Origin and accumulation mechanism of shallow gases in the North Baodao Slope, Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Abstract

Abstract On the basis of geochemical characteristics and origins of gases in the North Baodao slope of the Qiongdongnan Basin, the gas migration and accumulation episodes and reservoir forming time are investigated and the reservoir forming model is built for the BD13 shallow gas pools. The chemical composition and carbon isotopic data of the shallow gas, are compared with the characteristics of BD19-2 high-mature gas from the south section of the same structural belt, which reveals that the shallow gas of the BD13 gas pools is a mixture of biogas/low mature gas and some mature gas. In combination with the associated condensate biomarkers and the inclusions data, it is inferred that the biogas and low mature gas in the BD13 gas pools came from the nearby immature to low mature source rocks of the Miocene to Oligocene and charged approximately 3 Ma ago; whereas the high-mature gas generated by the Yacheng Formation source rock in the Badao Sag migrated lately into the reservoirs. Geochemical and geological data show that the No.2 fault system acts as the key pathway for upward gas migration into the shallow reservoirs, and that the sand-bodies within the Miocene Meishan and Sanya Formations are the main conduits for lateral migration of the gas. This gas migration pattern implies that the Songdong-North Baodao slope has favorable gas exploration potential in the future gas exploration of the east shallow water area in the Qiongdongnan Basin.