Characteristics and accumulation mechanisms of the Dongfang 13-1 high temperature and overpressured gas field in the Yinggehai Basin,the South China Sea

The Dongfang 13-1 is located in the diapiric structure belt of the Yinggehai Basin. The formation pressure of its main gas reservoir in the Miocene Huangliu Formation is up to 54.6 MPa(pressure coefficient=1.91) and the temperature is as high as 143°C(geothermal gradient 4.36°C/100 m), indicating that it is a typical high-temperature and overpressured gas reservoir. The natural gas is interpreted to be coal-type gas derived from the Miocene mature source rocks containing type II2-III kerogens as evidenced by high dryness index of up to 0.98 and heavy carbon isotopes, i.e., the δ13C1 ranging from -30.76‰ to -37.52‰ and δ13C2 ranging from -25.02‰ to -25.62‰. The high temperature and overpressured Miocene petroleum system is related mainly to diapir in the Yinggehai Basin and contains more pore water in the overpressured reservoirs due to undercompaction process. The experimental and calculated results show that the solubility of natural gas in formation water is as high as 10.5 m3/m3 under the temperature and pressure conditions of the Sanya Formation, indicating that at least part of the gas may migrate in the form of water-soluble phase. Meanwhile, the abundant gas source in the Basin makes it possible for the rapid saturation of natural gas in formation water and exsolution of soluble gas. Therefore, the main elements controlling formation of the Dongfang 13-1 gas pool include that(1) the diapir activities and accompanying changes in temperature and pressure accelerate the water-soluble gas exsolution and release a lot of free gas;(2) submarine fan fine sandstone in the Huangliu Formation provides good gas-water segregation and accumulation space; and(3) the overlying overpressured mud rocks act as effective caps. The accumulation mechanism reveals that the high temperatural and high pressure structure belt near the diapir structures has a good potential for large and medium-sized gas field exploration.     

利用自然伽马测井计算准噶尔盆地沉积层生热率及其热流贡献

沉积层放射性生热的热流贡献（沉积层热流）是沉积盆地大地热流的重要组成部分,能够有效促进中国西部“冷”盆深层-超深层烃源岩的增温和热演化.本文利用不同的自然伽马（GR）-生热率（A）经验关系式分别计算了准噶尔盆地不同构造单元16口钻孔共6120个沉积层生热率,通过与实测生热率的统计对比,确定了适用于研究区的GR-A经验关系,建立了准噶尔盆地地层生热率柱,据此计算了研究区沉积层热流贡献,并以盆参2井为例定量分析了沉积层热流的增温效应.结果表明,准噶尔盆地沉积层平均生热率为1.179±0.339 μW·m-3,总体上随着时代变老,沉积层生热率呈现出递减趋势.准噶尔盆地沉积层热流平均为7.9±4.9 mW·m-2,约占地壳热流的29.2%和大地热流的19.6%,区域上与盆地沉积层厚度大体一致,表现为中央坳陷最高,北天山山前冲断带变化较大,陆梁隆起和西部隆起次之,东部隆起和乌伦古坳陷最低.沉积层热流能够有效增高深层—超深层烃源层受热温度,促进有机质热演化,如在考虑和忽略沉积层生热的两种情况下计算的盆参2井下侏罗统三工河组烃源岩底部（5300 m）温度差异最大为7.3 ℃,这显然对于地温梯度小、主体油气藏埋深大的准噶尔盆地油气资源评价和勘探目标优选具有重要意义.     

Mega-shoaling in carbonate platform of the Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation,Sichuan Basin,southwest China

Shoaling is a common type of sedimentation in the evolution of carbonate platform,and commonly has poor continuity.This paper presents a newly discovered and rare type of shoaling,i.e.,mega-shoaling in nearly basin scale,which is developed in the Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation of the Sichuan Basin,southwest China.During the Leikoupo time,the studied Sichuan Basin experienced hot and dry climate conditions and developed a carbonate platform within a restricted epicontinental sea.In B sub-layer of the Lei-1-1 sub-member of the Leikoupo Formation a series of grainstones of shoal facies accumulated throughout almost the entire basin,thereby generating features associated with basin-scale mega-shoaling.By detailed core examination and microscopic observation of thin sections,it is shown that the lithology of this set of grainstones is dominated by doloarenite(calcarenite)followed by oolitic dolomite(limestone).In addition,it contains three types of sedimentary sequences characterized by upward-coarsening and upward-shallowing as the followings:restricted lagoon to platform interior beach;restricted lagoon to platform interior beach and to platform flat;and tidal flat to peritidal beach.Subsequently,a multicyclic stratigraphic division and correlation revealed that this set of grainstones can be well traced and compared horizontally,and is generally isochronous.In addition,a template for logging facies,established based on core calibrations and logging data,was employed to analyze the 235 wells in the basin.The results demonstrate the shoal grainstones to be 10–40 m thick with a15×104km2continuous distribution area.These findings indicate that the carbonate platform developed mega-shoals within a short period of time.The genesis of such a mega-shoaling was investigated by focusing on various shoaling conditions,such as paleo-tectonics,paleo-geomorphology,paleo-climate,sea-level changes,and palaeo-hydrodynamics.A specific combination of independent geological factors creates beneficial geomorphologic conditions for the mega-shoaling including a quiescent paleo-tectonic environment,relatively flat paleo-geomorphology and evaporites filling up and leveling off.In addition,a stably settling carbonate platform underwent sea-level fluctuations through swift transgressions and protracted regressions,which is not only conducive to continuous,multicyclic and superimposed vertical development of grain beaches but also beneficial for the horizontal migration,coalescence and superimposition of individual grain beaches.As a consequence,large-scale and continuously-distributed grain beach sedimentation emerges and mega-shoals develop.     

Occurrence, thermal evolution and primary migration processes derived from studies of organic matter in the Lucaogou source rock at the southern margin of the Junggar Basin, NW China

The Lucaogou Formation carbonate-rich oil shale source rock is exposed at the southern margin of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, NW China. We have sampled it in detail and conducted microstructural, mineralogical and geochemical studies, including thin section petrography, UV fluorescence petrography, X-ray diffraction, vitrinite reflectance, bitumen reflectance, fluid inclusion analysis and Raman spectroscopy. Organic matter is disseminated through the carbonate-bearing siltstone source rocks and concentrated in numerous bedding parallel stylolites and in two sets of carbonate veins, one along bedding parallel fractures and the other cross-cutting stylolites and bedding. The research about maturity of organic matter finds vitrinite reflectance values increase from the dispersed kerogen (0.64%) to the stylolites (the one of oriented vitrinite is 0.72% and the one of migrated bitumen is 2.38%); Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in veins containing hydrocarbon fluid inclusions show an increase from 178.5℃ in the bedding parallel veins to 222℃ in the cross-cutting veins, confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. These results support a model of progressive heating accompanied by fluid loss during later stages of thermal maturation of source rock and the onset of primary migration. Obviously, the occurrence of organic matter is the trace of hydrocarbon primary migration, and the bedding lamination surfaces and cross-cutting fissures are the principal pathways of hydrocarbon-bearing fluids migration. Bedding lamination surfaces evolved into stylolites along the earliest primary migration pathways, followed by bedding parallel and cross-cutting fissures.     

Diagenetic fluid evolution and water-rock interaction model of carbonate cements in sandstone: An example from the reservoir sandstone of the Fourth Member of the Xujiahe Formation of the Xiaoquan-Fenggu area,Sichuan Province,China

Carbonate cement is the most abundant cement type in the Fourth Member of the Xujiahe Formation in the Xiaoquan-Fenggu area of the West Sichuan Depression. Here we use a systematic analysis of carbonate cement petrology, mineralogy, carbon and oxygen isotope ratios and enclosure homogenization temperatures to study the precipitation mechanism, pore fluid evolution, and distribution of different types of carbonate cement in reservoir sand in the study area. Crystalline calcite has relatively heavy carbon and oxygen isotope ratios(δ13C = 2.14‰, δ18O = -5.77‰), and was precipitated early. It was precipitated directly from supersaturated alkaline fluid under normal temperature and pressure conditions. At the time of precipitation, the fluid oxygen isotope ratio was very light, mainly showing the characteristics of a mixed meteoric water-seawater fluid(δ18O = -3‰), which shows that the fluid during precipitation was influenced by both meteoric water and seawater. The calcite cement that fills in the secondary pores has relatively lighter carbon and oxygen isotope ratios(δ13C = -2.36‰, δ18O = -15.68‰). This cement was precipitated late, mainly during the Middle and Late Jurassic. An important material source for this carbonate cement was the feldspar corrosion process that involved organic matter. The Ca2+, Fe3+ and Mg2+ ions released by the clay mineral transformation process were also important source materials. Because of water-rock interactions during the burial process, the oxygen isotope ratio of the fluid significantly increased during precipitation, by about 3‰. The dolomite cements in calcarenaceous sandstone that was precipitated during the Middle Jurassic have heavier carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, which are similar to those of carbonate debris in the sandstone(δ13C = 1.93‰, δ18O = -6.11‰), demonstrating that the two are from the same source that had a heavier oxygen isotope ratio(δ18O of about 2.2‰). The differences in fluid oxygen isotope ratios during cement precipitation reflect the influences of different water-rock interaction systems or different water-rock interaction strengths. This is the main reason why the sandstone containing many rigid particles(lithic quartz sandstone) has a relatively negative carbon isotope ratio and why the precipitation fluid in calcarenaceous sandstone has a relatively heavier oxygen isotope ratio.