Lithofacies paleogeography of the Ordovician and its petroleum exploration potential in the Middle-Upper Yangtze Area, South China

Abstract

Based on the drilling, logging and field analysis, this paper discusses the lithofacies paleogeography of the Ordovician and its petroleum potential in the Middle-Upper Yangtze Area, South China. Results show that Ordovician of the Middle-Upper Yangtze Region can be divided into Tongzi Formation, Honghuayuan Formation, Meitan Formation, Shizipu Formation, Pagoda Formation, Linxiang Formation and Wufeng Formation from bottom to top. During the Early Ordovician Tongzi Period and Honghuayuan Period (Tremadocian Stage), a carbonate rimmed platform developed in the study area with lots of grain shoals in Guangyuan-Weiyuan Areas and Lichuan-Tongzi Areas of Southeastern Sichuan Basin. To the Meitan Period (Floian and Dapingian and Early Darriwilian Stage), a mixed carbonate platform with clastic sedimentary rock deposition developed in study area. In Middle-late Ordovician Shizipu and Linxiang-Pagoda Period (Late Darriwilian and Hirnantian-Sandbian Stage), a carbonate ramp developed in Middle-Upper Yangtze Region. At the end of the Ordovician (Hirnantian Stage), Wufeng Formation deposited in a retention basin due to the restriction of peripheral uplift and paleoland. Two sets of reservoir-source assemblages developed in the Ordovician, with three sets of source rocks developed in the study area. First, the lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation acted as the main source rock, and the hydrocarbon migrated upward to the Ordovician reservoir along the fault. Second, the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation acted as source rock, and hydrocarbon migrated to the Lower Ordovician along the karst crust and the fault. Third, the Lower Ordovician Meitan-Shizipu Formation acted as source rock, hydrocarbon can migrate upward to the upper Ordovician reservoir directly, which deserves exploration attention.

Keywords

Middle-upper Yangtze Region / Sichuan Basin / Ordovician / Lithofacies paleogeography / Hydrocarbon accumulation model

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Wenzheng Li: Writing-review & editing, Writing-original draft, Methodology, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Data curation, Conceptualization. Hua Jiang: Investigation, Data curation. Xiaodong Fu: Methodology, Investigation. Yuan He: Investigation, Methodology. Mingfeng Gu: Investigation. Nan Su: Investigation, Methodology. Shiyu Ma: Investigation. Shugen Liu: Supervision. Yongxiao Wang: Investigation. Xuefei Yang: Writing-review & editing, Writing-original draft.

Declaration of competing interest

No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed.

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the scientific research and technology development project of CNPC “Research on Marine Carbonate Reservoir Formation Theory and Exploration Technology” (No: 2021DJ0501), major project of Southwest Oil and gas field exploration “Research on Caledonian Tectonic-lithofacies Paleogeography and Prototype Basin Restoration in Sichuan Basin and adjacent Areas” (No: XNS-Nh2020-011).

References

[1] J.H. Du, X.Y. Zhou, Q.M. Li, et al., Characteristics and controlling factors of the large carbonate petroleum province in the Tarim Basin, NW China, Petrol. Explor. Dev. 38 (6) (2011) 652-661.

[2] J.H. Fu, G.D. Dong, X.P. Zhou, et al., Research progress of petroleum geology and exploration technology in Ordos Basin, China Petroleum Exploration 26 ( 3) (2021) 19-40.

[3] H.Y. Xie, J.Z. Zhao, P.X. Wang, et al., Ordovician sequence stratigraphic framework in the Middle-Upper Yangtze area, Acta Pet. Sin. 40 (10) (2019) 1202-1222.

[4] H.R. Hu, F.G. Xing, M.C. Hou, et al., Ordovician sequence and lithofacies paleogeography reconstruction in Upper Yangtze region and its implications for oil and gas exploration, Earth Sci. 44 (3) (2019) 798-809.

[5] X.F. Wang, Ordovician tectonic-paleogeography in South China and chrono- and bio-stratigraphic division and correlation, Earth Sci. Front. 23 (6) (2016) 253-267.

[6] L.B Lin, Y. Yu, Q.C. Huang, et al., The geochemical characteristics and sedimentary environment analysis of Ordovician in Wangcang region, northern Sichuan Basin, Acta Petrol. Sin. 33 (4) (2017) 1272-1284.

[7] J.X. Wang, Study on Sedimentary Facies and Lithofacies Palaeogeography of Middle and Late Ordovician in Dejiang of Guizhou, Chengdu University of Technology, 2018, p. 69.

[8] S.G. Liu, W. Sun, Y. Zhong, et al., Evolutionary episodes and their characteristics within the Sichuan marine craton basin during Phanerozoic Eon, China, Acta Petrol. Sin. 33 (4) (2017) 1058-1072.

[9] H. Tang, Q. Xu, S.J Lu, et al., The ordovician retroarc Foreland Basin on the Yangtze block linked to the final assemblage of gondwana, Lithosphere (1) (2022).

[10] Wei Yang, Wuren Xie, Wei Guoqi, et al., Sequence lithofacies paleogeography, favorable reservoir distribution and exploration zones of the Cambrian and Ordovician in Sichuan Basin, China, Acta Pet. Sin. 33 (S2) (2012) 21-34.

[11] Z.Z. Feng, Y.G. Peng, Z.K. Jin, et al., Lithofacies palaeogeography of the early Ordovician in southSouth China, J. Palaeogeogr. 3 (2) (2001) 11-22.

[12] Z.Z. Feng, Y.G. Peng, Z.K. Jin, et al., Lithofacies palaeogeography of the middle and late Ordovician in South China, J. Palaeogeogr. 3 (4) (2001) 10-24.

[13] G.G. Zou, E.Y. Liang, X.Y. Zhang, et al., Sedimentological characteristics and lithofacies palaeogeography of the early ordovician in northwestern hunan province, J. Palaeogeogr. 20 (1) (2018) 105-118.

[14] W.D. Sun, R.Q. Liao, The end Ordovician mass extinction induced by rapid glaciation, Science China Press 65 (6) (2020) 431-433.

[15] Yong Dan, Bin Liang, Jianwen Cao, et al., Characteristics of Ordovician honghuayuan Paleokarst reservoir in Kaili-Majiang-Danzhai area, southeastern Guizhou, Marine Origin Pet Geol 18 (1) (2013) 33-38.

[16] X.S. Xu, F. Wan, F.G. Yin, et al., Environment facies, ecological facies and diagenetic facies of Pagoda Formation, of Late Ordovina, J. Mineral. Petrol. 21 (3) (2001) 64-68.

[17] Y.Y. Zhao, Y.Y. Zhang, C. Ni, et al., Carbonate microfacies of the Lower Ordovician Tungtzu Formation at Shuibatang, Tongzi, northwest Guizhou province, Acta Micropalaeontol. Sin. 31 (4) (2014) 429-439.

[18] X.Y. Li, A New Gas Production Layer Has Been Found in Sichuan Basin.[N]. Sichuan daily, 2023-11-12 (NEWS).

[19] Z.Q. Chen, A discussion on gas exploration in the Ordovician of the Sichuan Basin, Nat. Gas. Ind. 30 (1) (2010) 23-30.

[20] T.L. Guo, Charateristics and exploration potential of ordovician reservoirs in Sichuan Basin, Oil Gas Geol. (3) (2014) 372-378.

[21] Z.B. Liu, F.G. Xing, H.R. Hu, et al., Multi-origin of dolomite in lower ordovician Tongzi Formation of Sichuan Basin, western China, Editorial Committee of Earth Sci-J China Univers Geosci 46 (2) (2021) 583-599.

[22] L. Zhou, H. Tang, Y.D. Li, et al., Reservoir characteristics and genesis of the lower ordovician Tongzi Formation in central Sichuan Basin, China, Front. Earth Sci. 10 (2023) 984491.

[23] G.W. Zhang, A.L. Guo, Y.J. Wang, et al., Tectonics of South China continent and its implications, Sci. China Earth Sci. 43 (10) (2013) 1553-1582.

[24] D.F. He, D.S. Li, G.W. Zhang, et al., Formation and evolution of multi-cycle superposed Sichuan Basin, China, Chinese J Geology 46 (3) (2011) 589-606.

[25] Y.D. Zhang, R.B. Zhan, Y.Y. Zhen, et al., Ordovician integrative stratigraphy and timescale of China, Sci. China Earth Sci. 49 (1) (2019) 61-88, 62.

[26] G.X. Wang, Y.N. Cui, Z.T. Zhang, et al., Early Katian (late Ordovician) stratigraphy and paleogeography of the western Yangtze platform, South China, J. Stratigr. 46 (3) (2022) 255-270. (in Chinese with English abstract)

[27] J. Li, D.F He, Q.H. Mei, Tectonic-depositional environment and proto-type basins evolution of the Ordovician in Sichuan Basin and adjacent areas, Acta Pet. Sin. 36 (4) (2015) 427-445.

[28] M.F. Gu, W.Z. Li, Q. Zou, et al., Lithofacies palaeogeography and reservoir characteristics of the Cambrian Xixiangchi Formation in Sichuan Basin, Marine Origin Pet Geol 25 (2) (2020) 162-170.

[29] W.B. Su, Z.M. Li, F.R. Ettensohn, et al., Distribution of black shale in the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations (Ordovician-Silurian),South China: major controlling factors and implications, Earth Sci. J. China Univ. Geosci. 32 (6) (2007) 819-827.

[30] Z.J. Jin, L.G. Cai, Exploration propects, problems and strategies of Marine oil and gas in China, Oil Gas Geol. 27 (6) (2006) 722-730.

[31] L. Xie, X.F. Yang, Y.H. Zhang, et al., Sedimentary characteristics and lithofacies paleogeography of the Cambrian in Sichuan Basin, Southwest China, Petroleum (2022).

[32] W.M. Huang, S.G. Liu, W.X. Ma, et al., Petroleum exploration potential of the Ordovician in the Sichuan Basin, Oil Gas Geol. 32 (3) (2011) 461-473.

[33] Xinhua Ma, Jun Xie, The progress and prospects of shale gas exploration and exploitation in southern Sichuan Basin, SW China, Petrol. Explor. Dev. 45 (1) (2018) 161-169.