Hydrocarbon Geological Conditions and Exploration Potential of Mesozoic–Paleozoic Marine Strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin

No substantial breakthroughs have been made in hydrocarbon exploration of the South Yellow Sea Basin. It is believed that the Mesozoic–Paleozoic marine sedimentary formation in the South Yellow Sea Basin is similar to that in the Sichuan Basin. Therefore, outcrop, drilling, and seismic data were determined and compared with the research results on petroleum geological conditions in the Yangtze land area, and the hydrocarbon geological conditions were analyzed comprehensively from multiple aspects, such as basin evolution and main source rocks, reservoir characteristics, preservation conditions, and structural traps. The results show that two main stages in the South Yellow Sea Basin(the stable evolution stage of the Mesozoic–Paleozoic marine basin and the Mesozoic–Cenozoic tectonic reformation and basin formation stage) were important for the development and evolution of four sets of main source rocks. Reservoirs dominated by carbonate rocks, three sets of capping beds with good sealing capability, relatively weak magmatic activity, and multiple types of structural traps jointly constituted relatively good hydrocarbon-reservoir-forming conditions. There were four sets of main source-reservoir-cap assemblages and three possible hydrocarbon reservoir types(primary residual-type hydrocarbon reservoir, shallow reformed-type hydrocarbon reservoir, and composite-type hydrocarbon reservoir) developed in the marine strata. It is concluded that the marine strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin have relatively good hydrocarbon potential. The Laoshan Uplift is characterized by stable structure, complete preserved source reservoir cap assemblage, and large structural traps, and thus it is the preferred prospect zone for marine Paleozoic hydrocarbon exploration in this area.     

Petroleum geological framework and hydrocarbon potential in the Yellow Sea

Sedimentary basins in the Yellow Sea can be grouped tectonically into the North Yellow Sea Basin (NYSB), the northern basin of the South Yellow Sea (SYSNB) and the southern basin of the South Yellow Sea (SYSSB). The NYSB is connected to Anju Basin to the east. The SYSSB extends to Subei Basin to the west. The acoustic basement of basins in the North Yellow Sea and South Yellow Sea is disparate, having different stratigraphic evolution and oil accumulation features, even though they have been under the same stress regime since the Late Triassic. The acoustic basement of the NYSB features China-Korea Platform crystalline rocks, whereas those in the SYSNB and SYSSB are of the Paleozoic Yangtze Platform sedimentary layers or metamorphic rocks. Since the Late Mesozoic terrestrial strata in the eastern of the NYSB (West Korea Bay Basin) were discovered having industrial hydrocarbon accumulation, the oil potential in the Mesozoic strata in the west depression of the basin could be promising, although the petroleum exploration in the South Yellow Sea has made no break-through yet. New deep reflection data and several drilling wells have indicated the source rock of the Mesozoic in the basins of South Yellow Sea, and the Paleozoic platform marine facies in the SYSSB and Central Rise could be the other hosts of oil or natural gas. The Mesozoic hydrocarbon could be found in the Mesozoic of the foredeep basin in the SYSNB that bears potential hydrocarbon in thick Cretaceous strata, and so does the SYSSB where the same petroleum system exists to that of oil-bearing Subei Basin.     

A study on accumulation and distribution of gas in southern Songliao Basin

A number of isolated fault sags in Late Jurassic--Early Cretaceous were developed in the early stage of southern Songliao Basin,and unified to a depression basin in the late stage.Therefore,multiple isolated lower petroliferous systems were formed with fault sags as source rocks.The source rocks of fault sags in Late Jurassic--Early Cretaceous were mainly described with gas generation as favorable source rocks,leading to the southern Songliao Basin rich in natural gas resources combined with organic gas resources in Nenjiang Formation.A number of tectonic movements in southern Songliao Basin led to the formation of abundant structural traps and complex fault systems,and controlled the distribution strata and positions of sources rocks in Late Jurassic--Early Cretaceous fault sags.The oil-gas reservoirs can be divided into two types,i.e.,primary and secondary ones.The primary oil-gas reservoirs were distributed in the fault sag strata and the bottom of overlying depression strata(lower Quan-1 Member).The oil-gas reservoir accumulation depended on the trap development situation and the distance from source rocks.The preservation conditions of oil-gas reservoirs depended on the degree of reconstruction in the late tectonism.The secondary oil-gas reservoirs were distribution in the Quantou Formation of depression strata,where oil and gas reservoir accumulation depended on three conditions,i.e.,trap development situation,deep gas sources and the fault to connect the shallow traps and deep gas sources.The southern Songliao Basin is rich in lower coal type gas,upper oil-gas and biogas resources,which are important resources in the future.     

Provenance and Tectonic Implications of Paleozoic Strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin,China–Revealed from the Borehole CSDP-2

Well CSDP-2 is a fully coring deep drilling hole, penetrating the thick Paleozoic marine strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin(SYSB) in the lower Yangtze Block(LYB). Based on the petrological and geochemical analysis of 40 sandstone samples from the core CSDP-2, the provenance and tectonic features of Paleozoic detrital rocks from SYSB are analyzed and systematically delineated in this article. The results show that the Silurian – Carboniferous sandstones are mature sublitharenite, while the Permian sandstones are unstable feldspathic litharenite. The average CIA(chemical index of alteration) is 74.61, which reflects these sediments were derived from source rocks with moderate chemical weathering. The REE(rare earth element) patterns are characterized by LREE enrichment, flat HREE and obviously negative Eu anomaly, which are similar to that of the upper continental crust. Dickinson QFL discrimination results indicate the recycled orogeny provenance. Various diagrams for the discrimination of sedimentary provenance based on major and trace element data show all the sediments were derived predominantly from quartz sedimentary rocks, of which the Permian strata contain more felsic sedimentary rocks. Geochemical data for these detrital rocks suggest they occur at the passive continental margin and island arc settings, and the Permian sandstone presents active continental margin setting.     

Seismic sequence and depositional evolution of slope basins in mid-northern margin of the South China Sea

As one of the biggest marginal seas in the western Pacific margin, the South China Sea (SCS) experienced continental rifting and seafloor spreading during the Cenozoic. The northern continental margin of the SCS is classified as a passive continental margin. However, its depositional and structural evolution remains controversial, especially in the deep slope area. The lack of data hindered the correlation between continental shelf and oceanic basin, and prevented the establishment of sequence stratigraphic frame of the whole margin. The slope basins in the mid-northern margin of SCS developed in the Cenozoic; the sediments and basin infill recorded the geological history of the continental margin and the SCS spreading. Using multi-channel seismic dataset acquired in three survey cruises during 1987 to 2004, combined with the data of ODP Leg 184 core and industrial wells, we carried out the sequence stratigraphic division and correlation of the Cenozoic in the middle-northern margin of SCS with seismic profiles and sedimentary facies. We interpreted the seismic reflection properties including continuity, amplitude, frequency, reflection terminals, and 15 sequence boundaries of the Cenozoic in the study area, and correlated the well data in geological age. The depositional environment changed from river and lake, shallow bay to open-deep sea, in correspondence to tectonic events of syn-rifting, early drifting, and late drifting stages of basin evolution.     

THE TECTONICS BENEATH THE OKINAWA TROUGH

The nature of the crust of the Okinawa Trough is different from that of the continental shelf in the East China Sea. The crust beneath the Trough is in transformation from continental to oceanic and the depth of MOHO in the northern section of the Trough is deeper than in the southern section. Thick sedimentary strata of Neogene and Pleistocene ages are deposited in the Okinawa Trough, and divided into three layers: the upper horizontal layer, the middle layer lightly folded and the lower deformed layer. They were formed in Pleistocene, Pliocene, and Miocene to Paleogene, respectively. The tectonic movement in the southern section is stronger than that in the northern section. Somevolcanic seamounts appear on the bottom of the Trough. On both slopes of the Trough are developed many normal faults and the intrusive igneous rocks. The Okinawa Trough, the back-arc basin,, is an embryonic marginal basin in rifting and spreading. The formation of the Okinawa Trough started in the early Pliocene. The transform     

Comparison of Kuqa foreland basin with Persian Gulf Basin in salt tectonics

Compared Kuqa foreland basin with Persian Gulf Basin in development of salt layers, salt tectonics, and the relation between salt tectonics and hydrocarbon, it is concluded that the salt diapirs are relative to hydrocarbon. Searching salt diapirs and related traps in Kuqa foreland basin is important. The forming mechanism of salt tectonic in Kuqa foreland basin is different from that of Hormuz Series, but similar to that of Lower Fars Series/Gachsaran Formation. Inspired by the role of salt tectonics of Lower Fars Series/Gachsaran Formation in hydrocarbon accumulation, the authors considered that the exploration below salt layer should be enforced, and the traps below salt layer in the southern part of the Kuqa foreland basin would be found where salt layer is thicker. On the contrary, the traps should be found both above and below the salt layer in front of the northern mountain where salt layer is thin. The Triassic and Jurassic source rocks are rich in this area with great exploration prospective.     

Characteristics of organic geochemistry of sediments in the northern part of the South Huanghai Sea

It is known that the organic matter in the upper layer of sediments gets lost fast, but not in the South Huanghai Sea (Yellow sea). Some of the major characteristics of organic geochemistry of sediments in the South Huanghai Sea can be summarized as follows:1. The contents of organic carbon and bitumen increase with the decrease in grain size.2.Loss of organic matter is closely related to grain size but less so in clay sediments.3.The contents of bitumen and hydrocarbon are low, about n ×102 ppm for bitumen and n ×10 ppm for hydrocarbon.A scattered show of organic matter does not necessarily indicate the presence of petroleum in recent marine sediments.In research into the genesis of petroleum, people pay more attention to the study of the organic geochemistry of recent marine sediments. How much organic materials was lost during the deposition up to the diagenesis ? The problem is as important as the study on the transformation of organic matter. This study on the organic geochemistry of the sediment     

Sedimentary Characteristics of the Second Marine Layer During the Late Marine Isotope Stage 3 in Southern Yellow Sea and Their Response to the East Asian Monsoon

We use the particle size of sediments in core YS01 A to study the sedimentary environment of the mud deposit in the central South Yellow Sea of China during late Marine Isotope Stages 3(MIS3;40.5 kyr–31.3 kyr).In addition,the East Asian Monsoon and its relationship with the North Atlantic Ocean climate change are discussed based on the sensitive grain-size calculation and the spectrum analysis.The results show that during late MIS3,the muddy area in the central South Yellow Sea experienced the evolution of coastal facies,shallow marine facies,coastal facies,and continental facies,with weak hydrodynamic conditions.Compared with other climate indicators,we found that there were many century to millennium-scale climate signals documented in the muddy area sediments in the central South Yellow Sea.According to our particle size results,three strong winter monsoon events occurred at 37.6 kyr,35.6 kyr and 32.2 kyr.The East Asian Winter Monsoon records in core YS01 A are consistent with the Greenland ice core and the Hulu cave stalagmite δ~(18)O.The millennial and centennial scale cycles,which are 55 yr,72 yr,115 yr,262 yr respectively,correspond to solar activity cycles,while the 1049 yr and 2941 yr cycles correspond to the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles.These cycles indicate that the paleoclimate evolution of the area was controlled by the solar activities,with the high-latitude driving thermohaline circulation as the main energy conveyor belt,followed by the sea-air-land amplification of the winter monsoon variation in the central Yellow Sea in the late MIS3.     

Deep-sea geohazards in the South China Sea

Various geological processes and features that might inflict hazards identified in the South China Sea by using new technologies and methods.These features include submarine landslides,pockmark fields,shallow free gas,gas hydrates,mud diapirs and earthquake tsunami,which are widely distributed in the continental slope and reefal islands of the South China Sea.Although the study and assessment of geohazards in the South China Sea came into operation only recently,advances in various aspects are evolving at full speed to comply with National Marine Strategy and‘the Belt and Road’Policy.The characteristics of geohazards in deep-water seafloor of the South China Sea are summarized based on new scientific advances.This progress is aimed to aid ongoing deep-water drilling activities and decrease geological risks in ocean development.     

ECONOMIC EXCHANGES AND SECTORAL AND INTER—CITY COOPERATION IN NORTHEAST ASIA

Northeast Asia with China ,Japan and South Korea as the main components has drawn more and more atten-tion worldwide.Many scholars have researchec on the prospect of some alternatives of regional economic integration in Northeast Asia/or Yellow Sea Rin as its core area.In this paper the authors start with an introduction of the major arguments embracing Yellow Sea Rim regionalism,and attemptto identify the dynamics challenging the proposed approach-es of sub-regionalism of Northeast Asia.The paper firstly gives a brief review on the undate development of bilateral econom-ic exchanges,mainly Sino-Japanese and Sino-South Korean trades and direct investments with related contemporary is-sues.When the changing pattern of economic interactions is analyzed,special concerns are given to the possibility to real-ize the supposed potential of regional economic cooperation mainly based on economic complementarity among the related regions of China ,North Korea,South Korea,and Japan.The authors then made their major efforts on putting forward possible approaches of multilateral cooperation of three countries in the near future,that is ,deepened cooperation in select-ed sectors of industry and transportation and coordinated development among major cities.The authors stress that the develop-ment of sub-regional sectoral cooperation and the formation of interactive network of city-regions via social and economic interactions at local level are significant to the future regional integrated development in Northeast Asia..     

Meso-Cenozoic basin evolution in northern Korean Peninsula

In the Korean Peninsula the Meso-Cenozoic basins were mainly formed due to fault block and block movement. The Mesozoic fracture structures correspond basically to modem large rivers in direction. Such faults were usually developed to rift and formed lake-type tectonic basin, such as the Amrokgang-, Taedonggang-, Ryesonggang-, Hochongang-, Jangphari-, Susongchon-, Pujon-, and Nampho basins. The Mesozoic strata are considered to be divided into the Lower Jurassic Taedong System, Upper Jurassic Jasong System, Upper Jurassic-early Lower Cretaceous Taebo System, and the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene （ Chonjaebong, Hongwon, Jaedok Series）. The Cenozoic block movement succeeded the Mesozoic fault block movement. The Kilju-Myongchon Graben and Tumangang Basin, etc, are the basins related to the fault zones developed from the Oligocene to Miocene. In addition, the Tertiary basins were formed in many areas in the Miocene （e. g. Sinhung, Oro, Hamhung, Yonghung, Anbyon, Cholwon, etc）. The Cenozoic sedimentation occurred mainly from the late Oligocene to Miocene. The Kilju-Myongchon Graben was the fore deep connected to the sea and the basins inclined in the Chugaryong Fault Zone are intramountain basins. Therefore, coal-beating beds and clastic rocks in the intramountain basins and rare marine strata and terrigenous clastic rocks are main sedimentary sequences in the Cenozoic.     

Mechanism of toppling and deformation in hard rock slope: a case of bank slope of Hydropower Station,Qinghai Province,China

Recently, various toppling slopes have emerged with the development of hydropower projects in the western mountainous regions of China. The slope on the right bank of the Laxiwa Hydropower Station, located on the mainstream of the Yellow River in the Qinghai Province of Northwest China, is a typical hard rock slope. Further, its deformation characteristics are different from those of common natural hard rock toppling. Because this slope is located close to the dam of the hydropower station, its deformation mechanism has a practical significance. Based on detailed geological engineering surveys, four stages of deformation have been identified using discrete element numerical software and geological engineering analysis methods, including toppling creep, initial toppling deformation, intensified toppling deformation, and current slope formation. The spatial and time-related deformation of this site also exhibited four stages, including initial toppling, toppling development, intensification of toppling, and disintegration and collapse. Subsequently, the mechanism of toppling and deformation of the bank slope were studied. The results of this study exhibit important reference value for developing the prevention–control design of toppling and for ensuring operational safety in the hydropower reservoir area.     

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF QUATERNARY MAGNETOSTRATIGRAPHY IN THE COASTAL REGION OF JIANGSU

The authors obtained the magnetostratigraphic division of Quaternary from the palaeomagnetic records of 7 cores taken from the northern plain of Jiangsu Province. The depositional characteristics of this area are now described. The core near the coastal region of the Yellow Sea showed the sedimentary rate was higher during Brunhes chron, but lower or nearly zero during Matuyama chron. The core located in the middle of the northern plain of Jiangsu Province showed the depositional formation was thin during Brunhes chron, but thicker in Matuyama. This depositional difference indicated obvious differences in the tectonic units, geological basement, and depositional environments of the two periods. This study provides information for the subdivision of Quaternary magnetostratigraphy.     

Distribution and Characteristics of Hazardous Geological Features in the Marine Coastal and Offshore Areas of Zhejiang Province,East China Sea

Newly acquired high-resolution shallow seismic profiles(7069 km in length) in the coastal and offshore areas of Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China, have revealed eight marine hazardous geological features: shallow gas, sand ridges, erosion ditches, scarps, irregular bedrock features, underwater shoals, buried paleo-channels, and submarine deltas. Based on the seismic profiles, we have constructed a marine geological map of these hazardous features. Shallow gas accumulations are common and occur mainly in two separate nearshore regions that cover 4613 and 3382 km~2 respectively. There are also scattered shallow gas accumulations in the offshore area, typically accompanied by paleo-channels that occur mainly in the middle of the study area. Sand ridges, erosion ditches, scarps, and irregular bedrock features are found mainly in the northeast of the study area in association with each other. In the southeastern part of the study area, the sand ridges have a linear form and trend NW–SE, representing the western part of the linear sand ridges in the East China Sea. The maximum slope gradient is 1?, which suggests that this area is prone to landslides. These hazardous marine geological features are important to marine and engineering activities in this region.     

Geochemical and Grain-Sized Implications for Provenance Variations of the Central Yellow Sea Muddy Area Since the Middle Holocene

Based on high-resolution analysis to a 280-cm long sediment core obtained from the muddy area in the central Yellow Sea, we examined the provenance of muddy sediments and discussed the changing marine sedimentary environment since the middle Holocene. The results indicated that fine-grained sediments in the muddy area were mainly derived from the Huanghe(Yellow River) and Changjiang(Yangtze River) with considerable stepwise variations during the past 6.6 kyr. The Yellow Sea Warm Current was initiated at 6 kyr when the sea level was high together with the enhanced East Asian Winter Monsoon. These in combination established the framework of shelf circulation in the Yellow Sea that began to trap the river-derived fine-grained sediments. From 4.9 kyr to 2.8 kyr, both the Kushiro Current and East Asian Monsoon were significantly weakened, reducing the delivery of Changjiang sediments to the muddy area. As a result, the sediments were mainly originated from the Huanghe. From 2.8 kyr to 1.5 kyr the continuously weakened East Asian Winter Monsoon and enhanced Yellow Sea Warm Current entrapped more fine-grain sediments. Whereas the enhanced East Asian Winter Monsoon and the human caused increase in sediment load of the Huanghe since 1.5 kyr, and direct delivery of Huanghe sediments to the Yellow Sea during 1128–1855 AD might dominated the sedimentation in the study area. The stepwise variations of the sediment provenance and composition of the Central Yellow Sea muddy sediments are of importance to understanding the formation of muddy deposit in the central Yellow Sea and the associated variations of marine environment since the middle Holocene.     

Numerical evaluation of the effects of the Dongzhuang reservoir on channel deposition in the Lower Wei River in China

Jing River is a tributary of the Wei River which is the largest tributary of the Yellow River. Sediments eroded from the upland of the Jing River basin are one of the major contributors of sediment entering the lower Wei River(LWR). The Dongzhuang reservoir is designed to be constructed on the lower Jing River for flood control and water resources regulation, and this may change the sustainable management of the LWR as changed channel deposition by trapping sediments and releasing concentration-limited flow. Its effects on the LWR, especially the deposition distribution, should be analyzed. The steady quasi-two-dimensional dynamic model was adopted to estimate the deposition processes in the LWR. Then, the qualitative effects of the Dongzhuang reservoir on channel deposition were evaluated and compared with historical data, including capacity loss in other reservoirs and measured deposition in the LWR. Analyses indicated that the annual deposition in the LWR will decrease by approximately two-thirds due to the reservoir's operation. After 15 years of operation, the effects of the Dongzhuang reservoir on the lower channel will decrease gradually. Moreover, its effects on lateral distribution in different sub-reaches are different. After the reservoir's operation, the floodplain of the Xianyang–Lintong(XY-LT) sub-reach will change its sediment regime from deposition to erosion. For the Lintong–Huaxian(LT-HX) sub-reach, deposition in the main channel will be more serious during the first 30 years of operation. For the Huaxian–Tongguan (HX-TG) sub-reach, the reservoir will have almost no effects on the lateral distribution. All these analyses may benefit the sustainable management of the Wei River and the Yellow River.     

Evolution of surface cold patches in the North Yellow Sea based on satellite SST data

Ten years(from 2005 to 2014) of satellite sea surface temperature(SST) data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer(AVHRR) are analyzed to reveal the monthly changes in surface cold patches(SCPs) in the main areas of the Northern Yellow Sea(NYS). The Canny edge detection algorithm is used to identify the edges of the patches. The monthly changes are described in terms of location, temperature and area. The inter-annual variations, including changes in the location and area of the SCPs from 2010 to 2014, are briefly discussed. The formation mechanisms of the SCPs in different periods are systematically analyzed using both in situ data and numerical simulation. The results show that from May to October, the location and area of the SCPs remain stable, with a north-south orientation. The SCPs altogether cover about 1? of longitude(124?E–125?E) in width and 2? of latitude(37.5?N–39.5?N) in length. In November, the SCP separates from the Jangsan Cape and forms a closed, isolated, and approximately circular cold patch in the central NYS. From May to October, the upwelling that leads to the formation of the SCP is mainly triggered by the headland residual current, wind field, climbing movement of the current and secondary circulation at the tide front. In November, cyclonic circulation in the NYS is primarily responsible for generating the upwelling that leads to the formation of the closed and isolated SCP.     

Accumulation model and prediction of Miocene heavy oil distribution in Gulf of Suez Basin,Egypt

The Gulf of Suez Basin is a very mature and extremely prospective petroleum province.Many heavy oil fields have been found in the Basin, and such reserves are abundant.Characteristics and models of heavy oil are analyzed in this study based on tectonic, basin evolution, stratigraphic distribution and geochemical data. The best reservoirs of heavy oil are Miocene sandstone and limestone formations.Source rocks of hydrocarbon include deep limestone and shale of the Brown Limestone, the Thebes Formation and the Rudeis Formation. Thick evaporite rocks with rock salts and anhydrites deposited broadly throughout the basin are the most impor-tant regional seals, whereas Miocene shales are intraformational and regional seals that cover small areas.Heavy oil could be directly generated or densified during vertical migration along faults and reservoir accumulation. The heavy oil accumulation model is a mixed model that includes three mechanisms:fault dispersal, sulfocom-pound reactions and hydrocarbons generated from immature source rock.After analyzing the model and the dis-tribution of source rocks, reservoirs, heavy oil fields and structures, it is concluded that the potential heavy oil area is at the center of the basin.