Depositional environments and formational mechanisms of the Lower Cambrian organic-rich mud/shales, north of Xingdi Fault, northeastern Tarim Basin
HU Zongquan1,2,3, GAO Zhiqian4, LIU Wangwei5, WEI Duan4
1 State Key Laboratory of Shale Oil and Gas Enrichment Mechanisms and Effective Development,Beijing 100083,China; 2 SINOPEC Key Laboratory of Shale Oil/Gas Exploration & Production,Beijing 100083,China; 3 SINOPEC Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute,Beijing 100083,China; 4 School of Energy Resource,China University of Geosciences(Beijing),Beijing 100083,China; 5 Wuxi Branch of Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute,SINOPEC,Jiangsu Wuxi 214151,China
Abstract Organic-rich mud shales are often rich in hydrocarbon resources,and their depositional environments and formational mechanisms are important bases for evaluating and predicting favorable exploration target. In this paper,the petrographic types,depositional environments,and developmental patterns of the Lower Cambrian shales to the north of the Xingdi Fault in northeastern Tarim Basin were investigated by means of outcrop description,thin section observation,and geochemical analysis. There are 10 types of lithofacies developed in the target strata in the study area: yellow-brown calcareous siltstone,gray-black siliceous shale,brown phosphatic shale,gray-black siliceous siltstone,gray-black calcareous siltstone,black siliceous shale,gray mud chert,gray argillaceous calcareous shale,gray argillaceous calcareous siltstone,and gray-black calcareous shale. The target interval can be divided into two third-order sequences(SQ1 and SQ2). The seawater was strongly to -moderately confined during the deposition period of the Xishanbulak Formation(SQ1),and basin-facies deposits of gray-black siliceous siltstone,gray-black siliceous shale,and brown phosphatic shale were mainly developed in an anaerobic-anoxic environment. The Xidashan Formation depositional period(SQ2) was characterized by moderately to -weakly confined water, depleted-anaerobic environment,and deep-water shelf dominant facies. Reduction condition is the main controlling factor of organic matter enrichment in the Lower Cambrian of northeastern Tarim Basin,while sedimentation rate is a secondary control of organic matter enrichment,and the palaeo-productivity is not necessarily related to organic matter enrichment. Hydrothermal events in the context of intrabasin tensional tectonics both control the enrichment and degradation of organic matter. The conditions for organic matter enrichment and preservation were optimal during the SQ1 period.
Fund:SINOPEC Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute projects “Study on the storage and cover conditions of the Sinian-Cambrian in the Tarbei-Tazhong area”(No.33550000-22-ZC0611-0007)and “Study and mapping of typical stratigraphic and sedimentary characteristics of key formations in the Tarim Basin”(No.33550007-22-ZC0613-0057)
About author: HU Zongquan,born in 1971,Ph.D.(post),is the vice president and professorial senior engineer of SINOPEC Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute. He is mainly engaged in sedimentary palaeogeography and unconventional oil and gas exploration research. E-mail: huzongquan.syky@sinopec.com.
Cite this article:
HU Zongquan,GAO Zhiqian,LIU Wangwei et al. Depositional environments and formational mechanisms of the Lower Cambrian organic-rich mud/shales, north of Xingdi Fault, northeastern Tarim Basin[J]. JOPC, 2023, 25(6): 1235-1256.
HU Zongquan,GAO Zhiqian,LIU Wangwei et al. Depositional environments and formational mechanisms of the Lower Cambrian organic-rich mud/shales, north of Xingdi Fault, northeastern Tarim Basin[J]. JOPC, 2023, 25(6): 1235-1256.
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