Structural features and exploration targets of platform margins in Sinian Dengying Formation in Deyang-Anyue Rift, Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on the seismic, logging, drilling and other data, the distribution, structural types and mound-shoal hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics of platform margins of the Sinian Dengying Formation in the Deyang-Anyue Rift and its periphery were analyzed. Four types of platform margins are developed in the Dengying Formation, i.e., single-stage fault-controlled platform margin, multi-stage fault-controlled platform margin, gentle slope platform margin, and overlapping platform margin. In the Gaoshiti West-Weiyuan East area, single-stage fault controlled platform margins are developed in the Deng 2 Member, which trend in nearly NEE direction and are shielded by faults and mudstones, forming fault-controlled–lithologic traps. In the Lezhi-Penglai area, independent and multi-stage fault controlled platform margins are developed in the Deng 2 Member, which trend in NE direction and are controlled by synsedimentary faults;the mound-shoal complexes are aggraded and built on the hanging walls of the faults, and they are shielded by tight intertidal belts and the Lower Cambrian source rocks in multiple directions, forming fault-controlled–lithologic and other composite traps. In the Weiyuan-Ziyang area, gentle slope platform margins are developed in the Deng 2 Member, which trend in NW direction;the mound-shoal complexes are mostly thin interbeds as continuous bands and shielded by tight intertidal belts in the updip direction, forming lithologic traps. In the Gaoshiti-Moxi-Yanting area, overlapping platform margins are developed in the Deng 2 and Deng 4 members;the mound-shoal complexes are aggraded and overlaid to create platform margin buildup with a huge thickness and sealed by tight intertidal belts and the Lower Cambrian mudstones in the updip direction, forming large-scale lithologic traps on the north slope of the Central Sichuan Paleouplift. To summarize, the mound-shoal complexes on the platform margins in the Dengying Formation in the Penglai-Zhongjiang area, Moxi North-Yanting area and Weiyuan-Ziyang area are large in scale, with estimated resources of 1.58×1012 m3, and they will be the key targets for the future exploration of the Dengying Formation in the Sichuan Basin.

Comparison of basic features and origins of oolitic shoal reservoirs between carbonate platform interior and platform margin locations in the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation of the Sichuan Basin,southwest China

The oolitic shoal reservoirs of the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation carbonates in the Sichuan Basin of southwest China are an important target for gas exploration in the basin.Their occurrence,like other cases worldwide,can be divided into two locations in general,i.e.,platform interior and platform margin locations.Their differences of reservoir features and origins,however,have not been investigated comprehensively due to different exploration degrees.This issue is addressed in this paper,to provide basic data and information for the basin＇s hydrocarbon exploration and for the study of carbonate platform sedimentology and reservoir geology worldwide.We compared the features of these two types of reservoirs in detail,including the depositional and diagenetic features,pore types and petrophysical features.Based on the comparison,the origin of the reservoirs was further discussed.It is shown that the reservoirs in platform interior and platform margin locations differ significantly.The interior carbonates were deposited in moderate to high energy settings and the dominant lithologic type was limestone,which was weakly compacted and intensely cemented and has undergone meteoric dissolution.Pore types include intragranular dissolution and moldic pores,with low porosities（6%） and low permeabilities（0.1 mD）.By contrast,the platform margin carbonates were deposited in relatively high energy settings and mainly consisted of dolostones with some limestones.The rocks were strongly compacted but incompletely cemented.As a result,some primary intergranular pores were preserved.Both meteoric solution and burial solution have taken place.There are various types of pore spaces including intergranular and intercrystalline solution pores and residual intergranular pores.This type of reservoir generally has better petrophysical properties（9% porosity and 0.1 mD permeability） and pore-throat structures than the interior reservoirs.These differences were influenced by both primary depositional features and secondary diagenesis.For the interior carbonate reservoirs,early meteoric dissolution,weak compaction and strong cementation are important controlling factors.By contrast,the factors controlling the formation of the margin carbonate reservoirs mainly include dolomitization,preservation of primary pores and burial dissolution.

Characteristics and distribution patterns of reef complexes on the carbonate platform margin in deep water areas:the western South China Sea

As a potential oil and gas reservoir, reef complexes have been a research focus from petroleum geologists for a long time. There are favorable conditions for the development of reef complexes in the South China Sea; however, their internal structures, evolution and distribution are still poorly understood. Based on 2D and 3D seismic data, the internal structures and evolution patterns of the reef complexes on the carbonate platform margin in the deep water areas over the western South China Sea were studied in detail. The result shows that two types of reef complexes, i.e., fault controlling platform margin reef complexes and ramp reef complexes have been developed in the study area. The reef complexes have independent or continuous mound or lenticular seismic reflections, with three internal structures （i.e., aggrading, prograding and retrograding structures）. There are different growth rates during the evolution of the reef complexes, resulting in the formation of catch-up reefs, keep-up reefs and quick step reefs. The study also reveals that different platform margin reef complexes have different internal structures and distributions, because of the different platform types. These results may be applied to the exploration and prediction of carbonate platform margin reef complexes in other areas that are similar to the study area.

The Missing Time Calculation of the Hiatus Surface:A Case Study of the Upper Permian Reef Section the Platform Margin, Ziyun, Guizhou

Taken as an example the Upper Permian reef section on the carbonate platformmargin at Ziyun, Guizhou, the paper discusses the missing time of a hiatus surface, an impor-tant problem in chemical sequence stratigraphy, with the concept of cosmic chemistry. Then thepaper proposes a series of new concepts for chemical sequence stratigraphy, including the con-densation surface, relative compaction factor and time missing factor. Finally a quantitativecurve of Late Permian relative sea-level change in the Ziyun area is presented with timecoordinates.

Hydrothermal Mineralization on the Mesoproterozoic Passive Continental Margins of China: A Case Study of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan Belt,Inner Mongolia, China

Most ore-forming characteristics of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan hydrothermal exhalation belt, which consists of the Dongshengmiao, Huogeqi, Tanyaokou and Jiashengpan large-superlarge Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide deposits, are most similar to those of Mesoproterozoic SEDEX-type provinces of the world. The characteristics include: (1) All deposits of this type in the belt occur in third-order fault-basins in the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan aulacogen along the northern margin of the North China Platform; (2) these deposits with all their orebodies hosted in the Mesoproterozoic impure dolomite-marble and carbonaceous phyllite (or schists) have an apparent stratabound nature; ores display laminated and banded structures, showing clear depositional features; (3) there is some evidence of syn-sedimentary faulting, which to a certain extent accounts for the temporal and spatial distribution and the size of the orebodies in all deposits and the formation of intrabed conglomerates and breccias; (4) they show lateral and vertical zonation of sulfides; (5) The Cu/(Pb+Zn+Cu) ratio of the large and thick Pb+Zn+Cu orebodies gradually decreases from bottom to top; and (6) barite is interbedded with pyrites and sometimes with sphalerite. However, some characteristics such as the Co/Ni radio of the pyrites, the volcanism, for example, of the Langshan-Zha'ertaishan metallogenic belt, are different from those of the typical SEDEX deposits of the world. The meta-basic volcanic rock in Huogeqi, the sodic bimodal volcanic rocks in the Dongshengmiao and potassic bimodal-volcanic rocks with blastoporphyritic and blasto-glomeroporphyritic texture as well as blasto-amygdaloidal structure in the Tanyaokou deposits have been discovered in the only ore-bearing second formation of the Langshan Group in the past 10 years. The metallogeny of some deposits hosted in the Langshan Group is closely related to syn-sedimentary volcanism based on the following facts: most of the lead isotopes in sphalerite, galena, pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite plot on both sides of the line for the mantle or between the lines for the mantle and lower crust in the lead isotope composition diagram; cobalt content of some pyrites samples is much higher than the nickel content (Co/Ni=11.91-12.19). Some volcanic blocks and debris have been picked out from some pyritic and pyrrhotitic ores. All Zn-Pb-Cu-Fe sulfide orebodies in these deposits occur in the strata overlying metamorphic volcanic rocks in the only ore-bearing second formation. In the Jiashengpan deposit that lacks syn-sedimentary volcanic rocks in the host succession only Pb and Zn ores occur without Cu ore, but in the Dongshengmiao, Tanyaokou and Huogeqi deposits with syn-sedimentary volcanic rocks in the host succession Cu ores occur. This indicates a relatively higher ore-forming temperature. The process of syn-sedimentary volcanic eruption directly supplied some ore-forming elements, and resulted in secular geothermal anomaly favorable for the circulation of a submarine convective hydrothermal system, which accounts for the precipitation of deep mineralizing fluids exhaling into anoxidic basins along the syn-sedimentary fault system in the Langshan-Zha'ertai rift. The Dongshengmiao, Tanyaokou, and Huogeqi deposits hosted in the Langshan Group appear to be a transitional type of mineral deposit between SEDEX and VMS-types but with a bias towards SEDEX, while the Jiashengpan deposit hosted in the Zha'ertai Group is of a characteristic SEDEX type. This evidence, together with other new discoveries of Mesoproterozoic volcanic rocks and the features of lithogeny and metallogeny of the Bayun Obo deposit in the neighborhood emphasize the diversity, complexity and uniqueness of the Mesoproterozoic Langshan-Zha'ertai-Bayun Obo ore belt.

Hydrocarbon accumulation and exploration prospect of mound-shoal complexes on the platform margin of the fourth member of Sinian Dengying Formation in the east of Mianzhu-Changning intracratonic rift, Sichuan Basin, SW China

Drilling,seismic and logging data were used to evaluate the hydrocarbon accumulation conditions of the mound-shoal complexes in the platform margin of the fourth member of Sinian Dengying Formation in the east side of the Mianzhu-Changning intracratonic rift in the Sichuan Basin.The four understandings are:(1)The platform margin belt of the Deng 4 Member can be divided into three sections,northern,middle and southern;the middle section is at the core of the Gaoshiti-Moxi paleouplift and the structural high now,while the southern and northern sections are at the slope of the paleouplift and the structural lows now;the three sections have similar development characteristics and reservoir features of platform margin mound-shoal complex.(2)In the margin of the east side of the rift,there are several faults nearly perpendicular to the platform margin belt,the faults divide the platform margin belt into rugged paleo-landform,and the high part developed platform margin mound-shoal complexes and the reservoirs are good in physical properties,while the low part developed inter-beach depression and no mound-shoal complexes,where the reservoirs are poor in physical properties.(3)The six groups of faults nearly perpendicular to the platform margin belt divide the platform margin belt into seven large mound-shoal complexes which have similar hydrocarbon accumulation conditions and accumulation evolution process and are rich in petroleum.(4)The inter shoal depressions between the mound-shoal complexes are characterized by tighter lithology,which can block the updip direction of the mounds and shoals at the lower part of the slope of the paleouplift and are favorable for the later preservation of mound-shoal gas reservoirs.This has been proved by Well Jiaotan 1 and Heshen 2 drilled successfully.The mound-shoal complexes on the platform margin of the structural slope area have a good exploration prospect.

Types,structural evolution difference and petroleum geological significance of Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate platforms in Gucheng-Xiaotang area,Tarim Basin,NW China

Based on the latest drilling cores,thin sections,and 3D seismic data,types,features,and evolution processes of Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate platforms in the Gucheng and Xiaotang areas are studied,and favorable exploration zones in this area are also discussed.There are two types of carbonate platforms developed in the Cambrian-Ordovician in the Gucheng-Xiaotang area,namely,carbonate ramp and rimmed platforms,and the evolution process of the platform in the Gucheng area is different from that in Xiaotang area.In the Early Cambrian,the study area was a homoclinal carbonate ramp.During the Middle to Late Cambrian,it evolved into a rimmed platform,with 5 phases of mound shoals developed.In the southern area,mound shoals were in progradational arrangement and the third and fourth stages of mound shoals suffering exposure and further developed abundant karst vugs.In the northern area,the mound shoals appeared in a superposition of aggradation-weak progradation,the third,fourth,and fifth stages of mound shoals suffered exposure and dissolution,and the platform slope developed gravity flow deposits.In the Early to Middle Ordovician,the southern area gradually evolved into a distally steepened carbonate ramp,where retrogradational dolomitic shoal developed;while the northern part experienced an evolution process from a weakly rimmed platform to a distally steepened carbonate ramp,and developed two or three stages of retrogradational mound shoals.The high-frequency oscillation of sea level and local exposure and dissolution were beneficial to the formation of mound or shoal reservoirs in platform margin and ramp,and the configuration of these reservoirs with low energy slope-basin facies source rocks could form good oil-gas enrichment zones.The dolomitic shoal in the Ordovician platform ramp is the practical exploration field for increasing reserve and production in the Gucheng area.The mound shoal at the Cambrian rimmed platform margin is the key exploration object in the Xiaotang area.In addition,the Cambrian slope gravity flow deposits can be taken as the favorable exploration fields in the study area.

Types of the Cambrian platform margin mound-shoal complexes and their relationship with paleogeomorphology in Gucheng area,Tarim Basin,NW China

Based on the observation of outcrops and cores,thin section identification,restoration of paleogeomorphology by residual thickness method,fine description of seismic facies,etc.,the coupling relationships between the development patterns of various types of Cambrian platform margin mound-shoal complexes and paleogeomorphology in the Gucheng area of Tarim Basin have been examined.The Cambrian platform margin mound-shoal complex is divided into mound base,mound core,mound front,mound back and mound flat microfacies,which are composed of dolomites of seven textures with facies indication.The different paleogeomorphology before the deposition of mound-shoal complex in each period was reconstructed,and three types of mound-shoal complex sedimentary models corresponding to the paleogeomorphologies of four stages were established:namely,the first stage of gentle slope symmetric accretion type,the second stage of steep slope asymmetric accretion type and the third and fourth stages of steep slope asymmetric progradation type.Their microfacies are respectively characterized by-mound base-mound back+(small)mound core+mound front-mound flat"symmetric vertical accretion structure,"mound base-(large)mound core+mound front-mound flat"asymmetric vertical accretion structure,"mound base-(small)mound core+mound front-mound flat"asymmetric lateral progradation structure.With most developed favorable reservoir facies belt,the steep slope asymmetric accretion type mound-shoal complex with the characteristics of"large mound and large shoal"is the exploration target for oil and gas reservoir.

Chronology,Geochemistry and Tectonic Settings of the Hadamiao Granodiorite on the Northern Margin of the North China Platform

The Hadamiao granodiorite,located on the northern margin of the North China platform and acting as the country rock of gold deposits in the Hadamiao region,was formed in the same age and similar tectonic settings with the Hadamiao gold deposit and the large-scale Bilihe gold deposit in the same area.By using the LA-ICP-MS method,the U-Pb age obtained is 267±1.3 Ma,which represents the crystallized age of the granodiorite,and that of the xenolithic zircon is 442.8±5 Ma. Base on the main elements,it exhibits the features of calc-alkaline to high-potassium calc-alkaline series,low silicon,and quasi-aluminous I-type granites,and with high magnesium（Mg~#=0.45-0.57） and high sodium contents（Na_2O/K_2O=0.98-2.29）.The SREE values（81.6-110.15 ppm） are relatively low,the fractionations between LREE and HREE are obvious,showing a right-inclined dispersion in the REE distribution diagram.Compared with the primitive mantle,the rock is relatively rich in LREE（La and Ce）,LILE（K,Sr,and Th）,and intensively depleted in HFSE（Ti,P,Nb and Ta）.The ratios of Sr/Y and（La/Yb）_N and the contents of Rb,Nb and Y are relatively low,the Sr values are high （436.35-567.26 ppm）,and the Yb contents of most samples are low（1.25-1.8）,which indicate the features of typical continental margin arc and adakitic rocks.According to the values ofε_（Nd）（t）（-2.4 to ＋0.2） and I_（Sr）（0.7028-0.7083）,and variations of the La/Sm ratios,the Hadamiao granodiorite was formed from mixing of the thickened molten lower crust and the mantle wedge substances.The rock was related to the southward subduction and accretion of the Paleo-Asia Ocean in the Late Paleozoic, being Late Paleozoic magma of the continental margin arc formed on the basement of the Early Paleozoic accretion complexes,and showing a trend of turning into adakitic rocks,which indicates their great metallogenic（Au） potential.

A New Fauna——Qinghezhen Fauna——from the Northern Margin of the North China Platform

In the Inner Mongolia axis and Jiaoliao anteclise along the northern margin of the North China Platform.it has been found that the strata formerly considered as Archaean and Proterozoic are in fact an ophiolite suitesimilar to the Early Palaeozoic Ondor Sum Group in the Northern Geosyncline region of China. The stratahave been named in northern Liaoning as the Qinghezhen Group. The emphasis of this paper is on the discus-sion of the simall shelly fossils found in the siliceous rocks in the upper part of the Qinghezhen Group. Thisophiolite suite stretches in an E-W direction for about 1000 km along the northern margin of the North ChinaPlatform. in which 15 fossil localities with stable stratigraphic horizons have been discovered. In this paper. 4types. 7 genera (including 5 new ones) and 10 species (including 8 new ones and 1 new subspecies) aredescribed, which are collectively referred to as the Qinghezhen Fauna. The characteristics of these fossils are:shell form simple. the maximum length not exceeding 4 mm. with obvious shell wall and wall ornaments. TheQinghezhen Fauna is comparable in shell structure of some genera and species with the Meishucun Fauna inSouth China, but differs from the latter in having only monotonous fossil groups developed in a distinctly va-ried ecological environment. The two faunas may belong to the same evolutionary stage of the Early Cambrianbut have developed parallelly in different regions. The existence of the Qinghezhen Fauna represents an impor-tant biological event in the Early Cambrian in the Northern Geosyncline region of China. The discovery of theQinghezhen Fauna will bring new knowledge and profound influence to a series of problems on basic geologyand mineral deposit prospecting such as the Cambrian faunas. biogeographical povincialism in China and thegeotectonic features of the northern margin of the North China Platform.

Segmented evolution of Deyang-Anyue erosion rift trough in Sichuan Basin and its significance for oil and gas exploration, SW China

Based on analysis of field survey, drilling and seismic data, the formation and evolution process of Deyang-Anyue erosion rift trough in Sichuan Basin was reconstructed, and exploration areas were divided and evaluated. The results show that:(1) Dengying Formation in and around Deyang-Anyue erosion rift trough varies widely in sedimentary characteristics. The Dengying Formation in the northern part of the erosion rift trough developed deep-water sediments, the Dengying Formation in the northern part of the basin varied gradually from basin to slope, platform margin, and restricted platform, and the Dengying Formation in the middle and southern parts of the trough developed carbonate platform facies.(2) Deyang-Anyue erosion rift trough is formed by extensional rift and karst erosion jointly, the north section of the erosion rift trough is mainly the product of tensile rift, while the middle and south sections are formed by erosion in multi-episodes of Tongwan period.(3) Based on the segmented origins of the erosion rift trough, Dengying Formation in and around it is divided into three exploration fields: lithologic mound and beach bodies at the northern platform margin of the basin, karst mound and beach bodies in the central platform, and karst residual mounds in the central southern trough of the basin, among them, the karst residual mounds in the central southern trough of the basin are a new frontier for natural gas exploration in the basin, and the lithologic mound and beach bodies at the northern platform margin are a new position for increasing the reserves of trillions of cubic meters of natural gas resources in the basin.

Sinian hydrocarbon accumulation conditions and exploration potential at the northwest margin of the Yangtze region, China

Based on outcrop, drilling, logging and seismic data, the reservoir forming conditions, reservoir forming model and exploration potential of the ultra-deep Sinian Dengying Formation at the northwest margin of Yangtze craton region were examined.(1) This area is in craton rifting stage from Sinian to Early Cambrian, characterized by syn-sedimentary faults and rapid subsidence, significant sedimentary differences, and development of Dengying Formation platform margins on both sides of the rift.(2) The Sinian–Cambrian in this area has two sets of high-quality source rocks, Doushantuo Formation and Maidiping-Qiongzhusi Formation;of which, the latter has a thickness of 150–600 m and hydrocarbon generation intensity of(100-200)×10;m;/km;.(3) The mounds and shoals in the platform margin of Sinian Dengying Formation controlled by faults are thick and distributed in rows and zones;they are reformed by contemporaneous–quasi-contemporaneous and supergene karstification jointly, forming pore-type reservoirs with a thickness of 200-400 m.(4) The two sets of source rocks enter oil generation windows from Permian to Early Triassic, and the oil migrates a short distance to the lithologic traps of mounds and shoals to form a huge scale paleo-oil reservoir group;from Late Triassic to Jurassic, the oil in the paleo-oil reservoirs is cracked into gas, laying the foundation of present natural gas reservoirs.(5) The mound-shoal body at the platform margin of Dengying Formation and the two sets of high-quality source rocks combine into several types of favorable source-reservoir combinations, which, with the advantage of near-source and high-efficiency reservoir formation, and can form large lithologic gas reservoirs. The Mianyang-Jiange area is a potential large gas field with trillion cubic meters of reserves. According to seismic prediction, the Laoguanmiao structure in this area has the Deng-2 Member mound-shoal reservoir of about 1300 km^(2), making it a ultra-deep target worthy of exploration in the near future.

Seismic Sedimentology Study in the High-Resolution Sequence Framework——A Case Study of Platform Margin Reef-Beach System of Changxing Formation,Upper Permian,Yuanba Area,Northeast Sichuan Basin,China

The Yuanba （元坝） area is considered another potential large-scale reef-bank gas field following the Puguang （普光） field. However, there are lots of difficulties on the spatial and temporal distribution of reef-beach and the detailed prediction of the effective reservoir in the sequence stratigraphic framework. In this paper, based on the seismic data, well, log and core, we conduct a high-resolution sequence division and build an isochronal sequence stratigraphic framework for the Changxing （长兴） Formation by the methods of wavelet transformation, FMI, etc.. Then, the corresponding relationship among the lithologic facies, logging facies, seismic facies, seismic attribute facies and reservoir of Changxing Formation were established through well-seismic calibration and geological-geophysical modeling. Furthermore, detailed study on the spatial and temporal distribution of microfacies of the reef-beach was carried out by means of seismic attribute extraction. Meanwhile,combined with impedance inversion, the spatial distribution of porosity of reef-beach reservoir was predicted. The results show that the revolution of the reef-beach system contains three stages which are initial bioclastic bank establishment stage, reef development stage and exposure stage. Also, porosity inversion shows that the region with high value of porosity is located in the reef cap, fore reef and back reef.Seismic Sedimentology Study in the High-Resolution Sequence Framework

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.

Growth Conditions and 3-D Seismic Delineation of Carboniferous Barrier Reefs in the Southwestern Tarim Basin

The Tarim Basin was a craton block during the Carboniferous period. Except for its open southwestern （SWW） deepening basin margin, the central part of the basin was surrounded by north- ern, eastern, and southern uplifts. In most parts of the basin, there are three layers of carbonate rocks called Biocalcarenite member, standard limestone member and Xiaohaizi Formation. The pre- sent-day Maigeti slope, located in the southwestern area of the basin, was ever a paleogeographic car- bonate platform margin to clinoform. Boreholes in the area reveal over ten meters of high-energy bio- spararenite of beach deposition in Xiaohaizi Formation. This feature is quite different from the low-energy micritic limestone of equivalent horizon in the middle and northern basins. Such typical carbonate beach and platform margin backgrounds indicate an environment conducive for reef growth. According to an interpretation of 3-D seismic data on a 600 km2 Xinbaza survey, a 25 km-long barrier reef orientated in an east-westward direction is delineated with a hummocky geometry, a 1-2 km wide south-dip reef front, and a 3-6 km wide north-dip backreef. The reef buttress and outlines are also shown on an isopach map of the Xiaohaizi Formation as well as horizon slices of coherency, amplitude, and frequency attributes. The reef extends beyond the range of the rectangular 3-D seismic survey. The thickness of the Xiaohaizi Formation is over 60 m at the central reef, and 12 m larger than the outside of the reef. The barrier reef consists of segments separated by narrow tidal inlets. The neighborhood of the reef is mainly beach deposition of bioclasticgrainstones. Due to Late Permier and Late Tertial tectonic movements, the barrier reef was tilted to dip in a SWW direction. Its updip part was broken and misplaced by a set of reverse faults. Nevertheless, potential stratigraphic pools of a large amount of hydrocarbon reserves related to the reef are expected to be found in the future based on the substantial reef scale and the recent borehole indications beside it.

The sedimentary facies characteristics and lithofacies palaeogeography during Middle-Late Cambrian,Sichuan Basin and adjacent area

Combined with the regional strata filling characteristics of Middle-Upper Cambrian,the present paper conducts a systematic research on sedimentary facies in the basin and its peripheral area by utilizing 164 field outcrops and drilling and coring data.Further,the method of“multi-factor comprehensive synthesis based on single-factor analysis”was employed to investigate the sedimentary facies and palaeogeography of the study area and establish the sedimentary facies model.Stratigraphic reveals that the study area represents the pattern of thin-northwest and thicksoutheast by stretching northeast-southwest.Within the present basin,the pattern of“one thin and two thick”predominates,while outside the basin“four thin and three thick”filling feature was found.Sedimentary facies shows that the study area was featured by rimmed carbonate platform.Specifically,carbonate platform,slope and northeastern corner Qinling paleooceanic Basin and southeastern corner Jiangnan Bain was identified from the west to the east.The carbonate platform contains restricted platform,evaporation-restricted platform,semi-restricted platform and the platform margin.Single factor analysis and lithofacies palaeogeographic characteristics manifests that during Middle-Late Cambrian,the western Old land evolved into peneplain stage,and that the eastern and southwestern sub-sags remained connected to the open-sea to some extent.At the time,the shllow seawater circulation was relatively restricted,while the ancient seabed tended to be flat and evaporation characteristics significantly diminished.Secondary sea-level fluctuation intensively influenced the development of scaled grain beach.It is suggested that tide marginal beach,intraplatform shoal subfacies zone,along with Shiqian-SangZhi in southeast and Zhenba-Xinshan in northeast platform-margin beach subfacies zone to be preferable targets for the favorable reservoir facies zone and potential oil and gas reservoir area.