Tectonic-lithofacies paleogeography,large-scale source-reservoir distribution and exploration zones of Cambrian subsalt formation,Tarim Basin,NW China

To predict the large-scale source rock and reservoir distribution in Cambrian subsalt formations(Upper Sinian to Mid-Cambrian)in the Tarim Basin,more than 502D seismic lines and 3D data volume acquired latest,22 wells and some out-crops around this area were used to study the tectonic-lithofacies paleogeography,define the distribution of large scale source rocks and reservoirs,and sort out favorable zones.(1)The basin experienced evolution from ramp to deep-water mud-rich ramp,low-gradient slope,weak rimmed to strong rimmed platform,and the differentiation in the platform was controlled by pre-Cambrian palaeo-rifts.(2)The Luonan-Yubei ancient rift controlled the distribution of source rocks in the Lower Cambrian Yuertusi Formation,and this rift together with the northern depression are the main source rock area.(3)There are three sets of large-scale reservoirs,the Upper Sinian Qigebulake Formation,the Lower Cambrian Xiaorbulake Formation and the Wu-songger Formation,and shoal-mounds,early dolomitization and multi-levels of unconformities controlled reservoir develop-ment.(4)Four favorable zones,the north slope of Tazhong,upper slope of Maigaiti area,Keping-Wensu periphery,and south slope of Tabei,were evaluated.Of them,the north slope of Tazhong is most likely to have exploration breakthrough;the south slope of Tabei is the best area for exploring the Upper Sinian large scale weathering crust dolomite;Maigaiti slope and Kep-ing-Wensu periphery area improved in exploration potentials significantly,and are worth prospecting faster.

The dating and temperature measurement technologies for carbonate minerals and their application in hydrocarbon accumulation research in the paleouplift in central Sichuan Basin, SW China

A new method for reconstructing the geological history of hydrocarbon accumulation is developed, which are constrained by U-Pb isotope age and clumped isotope((35)47) temperature of host minerals of hydrocarbon-bearing inclusions. For constraining the time and depth of hydrocarbon accumulation by the laser in-situ U-Pb isotope age and clumped isotope temperature, there are two key steps:(1) Investigating feature, abundance and distribution patterns of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon inclusions with optical microscopes.(2) Dating laser in-situ U-Pb isotope age and measuring clumped isotope temperature of the host minerals of hydrocarbon inclusions. These technologies have been applied for studying the stages of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Sinian Dengying gas reservoir in the paleo-uplift of the central Sichuan Basin. By dating the U-Pb isotope age and measuring the temperature of clumped isotope((35)47) of the host minerals of hydrocarbon inclusions in dolomite, three stages of hydrocarbon accumulation were identified:(1) Late Silurian: the first stage of oil accumulation at(416±23) Ma.(2) Late Permian to Early Triassic: the second stage of oil accumulation between(248±27) Ma and(246.3±1.5) Ma.(3) Yanshan to Himalayan period: gas accumulation between(115±69) Ma and(41±10) Ma. The reconstructed hydrocarbon accumulation history of the Dengying gas reservoir in the paleo-uplift of the central Sichuan Basin is highly consistent with the tectonic-burial history, basin thermal history and hydrocarbon generation history, indicating that the new method is a reliable way for reconstructing the hydrocarbon accumulation history.

Laser ablation in situ U-Pb dating and its application to diagenesis-porosity evolution of carbonate reservoirs

Through the development and calibration of a reference material which is 209.8 Ma old using a newly-developed Laser Ablation(LA)Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(MC-ICP-MS)technique,we successfully overcome the difficulty in sampling and dating ultra-low U-Pb ancient marine carbonates,which was previously untenable by isotope dilution(ID)methods.We developed the LA-MC-ICP-MS in situ U-Pb dating technique for ancient marine carbonates for the study of diagenesis-porosity evolution history in Sinian Dengying Formation,Sichuan Basin.By systematically dating of dolomitic cements from vugs,matrix pores and fractures,we found that the burial and diagenetic process of dolomite reservoirs in Sinian Dengying Formation was characterized by progressive filling-up of primary pores and epigenic dissolution vugs.The filling of vugs happened in three stages,early Caledonian,late Hercynian-Indosinian and Yanshanian-Himalayan,while the filling of matrix pores mainly took place in early Caledonian.The unfilled residual vugs,pores and fractures constitute the main reservoir sapce.Based on the above knowledge,we established the diagenesis-porosity evolution history of the dolomite reservoir in Sinian Dengying Formation,Sichuan Basin.These findings are highly consistent with the tectonic-burial and basin thermal histories of the study area.Our study confirmed the reliability of this in situ U-Pb dating technique,which provides an effective way for the investigation of diagenesis-porosity evolution history and evaluation of porosity in ancient marine carbonate reservoirs before hydrocarbon migration.

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.

Tectonic paleogeography of Late Sinian and its significances for petroleum exploration in the middle-upper Yangtze region, South China

The paleotectonic pattern,lithofacies paleogeographic features,sedimentary evolution and its controlling effects on hydrocarbon accumulation assemblages during the depositional period of the Sinian Dengying Formation in middle-upper Yangtze region were investigated based on outcrops,drilling,log and seismic data.The study shows that,(1)Affected by the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent,the middle and upper Yangtze areas were in extensional tectonic environment during the depositional period of Dengying Formation.The carbonate platform was structurally differentiated.Intra-platform depressions controlled by syndepositional faults developed,forming a tectonic-paleogeographic pattern of"three platforms with two depressions".(2)During the depositional period of the first and second members of the Dengying Formation,rimmed platforms and intra-platform fault depressions developed in upper Yangtze area and isolated platform developed in middle Yangtze area,and there was the Xuanhan-Kaijiang ancient land block in eastern Sichuan.The depositional period of the third member of the Dengying Formation is the transformation period of tectonic-paleogeographic pattern,when a set of shallow water shelf sediment rich in mud was deposited due to transgression on the background of the eroded terrain formed in EpisodeⅠof Tongwan Movement.The sediment of the fourth member of the Dengying Formation inherited the paleogeographic pattern of the first and second members of the Dengying Formation in general,but the Deyang-Anyue intra-platform fault depression further expanded,and the middle Yangtze platform evolved into two separated platforms.(3)Tectonic-sedimentary differentiation and evolution of carbonate platform in the Sinian gave rise to two types of accumulation assemblages with wide distribution and great exploration potential,which are platform margin and intra-platform.

Application of mapping and dating techniques in the study of ancient carbonate reservoirs: A case study of Sinian Qigebrak Formation in northwestern Tarim Basin, NW China

Ancient marine carbonates experienced complex modifications,making it difficult to identify reservoir genesis and effective porosity before hydrocarbon migration.To solve these issues,we used element mapping and carbonate mineral laser U-Pb radiometric dating techniques to study the diagenetic environments based on geochemistry and diagenesis-porosity evolution based on geochronology of the dolomite reservoir of the Sinian Qigebrak Formation,northwest Tarim Basin.Two major understandings were obtained as follows:(1)Supported by petrographic observations,the element mapping,stable isotopes,strontium isotope,and cathodoluminescence tests were performed on different phases of dolomite cements precipitated in vugs and dissolved fissures.The results show that the dolomite reservoirs of the Qigebrak Formation went through freshwater,marine,extremely shallow burial,burial and hydrothermal diagenetic environments after synsedimentary dolomitization;the reservoir spaces were mainly formed in the synsedimentary period(primary pores)and freshwater environment(supergene dissolution pores)before burial;whereas the marine,burial and hydrothermal environments caused the gradual filling of reservoir space by dolomite cements.(2)Based on the above understandings,each phase of dolomite cement precipitated in the reservoir space was dated by the U-Pb radiometric dating technique,and the diagenesis-porosity evolution curves constrained by geochronology were established.The loss of reservoir porosity mainly occurred in the early Caledonian,and during the peak period of hydrocarbon generation of Yuertusi Formation source rock,the reservoirs still maintained at a porosity of 6%?10%.The above understandings provide a certain basis for the evaluation of accumulation effectiveness of the Sinian Qigebrak Formation,northwestern Tarim Basin,and provide a case for the application of mapping and dating techniques in the study of ancient carbonate reservoirs.

Dolomite genesis and reservoir-cap rock assemblage in carbonate-evaporite paragenesis system

Regarding to the problem on the reservoir-cap rock assemblage evaluation in the carbonate-evaporite paragenesis system,this study examined the dolomite and reservoirs genesis and the characteristics of reservoir-cap rock assemblage.Based on the literature research of the global carbonate reservoirs and the case study on four profiles of carbonate-evaporite succession,together with geological and experimental work,three aspects of understandings are achieved.(1)Lithology of carbonate-evaporite paragenesis system is mainly composed of microbial limestone/bioclastic limestone,microbial dolomite,gypsum dolomite and gypsum salt rock deposited sequentially under the climatic conditions from humid to arid,and vice versa,and an abrupt climate change event would lead to the lack of one or more rock types.(2)There developed two kinds of dolomite(precipitation and metasomatism)and three kinds of reservoirs in the carbonate-evaporite system;and the carbon dioxide and organic acid generated during early microorganism degradation and late microbial dolomite pyrolysis process,and early dolomitization are the main factors affecting the development of microbial dolomite reservoirs with good quality.(3)In theory,there are 14 types of reservoir-cap rock assemblages of six categories in the carbonate-evaporite system,but oil and gas discoveries are mainly in four types of reservoir-cap rock assemblages,namely"microbial limestone/bioclastic limestone–microbial dolomite–gypsum dolomite–gypsum salt rock","microbial limestone/bioclastic limestone–gypsum salt rock","microbial dolomite–gypsum dolomite–gypsum salt rock"and"gypsum dolomite–microbial dolomite–tight carbonate or clastic rock".These four kinds of reservoir-cap rock assemblages should be related with the climate change rules in the geologic history,and have good exploration prospects.