南沙曾母盆地与北巴拉望盆地碳酸盐台地形成演化及其比较沉积学

勘探证实,生物礁-碳酸盐岩是南沙沉积盆地油气勘探主要目的层系,因此,相关研究具有重要的理论实际意义.根据来自该区有关三维地震、钻井岩心精细分析的资料,对南沙上第三系曾母盆地路科尼亚(Luconia)及北巴拉望盆地马拉帕亚(Malampaya)生物礁-碳酸盐岩进行了对比分析,指出二者都形成于南海扩张过程中微陆块断裂、碰撞、拼接的构造背景下,由于发育时期及构造部位的差异,演化进程很不相同.路科尼亚台地始于晚渐新世-早中新世,中中新世-晚中新世期间最为繁盛,演化过程伴有多期进积、退积及台地翼部同沉积断裂导致的阵发性滑塌;台地中最明显的地震反射多与淹没事件有关.马拉帕亚碳酸盐台地发育相对较早,持续时间也较长,始于晚始新世,中中新世末台地发育终止.马拉帕亚碳酸盐台地发育高频米级潮下旋回,常以暴露面为界,而且台地发育明显受同沉积构造变形的影响.     

南海半封闭边缘海碳酸盐台地兴衰史

南海发育了广泛的碳酸盐台地,具有分布面积广和时空变化大的特点。南海碳酸盐台地的生命演化史总体上经历了萌生期、扩展期、繁盛期、淹没期和残留期等演化阶段。根据近年来国内外关于南海地质地球物理研究进展,发现南海碳酸盐台地是伴随着华南陆缘张裂、陆海巨变而萌生,台地基底往往发育在两个共轭陆缘伸展地块的伸展断块构造高地。随着大陆岩石圈进一步伸展、减薄和地幔剥露等过程,台地经历了晚渐新世末至早中新世初的萌生,到中中新世的勃发。此外,张裂和扩张期的岩浆构造也成为台地发育的重要控制因素,比如构造沉降提供了台地生长的可容纳空间,构造掀斜作用、断裂作用和前陆盆地前沿挤压褶皱的迁移控制了台地各单元厚度、沉积相和地震反射终止特征在横向上的变化,构造控制的相对海平面控制了不同级序生物礁碳酸盐台地的沉积旋回,而晚中新世构造作用导致半封闭边缘海的形成和大量碳酸盐台地淹没。最后,10.5Ma半封闭边缘海的形成,造成南海海盆古海洋环境的巨大变化,限制了台地的广泛发育,仅残留了数量少、面积小的现代孤立碳酸盐台地。     

西沙海区新近纪碳酸盐岩台地地震响应特征和控制因素

利用西沙海域最新采集的高分辨率二维地震资料及钻井资料,结合前人研究成果,建立了西沙海区高精度层序地层格架;并在西沙海区新近纪识别出点礁、塔礁、台地边缘礁和环礁这4种不同类型生物礁,总结了不同生物礁的地震反射特征。早中新世时,西沙碳酸盐岩台地开始发育,台地数量较少且规模有限;中中新世,随着海平面的持续上升,海平面上升速率和碳酸盐岩的生长速率接近,此时碳酸盐岩台地发育规模达到最大;晚中新世以后,海平面继续上升,海平面上升速率远大于碳酸盐岩的生长速率,随着水深的快速增加,台地进入淹没阶段,不适合碳酸盐岩台地及生物礁发育,仅在部分构造高部位继续发育,生物礁主要为大型的环礁。控制西沙碳酸盐岩台地发育的影响因素为构造作用和相对海平面变化。     

西沙海区晚新生代碳酸盐台地的发育模式及控制因素

基于最新的地震资料和已有的钻井资料研究发现,西沙海区的碳酸盐台地自早中新世早期开始发育,活跃至今。其中裂陷期基底断裂活动形成的构造高点为碳酸盐台地的初始发育提供了必要条件。在早中新世早期,碳酸盐台地主要发育在西沙隆起的西部和西南等斜坡之上,台地数目少并且规模有限。中中新世早期,碳酸盐台地全面发育,广泛分布于西沙隆起和广乐隆起以及永乐隆起周缘,单个台地的规模大小不等,台地的总面积达到了55 000km2。中中新世晚期,碳酸盐台地开始衰退,台地逐渐向地形高点迁移,许多类型的生物礁,如点礁、环礁等开始出现。晚中新世至今,只有一些规模有限的孤立台地发育于西沙隆起之上,如永乐、宣德环礁等。早中中新世以来,相对海平面变化和基底构造沉降共同控制碳酸盐台地的初始发育、繁盛、衰退和淹没等阶段。     

南海北部珠江口盆地深水区碳酸盐岩发育特征及地震识别

由于南海的多次扩张、拉伸、消减运动,在珠江口盆地白云深水区发生了陆架裂陷和海水入侵等地质现象,形成了海相碳酸盐岩生长发育的基础地质条件。对珠江口盆地深水区碳酸盐岩的发育地质背景、地质特征、发育规律、地震响应特征以及深水区灰岩发育的主控因素进行了探讨,结果表明白云深水区主要发育两种类型的碳酸盐台地;古隆起镶边台地以及火山建隆孤立台地。台地沉积主要发育在古隆起周缘、构造高部位、火山隆起周缘,并被钻井所证实。在白云深水区东沙隆起西南缘、云荔低凸起、荔湾凹陷北缘、荔湾凹陷南缘及顺鹤隆起发育典型的生物礁,钻井证实有珊瑚、红藻、苔藓虫等造礁生物。生物礁地震特征具有强的连续反射顶、底界面,丘状反射外形,内部结构或空白、或杂乱,具有前积、加积、退积等层序结构。     

礼乐盆地深水区新生代生物礁的发育条件与地震特征

礼乐盆地位于南沙海域东缘,为新生代大型含油气盆地,勘探前景可观。以礼乐-巴拉望地块区域构造事件及古地理演化为指导,结合钻井、拖网等资料,对礼乐盆地地震剖面T100、T70、T50三个关键界面进行了解释,分析了T70、T50两个界面的地震特征及地质意义。论证了在晚渐新世至早中新世南海扩张时期,礼乐-巴拉望地块为远离物源的浅水环境,适宜碳酸盐岩沉积,碳酸盐岩的发育范围较为广泛。通过与邻区巴拉望盆地已证实生物礁对比,分析了礼乐盆地深水区生物礁的地震识别特征及平面展布规律。解决了礼乐盆地深水区是否存在大型储集体的问题,提升了礼乐盆地深水区的勘探潜力,为礼乐盆地下一步的油气勘探提供了有利的依据。     

琼东南盆地陵水凹陷构造演化及其对深水大气田形成的控制作用

琼东南盆地陵水凹陷构造演化及其对深水大气田形成的控制作用成为深水区研究的热点。利用钻井地质、地震勘探资料,运用层序地层学、构造解析方法,认识了陵水凹陷的构造动力学机制和构造变形;探讨了陵水凹陷构造演化及其对深水大气田形成的控制作用;提出了陵水凹陷经历了古新世—始新世断陷、渐新世坳—断、早中新世断—坳和中中新世—更新世坳陷(深水盆地)4期构造演化阶段的新认识,并认为构造演化控制了深水大气田的形成。(1)古新世—始新世断陷、渐新世坳—断作用分别控制了湖相、海陆过渡相—海相烃源岩分布,中中新世—第四纪坳陷作用拓宽了烃源岩生气时窗;(2)渐新世坳—断作用控制发育了扇三角洲储层,中中新世—更新世坳陷作用控制发育了深水限制型、非限制型碎屑岩储层和碳酸盐岩生物礁储层;(3)渐新世坳—断演化阶段以走滑—伸展构造变形为主,控制发育了断鼻、断背斜圈闭,中中新世—更新世坳陷作用控制发育了深水限制型重力流水道砂岩性圈闭群、非限制型盆底扇岩性圈闭和生物礁地层圈闭;(4)渐新统、中中新统地层超压产生断裂/裂隙,构成了良好的天然气输导体系。     

巴哈马滩与西沙群岛台地生物礁地质特征对比

从生物礁碳酸盐岩的沉积特征、孤立台地生物礁沉积模式2个方面对巴哈马滩与西沙群岛进行对比分析:巴哈马滩礁区主要沉积粒状灰岩、泥质灰岩、斜坡发育生物碎屑灰岩,海底文石和镁方解石胶结作用强烈,致大部分原始孔隙度阻塞,孔隙度降低;西沙礁滩海滩岩以生物碎屑灰岩为主,地层主要发育生物碎屑灰岩和白云岩,各种藻类格架的杂乱分布增大岩石的孔隙度。巴哈马滩以孤立碳酸盐岩台地生物礁为主,发育台地边缘斜坡及滩礁型孤立台地,西沙孤立台礁区主要发育永乐、宣德2类环礁沉积系统,以及台地边缘礁、塔礁、马趾礁、环礁、点礁等多种生物礁类型。大巴哈马滩具有侧向生长的潜力和周期性进积作用的特征,西沙陡坡高能带发育进积型与侵蚀型2种沉积类型,风暴潮与盛行风作用成为灰沙岛的主要成因机制。     

西沙海域中中新世早期古地貌及其控制因素

古地貌的构造格局控制了物源体系和沉积体系的发育,对其研究有利于确定油气勘探目标。基于西沙海域丰富的地震资料、钻井资料以及高精度的多波束资料,重点经过去压实校正和古水深校正之后,恢复西沙海域中中新世早期的古地貌。该时期的古地貌显示:西沙海域以两个近北东向的西沙、广乐隆起为纽带串联周缘的深水区域,西沙隆起和广乐隆起之上水体较浅,处于滨海环境,利于碳酸盐岩的沉积。西沙隆起之上岛屿众多,岛屿之间以洼地相隔,为需要地势高点生长的生物礁的发育创造了条件,西沙隆起南部于渐新世发育大量的火山,后期多演化为孤立的台地,隆起周缘多以陡坡为主。而广乐隆起之上地势开阔、平坦,隆起南、北两侧的斜坡有一定的差异,具有"南陡、北缓"的特点,其北部斜坡地貌复杂,发育至少三组近平行的水道,利于碳酸盐岩碎屑的搬运和沉积,活跃于渐新世的断裂控制古地貌的空间格局,同时,生物礁碳酸盐岩的发育以及其碎屑的搬运和沉积作用对地貌的不断改造,造就了该时期的地貌形态。     

西沙周缘新生代构造演化与盆地充填响应特征

利用南海西沙周缘地震资料,进行了地震相研究,并结合邻区地质资料,进行了南海西沙周缘新生代沉积相分析,讨论了盆地的充填演化历史。研究认为,南海西沙周缘盆地充填断陷期以陆相和海陆过渡相沉积为主;坳陷期以海陆过渡相和海相沉积为主,自下而上充填了一套冲积相-湖相(始新统)-海陆交替相(渐新统)-滨浅海台地相(中-下中新统)-浅海、半深海相(上新统-第四系)沉积序列,盆地的充填历史反映了南海西沙周缘沉积环境由陆相向海相逐渐过渡的过程。通过对油气地质条件分析,认为始新世-渐新世早期是重要的烃源岩发育期;渐新世晚期-中新世中期是储层发育期;中新世晚期后是区域该层发育时期。     

Oligocene–Miocene carbonates and their role for constraining the rifting and collision history of the Dangerous Grounds,South China Sea

The attenuated continental crust of the Dangerous Grounds is located in the southeastern part of the South China Sea. It was affected by unconformities as identified by several authors (Cullen et al., 2010, Hinz and Schlüter, 1985, Hutchison, 2010, Hutchison and Vijayan, 2010). In the northeastern Dangerous Grounds, a prominent reflector in seismic data is associated with the top of a widespread Oligocene to Early Miocene (18–20 Ma) carbonate platform. This reflector and the underlying carbonates can be used to constrain the timing of the unconformities and the rifting history of the Dangerous Grounds. By carefully interpreting seismic reflection lines we trace the platform carbonates based upon their appearance in the seismic image. This platform is continuous in the Palawan–Borneo trough and gets patchy toward the Dangerous Grounds. In the Dangerous Grounds the image of this key reflector changes and here it merely forms the top of a clastic layer. Carbonates remain abundant but mainly as isolated reefs that grew on top of tilted fault blocks. In the southwestern Dangerous Grounds the prominent unconformity sealing the tectonic activity is known as the Middle Miocene Unconformity. This in fact is an Early Miocene unconformity, which represents a sequence boundary in the Borneo–Palawan trough and in various parts of the Dangerous Grounds, while in other parts of the Dangerous Grounds, it represents a major angular unconformity.The unconformity characteristics supplemented with tentative ages indicate that Luconia and the southern Dangerous Grounds were sub-aerial during the Early Miocene, while the Reed Bank, the northern Dangerous Grounds and parts of the central Dangerous Grounds were mostly submerged except for some islands concentrated on the western edge of the Borneo–Palawan trough. This trough is interpreted as a foreland basin where the flexural forebulge provided shallow marine conditions that promoted reef growth. As the carbonate deposition migrated from the Borneo–Palawan trough toward the Dangerous Grounds we suggest that the flexural forebulge provided shallow water conditions for further reef growth on the eastern Dangerous Grounds.     

Variations in architecture and cyclicity in fault-bounded carbonate platforms: Early Miocene Red Sea Rift,NW Saudi Arabia

The Early Miocene was a period of active rifting and carbonate platform development in the Midyan Peninsula, NW Saudi Arabia. However, there is no published literature available dealing with the detailed characterization of the different carbonate platforms in this study area. Therefore, this study aims to present new stratigraphic architectural models that illustrate the formation of different carbonate platforms in the region and the forcing mechanisms that likely drove their formation. This study identified the following features formed during active rifting: a) a Late Aquitanian (N4) fault-block hangingwall dipslope carbonate ramp, b) a Late Burdigalian (N7-N8) isolated normal fault-controlled carbonate platform with associated slope deposits, and c) a Late Burdigalian (N7-N8) attached fault-bounded platform with reef buildups, rimmed shelf developed on a footwall fault-tip within a basin margin structural relay zone that formed coinciding with the second stage of rifting. Variations in cyclicity have been observed within the internal stratigraphic architecture of each platform and also between platforms. High-resolution sequence stratigraphic analysis shows to be parasequences the smallest depositional packages (metre-scale cycles) within the platforms. The hangingwall dipslope carbonate ramp and the attached platform demonstrate aggradational-progradational parasequence stacking patterns. These locations appear to have been more sensitive to eustatic cyclicities, despite the active tectonic setting. The isolated, fault-controlled carbonate platform reveals disorganized stratal geometries in both platform-top and slope facies, suggesting a more complex interplay of rates of tectonic uplift and subsidence, variation in carbonate productivity, and resedimentation of carbonates, such that any sea-level cyclicity is obscure. This study explores the interplay between different forcing mechanisms in the evolution of carbonate platforms in active extensional tectonic regions. Characterization of detailed parasequence-scale internal architecture allows the spatial variation in syn-depositional relative base-level changes to be inferred and is critical for understanding the development of rift basin carbonate platforms. Such concepts may be useful for the prediction of subsurface facies relationships beyond interwell areas in hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir modeling activities.     

Evolution of Late Oligocene - Early Miocene attached and isolated carbonate platforms in a volcanic ridge context (Maldives type), Yadana field,offshore Myanmar

This study investigates the stratigraphic evolution of the Late Oligocene - Early Miocene carbonate platforms of the Yadana area (offshore Myanmar). Well data, regional 2D and local 3D seismic surveys allow the identification of three shallow-water carbonate platforms (Yadana, 3DF and 3DE) showing various morphologic and stratigraphic patterns influenced by the presence of a paleohigh. The identification of seven seismic sequences in the Yadana area constrains the stratigraphic evolution in three stages: (1) development of aggrading attached and isolated platforms during the Chattian; (2) a period of platform emersion during the Oligocene - Miocene transition; (3) drowning of the smaller buildup (3DE) associated with km-scale backstepping on the large platforms (3DF and Yadana) during the Aquitanian. The Aquitanian marks the onset of renewed volcanic activity associated with the development of fringing carbonate reefs during the Burdigalian. The rapid (∼6 My) development of these wide (∼5–70 km) and thick (∼300–850 m) carbonate platforms has been mainly controlled by the subsidence. However, the results highlight a strong overprint of eustatic fluctuations on the rates of change in accommodation, and hence on the stratigraphic architecture of the carbonate platforms. Based on an alternative model for the Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the Yadana area, our results suggest that the platforms developed on a volcanic ridge of hotspot origin located in the Indian Ocean and not on a volcanic arc. Subduction jump processes are interpreted to have played a key role in the demise of all platforms by drastically changing the paleoenvironmental conditions during the Early Miocene, and led to the present-day location of the Yadana Ridge in a back-arc setting. The carbonate platforms from the Yadana area are thus a representative example of the interplay between global mechanisms and local paleoenvironmental parameters on carbonate platform initiation, growth and demise.     

琼东南盆地南部早中新世碳酸盐岩台地的地震解释

The southern uplift of the Qiongdongnan Basin is a deepwater area in which no wells have beens drilled. The Miocene-Quaternary strata in the Xisha Islands, which are located 40–100 km to the south, are composed of carbonate reef formations. Paleotectonic and paleogeographic analyses of the basin suggest that the southern uplift experienced favorable geological conditions for the development of carbonate reefs during the Miocene.The high-impedance carbonates have high amplitudes and low frequencies on seismic profiles. The reefs are distributed on paleotectonic highs and are thicker than the contemporaneous formations. A forward model of the variation in carbonate thickness based on lithological and velocity information from wells in nearby regions can simulate the seismic response of carbonates with different thicknesses. We identified several important controlling points for determining the thickness of carbonates from seismic profiles, including the pinchout point,the λ/4 thickness point, and the λ/2 thickness point. We depict a carbonate thickness map in the deepwater area of the southern Qiongdongnan Basin based on this model. The carbonate thickness map, the paleotectonic and paleogeographic background, and the seismic response characteristics of reefs suggest that the carbonates that developed on the southern uplift of the Qiongdongnan Basin during the Miocene were mainly an isolated carbonate platform peninsula and ramp deposits. It consisted of gentle ramp platform, steep slope platform,platform depression, gravity flow, and reef bank facies.     

Morphological indicators of structural control,relative sea-level fluctuations and platform drowning on present-day and Miocene carbonate platforms

The morphology of Carbonate platforms may be influenced by tectonic activity and eustatic variations. 3D seismic data and satellite imagery are used in order to investigate the morphological similarities between present-day carbonates platforms, East of Borneo Island and Miocene carbonate platforms of the South China Sea. The morphological similarities exhibit platform fragmentation, that could be caused by subtle faulting, sufficient to drown reef rims; platform contraction, which is a result of back-stepping of the reef margin during a relative sea level rise and polygonal patterns in internal lagoons, described as mesh reefs in modern platforms and possibly interpreted as karst in Miocene platforms.Vertical movements may trigger the formation of new geomorphological conditions that modify the distribution of coral growth with respect to the new hydrodynamic conditions in space and time. These movements (uplift and tilting) reduce and localize the space necessary for the coral ecosystem, explaining the contraction leading to drowning of parts of and, ultimately, the whole platform.     

西沙海区碳酸盐台地地震反射特征及沉积模式

随着南海海盆的持续扩张,西沙海区整体沉降,从早中新世起西沙碳酸盐台地开始发育,而且在台地之上生长了不同类型的生物礁。通过地震识别认为,西沙海区生物礁在地震剖面上表现为顶底强振幅的丘形连续反射、内部弱振幅杂乱反射;碳酸盐台地表现为顶部强振幅连续平行反射、底部界面局部模糊、内部强弱相间亚平行连续反射。通过对西沙海区地层层序的分析以及大量地震资料的解释认为,在西沙碳酸盐台地的发育早期它受基底构造的控制,而在后期主要受多期海平面变化的影响,其发育演化经历了初始生长—加积—出露—二次生长—淹没等一系列阶段,复杂的演化过程也使西沙碳酸盐岩具有较好的储集条件和油气远景。     

Seismic geomorphology and growth architecture of a Miocene barrier reef,Browse Basin,NW-Australia

The Cenozoic succession of Browse Basin is characterized by a carbonate system, that developed from a non-tropical ramp in Eocene-lower Miocene times to a tropical rimmed platform in the middle Miocene. The evolution of the platform was unraveled through the interpretation of the seismic geomorphology and borehole data of the middle Miocene tropical reef system. The first reef structures developed during the early middle Miocene as narrow linear reef belts with an oblique orientation with respect to shelf strike direction. Subsequently, they prograded toward the platform margin to form a barrier reef with a minimum length of 40 km. The barrier reef itself comprises three distinct ridges separated by progradational steps. The second and third step are separated by a karstified horizon, which is interpreted to represent the global sea-level fall shortly before the Serravallian/Tortonian boundary. The following third ridge formed in a slightly downstepped position during the sea-level lowstand and initial transgressive phase. Further sea-level rise during the early Tortonian first drowned the barrier-reef system and subsequently also the patch reefs and relic atolls that had established in a backstepped position in the platform interior. The similar evolution of the Browse Basin reef system and other contemporaneous carbonate systems indicates a strong impact of eustatic sea-level changes. Relatively large subsidence rates in the study area possibly augmented the eustatic sea-level rise in the Tortonian and hence contributed to the drowning of the reef system. However, the initiation and final demise of the reef system was also governed by global and regional climate variations. The first seismically-defined reefs developed simultaneous to a maximum in the transport capacity of the Indonesian throughflow, which brings warm low-salinity waters to the North-West Shelf. Reef drowning followed the restriction of this seaway close to the middle to early Miocene boundary. This near closure of the Indonesian seaway possibly led to a regional amplification of the global middle to late Miocene cooling trend and hampered the potential of the reef system to keep up with the rising sea-level.     

Siliciclastic influx and burial of the Cenozoic carbonate system in the Gulf of Papua

An extensive carbonate system in the Gulf of Papua (GoP), developed in the late Oligocene–middle Miocene, was buried by huge influx of siliciclastics originated from Papua New Guinea. Major episodes of siliciclastic influx in the carbonate system are related to tectonic activity in the fold and thrust belt during the Oligocene Peninsular Orogeny, late Miocene Central Range Orogeny, and late Pliocene renewed uplift and exhumation of peninsular region. Siliciclastics did not influence the carbonate deposition during the late Oligocene–middle Miocene, since they were accumulated in the Aure Trough, proximal foreland basin protecting the carbonate system. The most significant burial of the carbonate system started during the late Miocene–early Pliocene in the result of the Central Range Orogeny. However, the largest influx was related to the renewed uplift of the Papuan Peninsula during the early late Pliocene. The shelf edge prograded ∼150 km and formed more than 80% of the modern shelf. This high siliciclastic influx was also enhanced by the “mid” Pliocene global warmth period and intensified East Asian monsoons at 3.6–2.9 Ma. Although many publications exist on carbonate–siliciclastic mixing in different depositional environments, this study helps understand the carbonate–siliciclastic interactions in space and time, especially at basinal scale, and during different intervals of the carbonate system burial by siliciclastic sediments.