Late Cretaceous stratigraphy, Songliao Basin, NE China: SK1 cores

Abstract

The Songliao Basin is the largest Cretaceous oil and gas-producing lacustrine basin in China, with its greatest aerial extent in the middle Cretaceous. A coring program (SK1) has to date yielded 2485.89m of continuous core (96.46% recovery) and provides significant material for Cretaceous research. The sequence of the core consists mainly of lacustrine sandstone, dark grey mudstone, shale and oil-shale. The Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic section has been subdivided into the Quantou, Qingshankou, Yaojia, Nenjiang, Sifangtai and Mingshui formations in ascending order. Late Cretaceous microfossils are diverse and abundant. A detailed biostratigraphic study has subdivided the sequence into high precision biozones: 21 ostracode assemblages, 10 phytoplankton assemblages, 7 palynological zones and 4 charophyta assemblages, respectively. In addition, marine foraminifera were first discovered from the basin. Three 206Pb/238U ages and one 40Ar/39Ar age were analysed. Ten local magnetozones have been recognised in the SK1 (North), and two magnetozones have been indicated in the SK1 (South). Based on biostratigraphy, high-resolution magnetostratigraphy and SIMS U–Pb zircon analyses, the SK1 stratigraphy is correlated with Upper Cretaceous stages in the International Geologic Time Scale. The upper part of the Quantou Formation is the lower Turonian; the Qingshankou Formation is the upper Turonian–lower Coniacian; the Yaojia Formation is from the upper Coniacian to middle Santonian; the Nenjiang Formation is the upper Santonian to middle Campanian; the Sifangtai Formation is limited to the upper Campanian; and the Mingshui Formation is the uppermost Campanian to Maastrichtian. It is likely that the upper part of the Mingshui Formation belongs to the Paleocene, and the K/Pg boundary is within the Member 2 of the Mingshui Formation around the depth of 328m by new micropalaeontologic and magnetostratigraphic data.