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TECTONIC EVOLUTION AND HYDROCARBON MIGRATION IN THE HUANGHUA BASIN, NE CHINA
Author(s) -
Fajing Chen,
Shulin Zhang
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of petroleum geology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1747-5457
pISSN - 0141-6421
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-5457.1991.tb00362.x
Subject(s) - graben , geology , horst , horst and graben , structural basin , fault (geology) , tectonics , pull apart basin , paleogene , half graben , echelon formation , petrology , fault scarp , geomorphology , sedimentary basin , paleontology
The Huanghua Basin is part of a Paleogene “dustpan‐”type fault‐bounded basin. whose tectonic development includes hapgraben to asymmetric and symmetric graben styles. Some half‐grabens later developed into complicated horst‐graben structures. Hydrocarbons normally migrate towards paleo‐swells. The directions in which hydrocarbons migrate in a fault‐bounded basin depend on the structure of the fault‐blocks. In the Cangdong sub‐basin — Kongdian high — Xiaojie sub‐basin complex, which comprises two tilted fault‐blocks and is controlled by two major faults with opposed dips, hydrocarbons migrate towards the high located between the two sub‐basins. The Banqiao sub‐basin — Beidagang high — Qibei sub‐basin complex is also composed of two tilted fault‐blocks. but is controlled by two major faults with the same dip: hydrocarbons migrate towards the high area, and also the gentle slope of the Qibei sub‐basin. In the two horst‐graben structures of the Nanbao graben — Gaoshangbao “low” high —Baigezhuang sub‐graben complex, hydrocarbons principally migrate from the two sub‐basins to the central high. and to the gentle slope of the major graben. Thus, hydrocarbon accumulations are distributed in a circular or semi‐circular configuration around the central oil‐generating sub‐basins In a fault‐bounded basin, the fault‐plane may serve as a conduit for hydrocarbon migration, but may also sometimes act as a seal, Hydrocarbons migrate from deeply‐buried to more shallow strata in two distinct ways — along either “staircase” or more simple vertical pathways. Fault‐plane barriers to hydrocarbon migration depend on the disposition of ductile beds on either side of the fault, and other conditions of top‐ and lateral sealing.