Comparison of Hydrocarbon Accumulations in Global Marine Carbonate Sequences and Its Implication for Exploration
Marine carbonates are important oil and gas exploration
plays. By the end of 2008, those recoverable reserves found in marine
carbonates, primarily distributed along the northern margin of Gondwana as well
as the western and eastern margins of Euramerica, account for 42.1% of the
total oil and gas reserves in the world based on our recent research. Stratigraphically, they are largely reserved in Cretaceous, Jurassic, Paleogene, Permian, Neogene and Carboniferous. A comparison of Chinese basins
with global basins indicates that marine carbonate sequences in China,
particularly those in the Tarim and Sichuan Basins, possess the essential
elements for the formation of significant hydrocarbon accumulations. The
distribution of oil and gas in marine carbonate sequences are mainly controlled
by the source kitchen and regional seal
, especially evaporite
seal
. Within the
prospective areas, the major paleo-highs, paleo-slopes, large structural trends
and/or zones with good reservoirs are the most favorable fairways. Within the
fairways, traps, lithofacies, diagenesis and/or structural fracturing dominate
the distribution of hydrocarbon accumulations.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90142 © 2012 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22-25, 2012, Long Beach, California