Characteristics of Petroleum
Systems and Plays in the Dongying Depression, Shandong, China
Youlu Jiang1, Hua Liu1, Le Zhang1, Shanwen Zhang2, and Ning Wang2
1 China Petroleum
University, Dongying, Shandong, China
2 Shengli Petroleum
Bureau, SinoPec, Dongying, Shandong, China
The Dongying depression, a typical petroliferous lacustrine basin in the Bohai Bay, China, is now in a high exploration maturity stage. However, understanding of its petroleum
systems remains very important for future exploration. Two
petroleum
systems exist in the depression corresponding to two effective source rock units deposited in the Eocene sedimentary section. However, the source rocks occur across four different intra-basinal sags, with each of them exhibits distinct generation and expulsion history, making the overall
petroleum
system
picture more complex. The two
petroleum
systems share the same geological elements for
petroleum
accumulations, although
petroleum
generation, migration and accumulation processes are independent from one another.
Within the two petroleum
systems, eight
petroleum
plays can be identified based reservoir distribution, structural/stratigraphic configuration, and their relationship to
petroleum
source rocks. Within each play, hydrocarbon accumulation is closely related to hydrocarbon migration pathways from source rock sags. Although vertical hydrocarbon migration predominates, and was very active in areas where intensive faulting occurs, short-distance lateral migration is also demonstrated by existing hydrocarbon accumulations.
Petroleum
accumulations occur in areas direct adjacent to or within individual
petroleum
-generative sags.
The petroleum
system
and play analysis provides insights into future exploration directions within the maturely explored basin, and the results could be used in exploration of similar basins around the world.