An analysis of Cenozoic hydrocarbon generation potential and salty characteristics of Yiliping depression in Qaidam basin

WANG Yan-qing; ZHANG Yong-shu; XIA Zhi-yuan; YANG Ti-yuan; SONG Guang-yong; XU Feng; LIU Zhan-guo

doi:10.12029/gc20160417

2016 Vol. 43, No. 4

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Article navigation > Geology in China > 2016 > (4): 1317-1330

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WANG Yan-qing, ZHANG Yong-shu, XIA Zhi-yuan, YANG Ti-yuan, SONG Guang-yong, XU Feng, LIU Zhan-guo. An analysis of Cenozoic hydrocarbon generation potential and salty characteristics of Yiliping depression in Qaidam basin[J]. Geology in China, 2016, (4): 1317-1330. doi: 10.12029/gc20160417

Citation:

WANG Yan-qing, ZHANG Yong-shu, XIA Zhi-yuan, YANG Ti-yuan, SONG Guang-yong, XU Feng, LIU Zhan-guo. An analysis of Cenozoic hydrocarbon generation potential and salty characteristics of Yiliping depression in Qaidam basin[J]. Geology in China, 2016, (4): 1317-1330. doi: 10.12029/gc20160417

An analysis of Cenozoic hydrocarbon generation potential and salty characteristics of Yiliping depression in Qaidam basin

1.
PetroChina Hangzhou Research Institute of Geology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
2.
PetroChina Qinghai Oilfield Company, Dunhuang 736202, Ganshu, China

Received Date: 21 July 2015

Revised Date: 05 November 2015

Publish Date: 24 August 2016

Abstract

Abstract

So far, both oil and gas found in Qaidam Basin are distributed around the Jurassic, Tertiary and Quaternary hydrocarbonrich sub-sag areas. In recent years, surrounding hydrocarbon-rich depression in petroleum exploration, Kunbei and Yingdong, the two "hundred million tons grade" oilfields,"hundred billion cubic meters" gas in the eastern front part of Altun Mountain and "hundred million tons grade" tight oil in Zhahaquan exploration area have been discovered, and the exploration has made great success. Along with the construction of ten million tons of plateau oil and gas fields in Qaidam Basin and the urgent need of finding new fields and new exploration areas and with the aid of major science and technology projects of Petro China, the authors used the data of boron element and clay minerals and employed Couch formula to carry out paleosalinity recovery, and finally confirmed that the Cenozoic sediment is salty lake deposition in Qaidam Basin. Comparing the Cenozoic salty characteristics of Qaidam basin with those of known hydrocarbon-rich depression in combination with organic geochemical test data of Yiliping depression, the authors hold that Yiliping depression is a potential hydrocarbon generation depression and is probably a new hydrocarbon-rich one. The oil and gas exploration surrounding the depression will be a new successive field and should have important strategic significance in oil and gas exploration in Qaidam Basin.
- Yiliping depression /
- Cenozoic /
- salty characteristics /
- hydrocarbon potential