Characteristics of Petroleum Accumulation and Distribution in the Prototype Basins

Abstract

When comparing four prototype basins, they not only have different tectonic and depositional backgrounds, but they also have different petroleum accumulative (elements) conditions. Therefore, these prototype basins contain noticeable distinctions in their correlations of accumulative elements and in their accumulative processes; in addition, they also display their own accumulative features and patterns. In the rifted basin, because the petroleum rich depression contains high quality hydrocarbon source rock of large thickness and broad distribution, it thus has the characteristics of a “petroliferous rich depression”. In the depressed basin, the lithostratigraphic traps were not only favorably developed on the delta front, but they also perfectly correlated with the hydrocarbon source rock that was located in the central area of the lake, which displays the characteristics of accumulating oil on the delta front. In the foreland basin, the development of a lithostratigraphic reservoir in the foreland thrust belt was controlled by faults and fans; this characteristic is represented by the northwestern margin in the Zhungeer basin. In the marine craton basin, oil and gas accumulations were controlled by the reef flat on the platform margin and other high energy facies. Understanding these characteristics and patterns will benefit oil and gas exploration in the future.