Formation and distribution of coal measure source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation in the Pinghu Slope of the Xihu Depression, East China Sea Shelf Basin

Yongcai Yang; Xiaojun Xie; Youchuan Li; Gang Guo; Xiaoying Xi; Wenjing Ding

doi:10.1007/s13131-023-2176-8

Volume 42 Issue 3

Mar. 2023

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Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2023 > 42(3): 254-269

Yongcai Yang, Xiaojun Xie, Youchuan Li, Gang Guo, Xiaoying Xi, Wenjing Ding. Formation and distribution of coal measure source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation in the Pinghu Slope of the Xihu Depression, East China Sea Shelf Basin[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2023, 42(3): 254-269. doi: 10.1007/s13131-023-2176-8

Citation:

Yongcai Yang, Xiaojun Xie, Youchuan Li, Gang Guo, Xiaoying Xi, Wenjing Ding. Formation and distribution of coal measure source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation in the Pinghu Slope of the Xihu Depression, East China Sea Shelf Basin[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2023, 42(3): 254-269. doi: 10.1007/s13131-023-2176-8

Citation:

Yongcai Yang, Xiaojun Xie, Youchuan Li, Gang Guo, Xiaoying Xi, Wenjing Ding. Formation and distribution of coal measure source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation in the Pinghu Slope of the Xihu Depression, East China Sea Shelf Basin[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2023, 42(3): 254-269. doi: 10.1007/s13131-023-2176-8

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Formation and distribution of coal measure source rocks in the Eocene Pinghu Formation in the Pinghu Slope of the Xihu Depression, East China Sea Shelf Basin

doi: 10.1007/s13131-023-2176-8

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100028, China

Funds: The National Science and Technology Major Project under contract No. 2016ZX05024-002; the Exploration Project of China National Offshore Oil Corporation under contract Nos 2018OT-KT-SC-9 and 2019KT-SC-10.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: yangyc2003@126.com
Received Date: 2022-03-17
Accepted Date: 2023-02-21

Available Online: 2023-03-08

Publish Date: 2023-03-25

Abstract

Abstract

The Xihu Depression in the East China Sea Shelf Basin is a large petroliferous sedimentary depression, in which oil and gas reservoirs were mainly discovered in the Pinghu Slope and the central inversion zone. The oil-gas source correlation in the Xihu Depression was analyzed by hydrocarbon generating thermal simulation data via gold-tube pyrolysis experiments. The results indicated that the oil and gas in the Xihu Depression were mainly derived from coal measure source rocks of the Eocene Pinghu Formation. Therefore, the identification of coal seams is extremely crucial for evaluating coal measure source rocks in the Pinghu Formation in the Xihu Depression. Geochemical and petrological characterization pointed to input of terrigenous organic matter and redox conditions of the depositional environment as factors that govern the ability of the coal measure source rocks in hydrocarbon generation in the Xihu Depression. In this regard, the sedimentary organic facies in the Pinghu Formation were classified into four predominantly terrigenous and one mixed-source subfacies, which all varied in carbon and hydrogen content. The coal measure source rocks in the carbon- and hydrogen-rich tidal flat-lagoon exhibited the highest hydrocarbon generation potential, whereas the mudstone in the neritic facies was the poorest in its hydrocarbon yield. These results suggested that the coal measure source rocks in the Pinghu Formation likely developed in the Hangzhou Slope and the Tiantai Slope, both representing promising sources for oil and gas exploration.
- coal measure source rocks,
- natural gas,
- lagoon,
- sedimentary organic facies,
- terrigenous organic matter

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