Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2024, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (3): 658-672.doi: 10.11743/ogg20240306

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Cretaceous prototype basins and lithofacies paleogeography in the Tethyan domain and their role in hydrocarbon accumulation

Tongfei HUANG1(), Guangya ZHANG1,2(), Beiwei LUO1, Zhihua YU1, Lei ZHANG3, Zhiliang HE2, Guoping BAI2, Jiquan YIN1, Houqin ZHU1, Jinyin YIN2, Jianhuan YAO4   

  1. 1.Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development,PetroChina,Beijing 100083,China
    2.Institute of Energy,Peking University,Beijing 100871,China
    3.PetroChina Oil,Gas & New Energies Company,Beijing 100007
    4.General Management Department,CNPC,Beijing 100007,China
  • Received:2024-01-20 Revised:2024-05-12 Online:2024-06-30 Published:2024-07-01
  • Contact: Guangya ZHANG E-mail:huangtfei@petrochina.com.cn;zgy@petrochina.com.cn

Abstract:

Investigating the Cretaceous paleotectonic framework, prototype basins, and lithofacies paleogeographic characteristics of the Tethyan domain is essential for gaining a deeper understanding of the hydrocarbon accumulation patterns therein. Focusing on prototype basins and lithofacies paleogeographic characteristics during the Early Cretaceous (125 Ma±) and Late Cretaceous (90 Ma±) in the Tethyan domain, this study highlights the role of the Cretaceous structural and sedimentary evolution in governing hydrocarbon accumulation and enrichment in the domain. The results indicate the rapid spreading of the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the Early Cretaceous (125 Ma±). Accordingly, the Tethyan domain near Laurasia witnessed the formation of passive margin, rift, and back-arc basins in the Europe-North Africa and Middle East-Central Asia sections; the development of passive margin and back-arc basins in its western China-India section, and the occurrence of intracratonic basins in its eastern China-Southeast Asia section. In contrast, the Tethyan domain near Gondwanaland featured extensive passive margin basins during this period. As the Neo-Tethys Ocean began to contract during the Late Cretaceous (90 Ma±), the passive margin basins in the Tethyan domain near Gondwana and the rift basins and back-arc basins in the realm near Laurasia were maintained and further developed. Throughout the Early and Late Cretaceous, lithofacies assemblages dominated by thickly laminated sandstones, mudstones, and carbonate rocks were widely seen along both the northern and southern margins of the Tethyan domain, with multiple source rock-reservoir-caprock assemblages favorable for hydrocarbon accumulation formed vertically. Notably, regions along the northern margin of Gondwana, including North Africa, the Middle East, and the northern Australian Plate, exhibit superior geological conditions for hydrocarbon accumulation. During the Cretaceous, the Persian Gulf region of the Middle East exhibited passive margin prototype basins with littoral-neritic to bathyal sediments against a relatively stable plate. In comparison, the Arabian Plate’s low-latitude environment facilitated the formation and preservation of large quantities of organic-rich source rocks, as well as the multiple reservoir-caprock assemblages of high quality.

Key words: hydrocarbon enrichment, lithofacies paleogeography, paleotectonic framework, Cretaceous, prototype basin, Tethyan domain

CLC Number: