Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 570-586.doi: 10.11743/ogg20210304

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics, enviornment and geological dating of primary dolomite in the Neoproterozoic Pingwagou Formation at Hongliugou, Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang

Yixiong Qian1(), Chenglin Chu1, Yuejun Li2, Qingzhen Zhang1, Wangpeng Li3, Xin Yang3   

  1. 1. Wuxi Institute, Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute, SINOPEC, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
    2. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
    3. Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute, SINOPEC, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2020-12-01 Online:2021-06-28 Published:2021-06-23

Abstract:

The Neoproterozoic dolomite, one of the important carriers of ancient global climatic, biological, ecological and environmental information, is of great theoretical significance and application value.This study highlights the progress in characterization, environmental reconstruction and geological dating of a typical primary dolomite: the bitumen-bearing microbial Neoproterozoic dolomite from the Pingwagou Formation (previously believed to belong to the Nierkuli Group of Qingbaikou System) at Hongliugou section Ⅰ in Ruoqiang County.Petrographic and geochemical analyses as well as detrital zircon geochronology show that the Pingwagou Formation is mainly a set of intertidal to subtidal deposition of shallow-water primary dolomite mainly composed of algal oolite-granular dolomite, spongiostromate, laminated fine- and coarse-grained agglutinated stromatolites in wavy, conical, domal and columnar patterns, and microbolites in cemented spherulites intercalated with some tempestites.Two shallowing-up and deepening-down sub-cycles of bioherm and beach facies are developed in inner and mid ramps of the formation. Marine cements in grape-, fiber-, fibrous column-shaped or radial-fascicled patterns are broadly distributed with high ratios of Mg/Ca and a "cap-pattern" rare-earth distribution, indicating typical aragonite sea sediments and primary dolomites.Based on an overall consideration of stromatolite patterns, pronounced positive δ13C excursions (ave.7.80‰), δ18O (ave.-1.82‰) and elevated 87Sr/86Sr values (ave.0.708 07) as well as zircon U-Pb dating of underlying clastics, we conclude that the formation is a set of primary dolomite deposition by Mg- and Si-rich seawater as well as seafloor hydrothermal inputs against a warm climate in the Neoproterozoic Cryogenian after the Sturtian Ice Age (685-635 Ma).Despite a long geological evolution, the dolomite in the formation is of certain reservoir properties and has formed an effective source-reservoir combination with underlying argillaceous source rocks, posing an interesting yet tough challenge to oil and gas explorers.

Key words: primary dolomite, petrography, geochemistry, Pingwagou Formation, Neoproterozoic, Ruoqiang County

CLC Number: