Discovery of effective scale source rocks of the Ordovician Majiagou Fm in the Ordos Basin and its geological significance

Abstract

There have been different views on the origins of gas reservoirs of Ordovician Majiagou Fm in the Ordos Basin, but none of them supports the opinion that there are scale source rocks (TOC>0.5%) in the Majiagou Fm. In this paper, a series of analysis was made on cores and cutting samples taken from recent newly-drilled wells in the Ordovician reservoirs in the central–eastern areas of the Ordos Basin. Accordingly, the organic abundance features of different types of source rocks in the Majiagou Fm were presented, and for the first time, it was discovered and verified that there are effective scale source rocks with high organic abundance. Based on these analysis and studies, the following results were achieved. First, the effective source rocks of Majiagou Fm are composed of thin–thick layered dark dolomite-bearing mudstones, dolomitic mudstones and argillaceous dolomites, and their enrichment and distribution are obviously controlled by sedimentary facies. During the sedimentation of Majiagou Fm, the effective scale source rocks developed better at the regressive stage than at the transgressive stage. The effective source rocks are primarily distributed in the upper part of Ma 5 Member (especially concentrated in the third and fourth sub-members) and secondly in Ma 3 Member, Ma 1 Member and the middle–lower part of Ma 5 Member. Second, the effective source rocks are areally distributed in a dual-girdle form around the Mizhi Salt Depression, and those in the secondary depressions are medium–thick layered, with a large total thickness and high organic abundance. Third, the effective source rocks in the center of Mizhi Depression and the secondary uplifts are thin-layered, with a small total thickness and low organic abundance. And fourth, the organic abundance of the effective source rocks varies from 0.30% to 8.45%. Phytoplankton and Acritarchs are the main parent materials of hydrocarbon, and organic matters are of sapropel or sapropel prone type. To sum up, the Ordovician effective source rocks in the Ordos Basin are generally at an over-mature stage and they contribute greatly to the natural gas in the Majiagou Fm. In these effective source rocks, dry gas is mainly generated at a high rate.