate platform margin, which showed retrogradational stacking pattern in the same transgres- sive systems tract period, and the slope strata of the platform margin showed progradational sequence in the highstand systems tract period. The type three located in the east of the carbonate platform margin, and it showed the parallel aggradational architecture. The crossing well section along the northern slope of the Tazhong carbonate platform showed that the depositional thickness became thinner from the east to the west. The thickest belt located in the east of the platform margin, and became thinner rapidly towards the basin and the platform interior. These indicated that the paleogeomorphology ofthe Tazhong uplift was probably high in the west and low in the east during the period of the Late Ordovician Lianglitage Formation. According to the interpretation of seismic profiles and the computer modelling result, the depositional architectures of sequence O31-2 showed aggradation, retrogradation and progradation from the east to the west of the carbonate platform margin during the transgression period. This meant that the accommodation became smaller gradually from the east to the west along the northern carbonate platform margin of the Tazhong uplift.The difference of the accommodation was probably caused by the difference of tectonic subsidence. Also, computer-aided modelling can be used to deeply understand the importance of various control parameters on the carbonate platform depositional architectures and processes.