Features of Sandy Debris Flows of the Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin and Its Oil and Gas Exploration Significance

Sandy debris flow is a new genetic type of sand bodies,which has gained much attention in recent years and its corresponding theory is proved to be a significant improvement and even partial denial to the 'Bouma Sequence' and 'turbidite fan' deep-water sedimentary theories to some point. Oil exploration researchers are highly concerned with sandy debris flows for its key role in controlling oil and gas accumulation processes.In this article,by applying sandy debris flows theory and combining a lot work of core,outcrop observation and analysis plus seismic profile interpretation,we recognized three types of sedimentary gravity flows that are sandy debris flows,classic turbidites and slumping rocks in chang-6 member of Yanchang Formation in the deep-water area of central Ordos Basin.Among the three types,the sandy debris flows are the most prominent and possesses the best oil bearing conditions.On the contrary,the classic turbidites formed by turbidity currents are limited in distribution;therefore,previous Yanchang Formation deep-water sedimentary studies have exaggerated the importance of turbidite currents deposition.Further study showed that the area distribution of deep water gravity flow sand bodies in Yanchang Formation were controlled by the slope of the deep-water deposits and the flows had vast distribution,huge depth and prevalent advantages for oil forming,which make it one of the most favorable new areas for Ordos Basin prospecting.

Discovery of Palaeozoic Karsts in the Qaidam Basin and Their Oil and Gas Prospects

Objective Complex geological factors have been constraining the oil and gas exploration in the Paleozoic strata of the Qaidam Basin,although there are high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks.One of the most important reasons may be reservoir densification due to the multiple stages of destructive cementation,which has hindered our understanding of the Paleozoic petroleum enrichment rules in the Qaidam basin.In recent years.

Structural Characteristics and Evolution of Jurassic Basins in the East of Middle Qilian Block

Structural characteristics of the Jurassic basins of Xining, Minhe, and Xiji in the east of middle Qilian were researched based on the data obtained by gravitational, magnetic, and seismic methods. The result shows that each of these three basins is an independent structural unit with a NW strike and being separated by upheavals. Two groups of faults with NW and NE directions are developed in the basin, which controls the formation and evolution of the (Jurassic basins). The NW faults are the main ones while the NE faults are the secondary for controlling the sedimentation. Of the three basins, the Minhe basin is the favorable prospecting area.

Deep structure of the Kumkol basin in the northern Tibetan Plateau and its resource environmental implications

The Kumkol basin is located in the northern Tibetan Plateau and is a closed plateau basin with an average altitude of>4000 m and an area of nearly 20000 km^(2). Its boundaries are limited by the Altyn Tagh fault, East Kunlun orogen and Qimantag orogen. Studying the deep structure of the Kumkol basin reveals 2 significant implications:(1) the basin has developed a large thickness of >7000 m Cenozoic continental sediments, recording the uplift history of the northern Tibetan Plateau, and(2)preliminary work indicates that the basin is likely to have oil and gas prospects. However, owing to the adverse natural conditions of the area and the strong tectonic activity in the Cenozoic, the latter of which was not conducive to hydrocarbon preservation,only regional geological mapping and petroleum exploration route surveys have been carried out, and there is no consensus on strata, structure and tectonic evolution. From 2021 to 2022, a deep seismic reflection profile implemented by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(STEP) project was the first high-resolution geophysical survey across the Kumkol basin. This study uses seismic reflection migration profiles, first-arrival wave tomographic imaging and previous research results to analyze the deep structure of the basin. The final merged model contains many features of tectonic and resource significance:(1) The Kumkol basin is ~90 km wide from north to south, with a basement depth of >9000 m. The main component is the Cenozoic continental deposits, which are divided into two major parts: the southern composite basin and the northern faulted basin. Owing to the later compression, the southern composite basin experienced significant deformation, but most parts still preserved their original sedimentary formations.(2) The structural deformation characteristics of the basin reveal a two-stage tectonic evolution process of the northern Tibetan Plateau in the Cenozoic: from the Oligocene to the Pliocene, the main mechanism was vertical differential uplift and subsidence, and after the Pliocene, it transformed to north-south compression and shortened deformation.(3) The strata, formation time, and source-reservoir-cap conditions of the Kumkol basin are similar to those of the Qaidam basin. If a breakthrough can be achieved, it is expected to expand the production capacity of the oil field in the Qaidam basin with a low-cost investment. Thus, further exploration is recommended.