Mesozoic basin evolution and hydrocarbon potential in the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2021.7.8

Abstract

Abstract:

The current exploration results show that the Mesozoic strata are widely developed in the vase sea area from the northern South China Sea to southern East China Sea. However, no major exploration breakthroughs in the Mesozoic strata has been made except for the discovery of industrial oil and gas reservoirs in the southwestern Taiwan basin. In this study, the Mesozoic strata across this entire sea area were studied as a whole, where an unified tectonic background analysis was conducted to uncover the nature of this large basin as well as its formation and evolution mechanism in each tectonic period; the hydrocarbon resource potential in the Mesozoic strata was also explored. The results show that this large basin spans from the Late Triassic to Cretaceous, and the evolution of the basin is controlled by the mutual movements of the surrounding plates. The basin is mainly controlled by the Tethys structural domain in the Late Triassic (T₃), and its nature is passive continental margin marine sedimentary basin. From the Early Jurassic (J₁) to Early Cretaceous the basin is controlled by the subduction between the Paleo-Pacific plate (izonesaki plate) and Eurasian plate, where fore-arc depression basin from the Early-Middle Jurassic (J_1-2) and back-arc fault basin from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (J₃-K₁) are developed. Presently, it is still a back-arc fault basin in the Late Cretaceous (K₂) under the joint control of the Pacific, Eurasian and Indian plates, with increased intensity of rifting compared with the previous period. The sea water intrudes from the southeast direction, and the stratum transits from the sea to the land vertically. From south to the northwest and northeast, with the water depth gradually becoming shallow, the stratum also transits from the sea to the land. The Mesozoic developed deep-sea facies and bay facies mudstones in the Chaoshan depression of the northern South China Sea, and bay facies mudstones in the Jilong depression of the southern East China Sea, with great hydrocarbon generation potential. Overall, the Mesozoic strata have the material basis and geological conditions for forming large oil and gas reservoirs with great exploration potential. The results of this study can provide a basis for the exploration of Mesozoic oil and gas resources in this vast sea area.

Key words: northern South China Sea to southern East China Sea, Mesozoic, basin evolution, tectonic environment, hydrocarbon resource

CLC Number:

P744

WANG Mingjian, PAN Jun, GAO Hongfang, HUANG Long, LI Xia. Mesozoic basin evolution and hydrocarbon potential in the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2022, 29(2): 294-302.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig.1 Tectonic divisions from the northern South China Sea to southern East China Sea

Fig.2 Mesozoic stratigraphic correlation between the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

Fig.3 Characteristics of seismic wave groups in the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

Fig.4 Late Triassic (T3) basin in the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

Fig.5 Early-Middle Jurassic (J1-2) basin in the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

Fig.6 Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (J3-K1) basin in the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

Fig.7 Contour map of the thickness of the Mesozoic strata of the northern South China Sea and southern East China Sea

References 23

[1]	舒良树, 周新民. 中国东南部晚中生代构造作用[J]. 地质论评, 2002, 48(3):249-260.
[2]	董树文, 张岳桥, 陈宣华, 等. 晚侏罗世东亚多向汇聚构造体系的形成与变形特征[J]. 地球学报, 2008, 29(3):306-317.
[3]	李三忠, 臧艺博, 王鹏程, 等. 华南中生代构造转换和古太平洋俯冲启动[J]. 地学前缘, 2017, 24(4):213-225.
[4]	鲁宝亮, 王璞珺, 张功成, 等. 南海北部陆缘盆地基底结构及其油气勘探意义[J]. 石油学报, 2011, 32(4):580-587.
[5]	赵美松, 刘海龄, 吴朝华. 南海南北陆缘中生代地层-构造特征及碰撞造山[J]. 地球物理学进展, 2012, 27(4):1454-1464.
[6]	肖国林, 王明健, 杨长清, 等. 东海南部中生界烃类生成、运聚与成藏数值模拟[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2019, 39(6):138-149.
[7]	王明健, 肖国林, 张勇, 等. 东海陆架盆地东南部白垩系油气成藏条件[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2019, 39(6):169-176.
[8]	王明健, 张勇, 潘军, 等. 2020. 东部海域地学大断面地质结构特征及其对综合地层分区的约束[J]. 中国地质, 47(5):1474-1485.
[9]	WANG M J, XIAO G L, YANG C Q, et al. Characteristics and evaluation of Mesozoic source rocks in the southeastern East China Sea continental shelf[J]. China Geology, 2019, 2(2):133-141. DOI URL
[10]	冯晓杰, 张川燕, 王春修, 等. 东海陆架和台西南盆地中生界及其油气勘探潜力[J]. 中国海上油气(地质), 2001, 15(5):306-310, 316.
[11]	邱燕, 温宁. 南海北部边缘东部海域中生界及油气勘探意义[J]. 地质通报, 2004, 23(2):142-146.
[12]	钟广见, 吴世敏, 冯常茂. 南海北部中生代沉积模式[J]. 热带海洋学报, 2011, 30(1):43-48.
[13]	岳军培, 张艳, 沈怀磊, 等. 华南陆缘地质特征对南海北部盆地基底的约束[J]. 石油学报, 2013, 34(S2):120-128.
[14]	崔幸, 王亮亮, 罗洪明, 等. 东海陆架盆地南部中生代盆地性质与演化:砂箱物理模拟检验[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2017, 37(4):181-192.
[15]	杨长清, 杨艳秋, 杨传胜, 等. 东海陆架盆地南部中生代构造-沉积演化与油气勘探方向[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2019, 39(6):30-40.
[16]	XU C H, SHI H S, BARNES C G, et al. Tracing a late Mesozoic magmatic arc along the Southeast Asian margin from the granitoids drilled from the northern South China Sea[J]. International Geology Review, 2016, 58(1):71-94. DOI URL
[17]	XU C H, ZHANG L, SHI H S, et al. Tracing an Early Jurassic magmatic arc from South to East China Seas[J]. Tectonics, 2017, 36(3):466-492. DOI URL
[18]	张成晨, 许长海, 何敏, 等. 东海到南海晚中生代岩浆弧及陆缘汇聚体制综述[J]. 地球科学进展, 2019, 34(9):950-961.
[19]	周蒂, 王万银, 庞雄, 等. 地球物理资料所揭示的南海东北部中生代俯冲增生带[J]. 中国科学: D辑, 2006, 36(3):209-218.
[20]	姚伯初, 张莉, 韦振权, 等. 华南东部中生代构造特征及沉积盆地[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2011, 31(3):47-60.
[21]	刘安, 吴世敏. 珠江口盆地花岗岩成因探讨及其对油气资源指示意义[J]. 地学前缘, 2011, 18(1):141-148.
[22]	郝沪军, 汪瑞良, 张向涛, 等. 珠江口盆地东部海相中生界识别及分布[J]. 中国海上油气, 2004, 16(2):84-88.
[23]	何家雄, 夏斌, 王志欣, 等. 南海北部大陆架东区台西南盆地石油地质特征与勘探前景分析[J]. 天然气地球科学, 2006, 17(3):345-350.