Seismic stratigraphy of the Qiongdongnan deep sea channel system, northwest South China Sea

Based on more than 4000 km 2D seismic data and seismic stratigraphic analysis, we discussed the extent and formation mechanism of the Qiongdongnan deep sea channel. The Qiongdongnan deep sea channel is a large incised channel which extends from the east boundary of the Yinggehai Basin, through the whole Qiongdongnan and the Xisha trough, and terminates in the western part of the northwest subbasin of South China Sea. It is more than 570 km long and 4-8 km wide. The chaotic (or continuous) middle (or high) amplitude, middle (or high) continuity seismic facies of the channel reflect the different lithological distribution of the channel. The channel formed as a complex result of global sea level drop during early Pliocene, large scale of sediment supply to the Yinggehai Basin, inversion event of the Red River strike-slip fault, and tilted direction of the Qiongdongnan Basin. The large scale of sediment supply from Red River caused the shelf break of the Yinggehai Basin to move torwards the S and SE direction and developed large scale of prograding wedge from the Miocene, and the inversion of the Red River strike-slip fault induced the sediment slump which formed the Qiongdongnan deep sea channel.

天山南北山前盆地中-新生代沉积记录及其动力学分析

It has been long known that intense multiple Mesozoic-Cenozoic intracontinental deformations have controlled the grand scale basin-range structural evolution of the Tianshan and its adjacent basins. So it is important to study the sedimentary records of the piedmont basins along the two sides of the Tianshan synthetically for the continental geodynamic research.We carried out a magnetostratigraphy study on Cretaceous- Tertiary succession and U-Pb dating analysis of detrital zircons from the representative sandstone samples of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic deposits in Kuqa Subbasin, northern Tarim Basin, combining our previous results of multiple depositional records from different profiles including paleocurrent data, conglomerate clast, sandstone framswork grains, detrital heavy minerals and geochemistry analysis, so the multiple intracontinental tectonic processes of Tianshan and their depositional response in the Kuqa Subbasin can be revealed. The results show that the tectonic evolution of the Tianshan Orogen and the sedimentary processes of the Kuqa Subbasin can be divided into four periods: early Triassic(active period), from middle Triassic to late Jurassic(placid period), from early Cretaceous to Tertiary Paleocene(active period) and from Neogene to present (intensely active period). Simultaneously，the depositional records reveal the provenance types and tectonic attributes in different periods. As follows, the lower Triassic with a dominant age ranging from 250 to 290Ma of the Zircons, which were principally derived from alkali feldspar granites and alkaline intrusion obviously, relative to the magma activity in Permian. In middle Triassic-late Jurassic, the two samples collected from the Taliqike formation and the Qiakemake formation respectively show the age peak at 350～450Ma, which was relative to the subduction of the Tarim Block to Yili-Central Tianshan Plate. In this period the provenance of the Kuqa deposits was the Central Tianshan arc orogenic belts distantly with little height predominance.During early Cretaceous-Paleogene, two major zircons age spectra at 240~330Ma and 370~480Ma have been acquired, with some other not dominant age ranges, indicating complicated provenance types. In Neogene, the detrital zircons age dating ranges from 460 to 390 Ma primarily. What’s more, the newer chronology of the stratigraphy and the older source age, indicating that Tianshan was uplifted and exhumated further strongly. Further study on the heavy mineral and the detrital zircons age dating of the Mesozoic-Paleogene representative profiles in southern Junggar Basin, combined with the published results of the sandstone framework grains, we consider that it occurred obvious sedimentary and tectonic changes occurred in the inside of Jurassic, from late Jurassic to early Cretaceous and form early Cretaceous to late Cretaceous. On this faces, there are remarkable changes of the steady minerals and unstable minerals, the sandstone maturity and the age spectra of the detrital zircons. Compared the sedimentary records from the two sides of the Tianshan, We find that they are different obviously since Middle Jurassic. It can be concluded that Tianshan have uplifted highly enough to influence the paleo-climatic. According to the current strata division, the structural activity apparently showed a migration from north to south. That is to say, the South Tianshan uplift later than the north, especially from late Jurassic to early Cretaceous , but it was uplifted and exhumated more strongly. Furthermore, correlating the depositional records and tectonic styles in the Kuqa-South Tianshan basin-range conjugation site in the east with the west, the obvious differentiation between the west and the east from the Cretaceous especially in Tertiary along the Tianshan-Kuqa belt was revealed, probably showing earlier uplifting in the east while greater exhumation depth and sediment rates in the west. In addition, the contacting style of Kuqa subbasin to the Tianshan Orogenic belts and the basement structure are also inconsistent at different basin-range conjugation sites. It is probably controlled by a series of N-S strike adjusting belts within the Kuqa subbasin, or probably correlated with the material difference at the complicated basin-range boundary. The research on the Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic-depositional response in the piedmont basins along the two sides of the Tianshan shows that the basin-filling process was controlled by the intracontinental multicyclic basin-range interactions, especially affected by the intense tectonic differentiations of basin-range system, which can’t be illuminated using a single evolutionary model.

黑龙江依兰早第三纪植物群及古气侯分析

本文通过采于黑龙江依兰县达连河露天煤矿的早第三纪植物化石的全面深入研究，借助于叶形、脉形、细脉、角质层共鉴定出植物39科61属78种包括蕨类2种、裸子植物11种、单子叶植物2种、双子叶植物64种，其中有8个新种1个新组合。并通过与类似植物群的对比确定了植物群时代，对地层作了重新划分。 对A段早始新世的植物群分析显示出年均温13.2℃，年温差20℃，有效温度为13.77℃，植被应为常绿阔叶林或富热带性的暖温带常绿阔叶落叶阔叶混交林，沉积盆地为高山谷地。 对B段渐新世的植物群分析显示的古气候年均温11℃，年温差25℃，有效温度13.27℃。植被为暖温带常绿落叶阔叶混交林，沉积环境为狭长河流湖泊，两岸为山地。 通过以上古气候分析，对依兰地区的植物区系演变及温度变迁作了推测，并结合孢粉学、地层学、古昆虫等资料进行了古生态、古地形分析。对被子植物区系的形成演化进行了一些探讨，提出佳依地堑是北极第三系植物群向东南亚扩散迁移的重要通道，对中国植物区系的形成起着极其重要的作用，也是中国植物区系古老、丰富、复杂的原因之一。

Features of Late Cenozoic Deepwater Sedimentation in Southern Qiongdongnan Basin, Northwestern South China Sea

Based on high resolution 2D and 3D seismic data acquired in recent years, using sequence stratigraphy analysis and geophysical methods, we discuss the features of Late Cenozoic deepwater sedimentation in the southern Qiongdongnan (sic) basin. The study area entered a bathyal slope environment in the Miocene. The channel developed in the Sanya (sic) Formation was controlled by a fault break, and its shingled seismic characteristics represent multiple erosion and fill, which may indicate that turbidite current developed in the slope environment. The polygon faults found in mudstone of the Meishan (sic) Formation represent the deepwater hungry sedimentary environment. The large-scale channels developed on the top of Huangliu (sic) Formation could be the result of a big sea level drop and an increase of sediment supply. The fantastic turbidite channel developed in Late Quaternary in the slope environment has "fan-like" body and long frontal tiny avulsion channel. The analysis of these features suggests that the sediment supply of the study area in the post-rifting period was dominant from the Vietnam uplift in the southwest. These deepwater sedimentary features could be potential reservoirs or migration pathways for deepwater petroleum systems.

Transformation of accommodation space of the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation, the Songliao Basin, NE China

Analysis of accommodation space variation during deposition of the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin, NE China, indicates that accommodation space changed both through time and across the basin as a seesaw movement. The mid-upper Qingshankou Formation is divided into three units. In each unit, changes of accommodation space differ in the southern and northern part of the basin. Increasing accommodation in the southern part is accompanied by a decrease in the northern part, and vice versa. Between the northern and southern basin, there was a neutral belt that is like a fulcrum, called the transformation belt here, where the accommodation did not change to any significant degree. We call this response 'accommodation transformation', whose characteristics are defined by tectonic subsidence analysis, palaeontological and sedimentary analyses. The accommodation increasing belt, decreasing belt, transformation belt and accommodation transformation boundary together constitute the accommodation transformation system. The recognition of accommodation transformation in the Songliao Basin provides a new insight into sequence stratigraphy and might be widely applicable.

Petroleum System in Deepwater Basins of the Northern South China Sea

The northern South China Sea margin has experienced a rifting stage and a post-rifting stage during the Cenozoic. In the rifting stage, the margin received lacustrine and shallow marine facies sediments. In the post-rifting thermal subsidence, the margin accumulated shallow marine facies and hemipelagic deposits, and the deepwater basins formed. Petroleum systems of deepwater setting have been imaged from seismic data and drill wells. Two kinds of source rocks including Paleogene lacustrine black shale and Oligocene-Early Miocene mudstone were developed in the deepwater basin of the South China Sea. The deepwater reservoirs are characterized by the deep sea channel rill, mass flow complexes and drowned reef carbonate platform. Profitable capping rocks on the top are mudstones with huge thickness in the post-rifting stage. Meanwhile, the faults developed during the rifting stage provide a migration path favourable for the formation of reservoirs. The analysis of seismic and drilling data suggests that the joint structural and stratigraphic traps could form giant hydrocarbon fields and hydrocarbon reservoirs including syn-rifting graben subaqueous delta, deepwater submarine fan sandstone and reef carbonate reservoirs.

Seismic characteristics of a reef carbonate reservoir and implications for hydrocarbon exploration in deepwater of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Our analysis of approximately 40,000 km of multichannel 2-D seismic data, reef oil-field seismic data, and data from several boreholes led to the identification of two areas of reef carbonate reservoirs in deepwater areas (water depth >= 500 in) of the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB), northern South China Sea. High-resolution sequence stratigraphic analysis revealed that the transgressive and highstand system tracts of the mid-Miocene Meishan Formation in the Beijiao and Ledong-Lingshui Depressions developed reef carbonates. The seismic features of the reef carbonates in these two areas include chaotic bedding, intermittent internal reflections, chaotic or blank reflections, mounded reflections, and apparent amplitude anomalies, similar to the seismic characteristics of the LH11-1 reef reservoir in the Dongsha Uplift and Island Reef of the Salawati Basin, Indonesia, which house large oil fields. The impedance values of reefs in the Beijiao and Ledong-Lingshui Depressions are 8000-9000 g/cc x m/s. Impedance sections reveal that the impedance of the LH11-1 reef reservoir in the northern South China Sea is 800010000 g/cc x m/s, whereas that of pure limestone in BD23-1-1 is > 10000 g/cc x m/s. The mid-Miocene paleogeography of the Beijiao Depression was dominated by offshore and neritic environments, with only part of the southern Beijiao uplift emergent at that time. The input of terrigenous sediments was relatively minor in this area, meaning that terrigenous source areas were insignificant in terms of the Beijiao Depression: reef carbonates were probably widely distributed throughout the depression, as with the Ledong-Lingshui Depression. The combined geological and geophysical data indicate that shelf margin atolls were well developed in the Beijiao Depression, as in the Ledong-Lingshui Depression where small-scale patch or pinnacle reefs developed. These reef carbonates are promising reservoirs, representing important targets for deepwater hydrocarbon exploration. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gas hydrate associated with mud diapirs in southern Okinawa Trough

Many mud diapirs have been recognized in southern Okinawa Trough by a multi-channel seismic surveying on R/V KEXUE I in 2001. Gas hydrates have been identified, by the seismic reflection characteristics, the velocity analysis and the impedance inversion. Geothermal heat flow around the central of the mud diapir has been determined theoretically by the Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSRs). Comparing the BSR derived and the measured heat flow values, we infer that the BSR immediately at the top of the mud diapirs indicate the base of the saturated gas hydrate formation zone (BSGHFZ), but not, as we ordinarily know, the base of the gas hydrate stability zone (BGHSZ), which could be explained by the abnormal regional background heat flow and free gas flux associated with mud diapirs. As a result, it helps us to better understand the generation mechanism of the gas hydrates associated with mud diapirs and to predict the gas hydrate potential in the southern Okinawa Trough. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paleoceanographic records in the sedimentary cores from the middle Okinawa Trough

Two gravity piston cores (Cores 155 and 18) involved in this study were collected from the middle Okinawa Trough. Stratigraphy of the two cores was divided and classified based on the features of planktonic foraminifera oxygen isotope changes together with depositional sequence, millennium-scale climatic event comparison, carbonate cycles and AMS(14)C dating. Some paleoclimatic information contained in sediments of these cores was extracted to discuss the paleoclimatic change rules and the short-time scale events presented in interglacial period. Analysis on the variation of oxygen isotope values in stage two shows that the middle part of the Okinawa Trough may have been affected by fresh water from the Yellow River and the Yangtze River during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The oxygen isotope value oscillating ranges of the cores have verified that the marginal sea has an amplifying effect on climate changes. The delta(13)C of benthic foraminifera Uvigerina was lighter in the glacial period than that in the interglacial period, which indicates that the Paleo-Kuroshio's main stream moved eastward and its influence area decreased. According to the temperature difference during the "YD" period existing in Core 180 and other data, we can reach the conclusion that the climatic changes in the middle Okinawa Trough area were controlled by global climatic changes, but some regional factors had also considerable influence on the climate changes. Some results in this paper support Fairbanks's point that the "YD" event was a brief stagnation of sea level rising during the global warming up procession. Moreover, the falling of sea level in the glacial period weakened the exchange between the bottom water of the Okinawa Trough and the deep water of the northwestern Pacific Ocean and resulted in low oxygen state of bottom water in this area. These procedures are the reasons for carbonate cycle in the Okinawa Trough area being consistent with the "Atlantic type" carbonate cycle.

Seismic profiles across the middle Tan-Lu fault zone in Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea, eastern China

The stratigraphic architecture, structure and Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Tan-Lu fault zone in Laizhou Bay, eastern China, are analyzed based on interpretations of 31 new 2D seismic lines across Laizhou Bay. Cenozoic strata in the study area are divided into two layers separated by a prominent and widespread unconformity. The upper sedimentary layer is made up of Neogene and Quaternary fluvial and marine sediments, while the lower layer consists of Paleogene lacustrine and fluvial facies. In terms of tectonics, the sediments beneath the unconformity can be divided into four main structural units: the west depression, central uplift, east depression and Ludong uplift. The two branches of the middle Tan-Lu fault zone differ in their geometry and offset: the east branch fault is a steeply dipping S-shaped strike-slip fault that cuts acoustic basement at depths greater than 8 km, whereas the west branch fault is a relatively shallow normal fault. The Tan-Lu fault zone is the key fault in the study area, having controlled its Cenozoic evolution. Based on balanced cross-sections constructed along transverse seismic line 99.8 and longitudinal seismic line 699.0, the Cenozoic evolution of the middle Tan-Lu fault zone is divided into three stages: Paleocene-Eocene transtension, Oligocene-Early Miocene transpression and Middle Miocene to present-day stable subsidence. The reasons for the contrasting tectonic features of the two branch faults and the timing of the change from transtension to transpression are discussed. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbonate cycle and its control factors in Kuroshio source region during the last 190ka BP

Two deep sea cores (Ph05-5, 16.05 degrees N, 124.34 degrees E, water depth 3382m and WP3: 22.15 degrees N, 122.95 degrees E, water depth 2700m) retrieved from the Kuroshio source region of the western Philippine Sea were selected to carry out the CaCO3 and calcareous nannofossil faunas study. Based on AMS(14)C data and comparing tire oxygen isotope curve with SPECMAP delta O-18 (Martinson et al., 1987) a stratigraphy was established. And, combining the changes of primary productivity and dissolution index of carbonate, the carbonate cycle and its control factors were analyzed in this region during the last 190ka BP. The carbonate contents showed higher values in the glacial periods and lower values during the interglacial and Holocene periods, which characteristics was similar to the tendency of "Pacific Type" carbonate cycle. However, there were high carbonate contents in the warm period and low values during the cold interval, which displayed the same tendency with the "Atlantic Type" carbonate cycle during the last glacial period (MIS4-2) in the east of Phillipines. The variations of primary productivity and carbonate dissolution index indicated that the carbonate dissolution was a major factor controlling the carbonate content in tire cast of Philippines, and the variations in carbonate contents were mainly affected by the productivity of calcareous organism in the Southeast of Taiwan. The "Atlantic Type" carbonate cycle in the cast of Phillipines during the last glacial period (MIS4-2) was an effect of the process of dissolution combined with the change of primary productivity.

渤海湾盆地东营凹陷南斜坡层序地层与地层油气藏研究

东营凹陷南斜坡地区地处盆地边缘，构造活动频繁，形成了多次地层剥蚀与超覆，发育多期不整合，同时研究区内油源十分丰富，油气可以沿断层、不整合面和渗透性砂体运移至各层系，具有形成地层油气藏的得天独厚的条件。 在综合分析地震、测井、岩心、录井等资料基础上，借鉴前人研究成果，结合研究区盆地演化和构造运动特征，建立了东营凹陷南斜坡的层序地层学格架，将东营凹陷南斜坡地区古近系划分为一个一级层序，四个二级层序，八个三级层序。 在关键井单井相和剖面相分析的基础上，详细研究了东营凹陷南斜坡地区的沉积演化和展布特征，认为其表现出了明显的规律性：在横向上，沉积体系的分布具有明显的分带性，靠近盆地边缘部位主要发育冲积扇―河流相沉积，向盆地内部方向发育有三角洲、滩坝、远岸浊积扇等沉积体系类型；在垂向上，沉积体系的演化具有旋回性，从孔一段和沙四下亚段的冲积扇沉积，到沙四上亚段的滨浅湖滩坝沉积，到沙三下亚段和沙三中亚段的浊积扇沉积，到沙三上亚段和沙二下亚段的三角洲沉积，再到沙一段的生物滩坝沉积和东营组的三角洲沉积，表现出了明显的旋回性。 详细研究了东营凹陷南斜坡的地层油藏输导体系，认为东营凹陷南斜坡地层圈闭的输导体系由断层、不整合和高渗透输导性骨架砂体组成。分析了南斜坡主要断层石村断层、陈官庄北断层和陈官庄南断层的封闭性；研究了不整合的类型、结构、分布特征及其在油气运聚过程中的地质意义，认为不整合的类型可以分为角度不整合和平行不整合两大类；不整合在纵向上具有三层结构，分别是不整合面之上底砾岩、风化粘土层及半风化岩石即风化林滤带；不整合的分布具有差异性、继承性和迁移性的特征；不整合在油气的运聚过程中主要起到五个方面的作用，使得油气能够发生长距离的运移，改善了储集层储集性能，改变了油气运移的方向，不整合的存在表明烃源岩可能发生二次生烃作用，对油气聚集成藏具有双重作用；分析了东营凹陷南斜坡的砂体展布及其孔渗特征，并对其输导系统进行了评价，认为王家岗和纯化－草桥鼻状构造带为来自于牛庄生油洼陷的油气的优势运移方向，陈官庄地区为一般运移方向。 分析了东营凹陷南斜坡地层油藏的烃源岩条件、储层特征、油气成藏动力特征、生油期与地层圈闭定型期的配置关系，查明了王73井未成藏原因，并在此基础了总结了东营凹陷南斜坡地区地层油藏成藏规律，分析了地层油气藏有利勘探方向。

东营凹陷辛东地区层序地层格架与油气藏预测研究

本文以东营凹陷辛东地区古近纪及新近纪地层为研究目标，通过层序地层划分、沉积相分析、储层评价和油藏特征及成藏模式研究，综合评价了油气藏，并进行了有利勘探目标预测。 在辛东地区首次通过层序地层学原理划分4个二级层序、7个三级层序，为储层和圈闭预测建立的等时层序地层格架；岩石类型主要包括砂岩、灰岩、泥岩和页岩等，以砂岩和泥岩为主。通过岩心观察、测井曲线分析、单井沉积相研究，结合剖面地震相和剖面沉积相分析表明，研究区发育三角洲、滨浅湖、半深湖-深湖相、湖底扇等沉积类型，形成浊积扇体-前三角洲-三角洲前缘-三角洲平原-河流相-浅湖亚相纵向演化序列，包括了含砾砂岩、中粗砂岩、细砂岩及粉砂岩储层；储层以次生孔隙为主，存在1600 ~ 2200m和2600 ~ 3200m次生孔隙带，为碳酸盐胶结物和长石与部分岩屑的溶蚀作用和粘土矿物脱水作用所致，在断裂活动、有效烃源岩成熟度范围的中细砂岩内最发育；较好的渗透层主要分布在东营组、沙二段和沙三上亚段。 研究区发育断层、岩性、断层-岩性等类型油气藏，主要形成于① 古近纪末东营期的生油层系内及邻近地区，以原生岩性油气藏为主；② 新近纪至第四纪沉积时期，其中新近纪明化镇和第四纪沉积时期，成为油气运聚的重要时期。成藏动力学系统呈现下部自源原生封闭型、中部它源原生半封闭型及上部它源次生开放型三种典型特征。 通过对成藏主控因素和油气分布规律的综合认识，在本区优选出3个有利勘探区域：① 沙三中下及沙四段浊积砂体，在构造翼部地区发育岩性油藏；② 沙二段和沙三上砂体，孔渗条件好，断层封堵性控制油藏；③ 馆陶-明化镇组浅层次生油藏，油气沿着断层、砂体不断地从翼部的深层向核部的浅层运聚形成油藏。