Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2019, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (4): 752-762,874.doi: 10.11743/ogg20190406

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Controls of facies-potential coupling on oil accumulation in the Mesozoic Ordos Basin

Qu Hongjun1,2, Pu Renhai1,2, Chen Shuo1,2, Gao Shengli3, Zheng Yanrong1,2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, China;
    2. Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, China;
    3. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710065, China
  • Received:2018-01-06 Revised:2019-01-21 Online:2019-08-28 Published:2019-06-01

Abstract: Oil in Ordos Basin mainly accumulates in the Mesozoic, so it is of great significance to study the oil accumulation patterns of the Mesozoic basin.This study provided an overview of the history of hydrocarbon exploration theories and discussed the oil accumulation patterns in the Mesozoic Ordos Basin based on the systematic analysis of the relationships between the Mesozoic source rocks, sedimentary facies belts, hydrocarbon migration and accumulation, and the oil reservoirs.The results show that the sedimentary facies control the distribution and development characteristics of hydrocarbon source rocks and reservoirs, whereas the diagenetic facies control the distribution and reservoir space of quality reservoirs.Pressure or fluid potentials determine the migration directions and pathways of oil and gas, thereby the coupling of facies and potentials controls the locations of hydrocarbon accumulations and traps.The Ordos Basin was a large inland down-warped basin during the deposition of the Yanchang and Yan'an Formations as the main oil-bearing layer series, featuring relatively simple structures, relatively flat-lying strata, and poorly developed fractures.Therefore, among the six major requirements for hydrocarbon accumulation, risks associated with cap rocks, traps and preservation are almost negligible.When the source rocks are ascertained in the Mesozoic Ordos Basin, the main risks are related with reservoirs, as well as hydrocarbon migration and accumulation.Thus, facies-potential coupling controls oil accumulation in the Mesozoic Ordos Basin, revealing the accumulation pattern as follows:"source rocks control the distribution of play, sedimentary facies control the occurrence of play fairways, and potentials control the location of oil reservoirs".To be specific, the source rocks in Chang 7 and Chang 9 in the Mesozoic basin control the distribution of play, and the 11 fluvial-delta systems around the basin control the distribution of play fairways.For shallow reservoirs controlled by buoyancy, the nose structural uplift plays a significant role in controlling the formation and distribution of oil reservoirs, while for the lower assemblage reservoirs controlled by abnormal pressures, the migration directions and accumulation locations are determined by the diffe-rential pressures or fluid potentials between source rock and reservoir.In addition, facies-potential coupling controls the diversity of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Mesozoic Ordos Basin seen from both planar and vertical directions, which is embodied by the "compensatory accumulation" in the shallow layers of the eastern Ordos Basin, "vertical bead-like accumulation" in the western Ordos Basin, and "abnormal pressure-controlled accumulation" in the deep Yanchang Formation.This understanding is also applicable to the exploration targets in other large down-warped petroliferous basins with higher exploration maturity.

Key words: potential-controlled reservoir location, sedimentary facies-controlled play fairway, facies-potential coupling, oil accumulation, source rock-controlled play, Yanchang Formation, Yan'an Formation, Mesozoic, Ordos Basin

CLC Number: