Paleogeothermal reconstruction and thermal evolution modeling of source rocks in the Puguang gas field, northeastern Sichuan Basin

Abstract

The thermal history and organic matter maturity evolution of the source rocks of boreholes in the Puguang gas field were reconstructed. An integrated approach based on vitrinite reflectance and apatite fission track data was used in the reconstruction. Accordingly, the geothermal conditions of gas accumulation were discussed in terms of the geological features of reservoirs in the northeastern Sichuan Basin. The strata reached their maximum burial depth in the Late Cretaceous era and were then uplifted and denuded continuously to the present day. The geothermal gradient and heat flow in the Late Cretaceous era were approximately 30.0 °C/km and 66 mW/m2, respectively, which were both higher than those at present. The tectonothermal evolution from the Late Cretaceous era to the present is characterized by denudation and cooling processes with an erosion thickness of ~2.7 km. In addition to the Triassic era, the Jurassic era represents an important hydrocarbon generation period for both Silurian and Permian source rocks, and the organic matter maturity of these source rocks entered into a dry gas period after oil generation. The thermal conditions are advantageous to the accumulation of conventional and unconventional gas because the hydrocarbon generation process of the source rocks occurs after the formation of an effective reservoir cap. In particular, the high geothermal gradient and increasing temperature before the denudation in the Late Cretaceous era facilitated the generation of hydrocarbons, and the subsequent cooling process favored its storage.