Oil/Gas migration and aggregation in intra-continental orogen based on numerical simulation: A case study from the Dabashan orocline, Central China

Abstract

Geofluid, driven by tectonic stress, can migrate and aggregate in geological body. Thus, numerical simulation has been widely used to rebuild paleo-tectonic stress field and probe oil/gas (one type of geofluid) migration and aggregation. Based on geological mapping, structural data, and mechanical parameters of rocks, we reconstruct the traces for gas/oil migration and aggregation in Dabashan (大巴山) intra-continental orogen using numerical simulation. The study shows that gas/oil, obviously dominated by late Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous paleo-tectonic stress field that is characterized by NE-SW shortening in the Dabashan thrust belt and SW-emanating shortening in its foreland belt, massively migrate from the Dabashan thrust belt to its foreland belt, that is, NE to SW, resulting in the formation of some probable favorable areas for oil/gas mainly along the Tiexi (铁溪)-Wuxi (巫溪) fault, in some superposed structure (e.g., Zhenba (镇巴), Wanyuan (万源), Huangjinkou (黄金口), and Tongnanba (通南巴) areas), and in the Zigui (秭归) Basin. Thus, our study shows that numerical simulation can be effectively applied to study oil/gas migration and aggregation in intra-continental orogen and provided some significant evidences for oil/gas exploration.

Keywords

Dabashan orocline / intra-continental orogen / numerical simulation / paleo-tectonic stress field / oil/gas migration and aggregation / oil/gas exploration

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