Structural deformation and fluid flow from East Sichuan to the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift, China

Abstract

Hydrocarbon preservation conditions have restricted exploration in the Middle and Upper Yangtze, and structural deformation and fluid activity have played an important role in the origin and preservation of oil and gas. In order to study that how the deformation and fluid activity impact the hydrocarbon preservation, we did some field work and collected some calcite vein samples for analysis of deformation periods using acoustic emission and fluid inclusions. Combined with previous studies, the strata distribution, tectonic deformation and fluid characteristics show that there are three structural belts in the study area: East Sichuan, West Hunan and Hubei and the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift, and that their tectonic deformation style, fluid inclusion characteristics and hydrocarbon preservation are different. The breakthrough thrusts were well developed in the anticline core, and a lot of hydrocarbon inclusions were found in calcite veins around the thrusts in East Sichuan. The breakthrough thrusts were only in the syncline core in West Hunan and Hubei, and the brine inclusions did not contain hydrocarbon in calcite veins around the thrusts. Many breakthrough thrusts were found in the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift, where there were only rare calcite veins. The deformation and hydrocarbon inclusion indicated that when there was no fault breakthrough in East Sichuan, the Paleozoic covered by the Triassic regional cap was good for hydrocarbon preservation. The strata above the Lower Paleozoic were denuded, and lots of brine inclusions and deep infiltration of surface water were found in the West Hunan and Hubei, so only the part of the syncline area with a well developed Silurian regional cap had good preservation conditions. Intense tectonic movements and denudation were widely developed in the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift, where there were only paleo-reservoirs, non-hydrocarbon fluid activity and poor preservation conditions.