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Foreland thrust belts are globally significant areas for oil and gas exploration. These belts undergo unique tectonic activity, resulting in distinct variations in the accumulation of oil and gas. Studying the genetic evolution of deep oil and gas in these thrust belts is a crucial means of revealing the patterns of deep oil and gas accumulation. This study utilized a novel approach that combines reservoir geochemistry and basin simulation to determine the migration process of oil and gas in the foreland thrust fault belt of northwestern Sichuan Province. To achieve this goal, we established a thermal evolution model of lower Palaeozoic source rocks through organic chemical analysis. The balanced profile technique was used to determine the paleotectonic evolution pattern of the critical period in this area. Additionally, the mixed flow migration algorithm was employed to simulate the evolution of the Palaeozoic petroleum system. Through basin petroleum system modelling (BPSM), it was discovered that the bitumen found in the thrust nappe belt originated from the lower Cambrian strata. Furthermore, the gas reservoir in the hidden fault belt primarily migrated from the lower Cambrian strata and was also partially mixed with thermogenic gas from Permian source rocks. After establishing the genetic models of various tectonic belts in the study area, it became clear that there are notable differences in hydrocarbon accumulation within these belts. The BPSM results revealed that the oil present in the thrust nappe belt was generated in Lower Cambrian source rocks through early Indosinian hydrocarbon expulsion and continuous charging. The gas found in the thrust nappe belt was produced through the process of oil cracking in the deep reservoir located in the hidden front belt during the late Indosinian. The depth of the thrust nappe belt has helped to preserve hydrocarbon reservoirs. The natural gas present in the hidden fault belt primarily originates from lower Cambrian source rocks, which are combined with gas generated by oil cracking in lower Permian source rocks after the Yanshanian. Therefore, hydrocarbons accumulate deeply in the footwall of the thrust fault belt. The BPSM offers a fresh approach to hydrocarbon genetic models of thrust fault zones in the western Sichuan Basin, and it is beneficial for accurately evaluating the potential for deep hydrocarbon resources in comparable geological settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas-source correlation of highly mature natural gas in marine strata has always been a contentious issue due to the complexities of the petroleum systems, which involve multiple source-reservoir-cap assemblages. To shed light on this matter, a study was conducted using data from five typical gas fields and two hot exploration blocks in the northwestern Sichuan Basin. Thirty-seven samples from marine strata were collected, and their natural gas molecular compositions and stable carbon isotopes were examined to investigate the gas genetic types and origins. Based on detailed gas geochemistry information, combined with source rocks and reservoir characteristics, hydrocarbon accumulation history, and tectonic evolution, the formation of natural gas was studied. The results suggest that the natural gases in the area are dominated by hydrocarbon gases with extremely high dryness coefficients and a trace of CO2 and N2. These natural gases can be separated into three groups based on the development of structures and different source rocks, according to the identification of the gas-source correlation. The presence of oil cracking gas in natural gas increases with the amount of fracture development in the gas-bearing area and the amount of input from sapropelic organic matter in the Qiongzhusi Formation (Fm). Conversely, the contribution from mixing sapropelic-humic organic matter in the Middle-Upper Permian increases noticeably. The different geochemical characteristics of natural gas in the northwestern Sichuan Basin are the result of three-factor coupling, involving different source rocks, diversified fracture evolution, and various secondary alterations (thermochemical sulfate reduction alteration, thermal maturity effect, and mixing of gas). The development of fracture determines the contribution proportion of different source rocks, while secondary alteration further transforms the geochemical characteristics of natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas reservoirs in the Northwestern Sichuan Basin have great development potential. However, their production efficiency is seriously reduced by the complex surface multistage throttling process and frequent hydrate plugging caused by the ultra-high-pressure sour gas. Considering the prevention and control of hydrates, properly designing the throttling temperature and pressure to optimize the surface production process is the key to solving this problem. First, this work presents a method for predicting the hydrate formation conditions of ultra-high-pressure sour natural gas based on the vdW-P (van der Waals–Platteeuw) model and the CPA (cubic-plus-association) equation of state (EoS) and considering the association between acid gases (H2S, CO2) and H2O. Secondly, the throttling temperature prediction method was developed by coupling the isenthalpic throttling model and the modified Lee–Kesler EoS mixing rule; the maximum throttling pressure difference calculation method was constructed based on the critical flow principle. Finally, field cases are given to illustrate the distribution process of assigning the maximum throttling pressure differences. The results show that the proposed model can accurately predict the hydrate formation conditions and throttling temperature of ultra-high-pressure sour natural gas, and reveal their changing laws. The surface throttling technology of the ultra-high-pressure sour gas wells Long 004-X1 and Long 016-H1 was optimized from five-stage to three-stage, and the application of the fixed throttle valve in the field is successfully demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the northwestern part of the Sichuan Basin has become a popular location for natural gas exploration. However, up to this point, the geochemical characteristics and distribution of marine source rocks in this area have not been thoroughly investigated. In the northwestern Sichuan Basin, there are eight sets of marine source rock, including the Lower Sinian Doushantuo Formation, the third Member of Upper Sinian Dengying Formation, the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation, the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation, the Middle Devonian, the Middle Permian Maokou Formation, the Upper Permian Longtan Formation/Wujiaping Formation, and the Upper Permian Dalong Formation, from which eight outcrop profiles were selected for systematic organic geochemical analysis. The Qiongzhusi Formation has the thickest high-quality source rocks, up to 80 m thick, followed by the Upper Permian Longtan/Wujiaping and Dalong formations, which have up to 20–30 m thick high-quality source rocks, whereas the thickness in other layers is relatively thin. By the abundance of organic matter, the Doushantuo, Qiongzhusi, Longmaxi, Longtan/Wujiaping, and Dalong formations developed high-quality source rocks with total organic carbon content (TOC) greater than 3%, while the third Member of Upper Sinian Dengying Formation, Middle Devonian and Maokou formations had low TOC. The kerogen of source rocks gradually enriched 13C from the type Ⅰ organic matter of the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation to the Upper Permian Dalong Formation, and the δ13C values of Doushantuo Formation, the third Member of Dengying Formation, and Qiongzhusi Formation are less than −30.0‰. The δ13C values of Longtan Formation or Wujiaping Formation and Dalong Formation with type Ⅱ2 organic matter ranges from −28.0‰ and −26.0‰. Others lie somewhere in between type I and type II2. Except for Permian source rocks in Guangyuan and Chaotian areas, which are in the mature stage, source rocks in the northwestern Sichuan Basin are in the over-mature stage and largely in the thermal stage of dry gas. High abundance source rocks have provided rich marine natural gas resources. As a result, future gas exploration in the northwestern Sichuan Basin will focus on the gas-bearing system associated with the Qiongzhusi Formation and Upper Permian source rocks.

U–Pb ages of 637 new detrital zircons of Triassic sandstones from the Northwestern Sichuan Basin (NWSB), together with the petrology and paleocurrent data, are used to constrain the sediment provenance and tectonic–paleogeographic evolution of the western Yangtze Block. The U–Pb age data for the Lower Triassic detrital zircons generally show populations at ∼1,850 Ma, 980–705 Ma, 680–510 Ma, and 290–230 Ma with a minor cluster at ∼2.4 Ga. Such age spectrum features together with the eastward to northeastward paleocurrent direction implied that the Northwestern Sichuan Basin was dominantly fed by the uplifted Khamdian Paleoland. The Upper Triassic detrital zircons yield age populations at 855–730 Ma, 455–415 Ma, and 290–215 Ma and a prominent age group of 1.9–1.7 Ga. These age spectrum features together with paleocurrent data showed a provenance change with a major source of the Longmenshan thrust belt and Songpan-Ganzi terrane for the south area of NWSB and the Qinling orogenic belt for the north part of NWSB. Such transition of the provenance probably indicated the subsidence of the Khamdian Paleoland and uplift of the Songpan-Ganzi terrane and Qinling orogenic belt from the Early Triassic to the Late Triassic. This tectonic inversion most likely resulted from the gradually thermal subsidence of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) and the gravitational loading triggered by the eastward shortening of the Songpan-Ganzi terrane as well as the ongoing convergence between Yangtze Block and North China Block.

The gas reservoirs in the Northwestern Sichuan Basin have great development potential. However, their production efficiency is seriously reduced by the complex surface multistage throttling process and frequent hydrate plugging caused by the ultra-high-pressure sour gas. Considering the prevention and control of hydrates, properly designing the throttling temperature and pressure to optimize the surface production process is the key to solving this problem. First, this work presents a method for predicting the hydrate formation conditions of ultra-high-pressure sour natural gas based on the vdW-P (van der Waals–Platteeuw) model and the CPA (cubic-plus-association) equation of state (EoS) and considering the association between acid gases (H2S, CO2) and H2O. Secondly, the throttling temperature prediction method was developed by coupling the isenthalpic throttling model and the modified Lee–Kesler EoS mixing rule; the maximum throttling pressure difference calculation method was constructed based on the critical flow principle. Finally, field cases are given to illustrate the distribution process of assigning the maximum throttling pressure differences. The results show that the proposed model can accurately predict the hydrate formation conditions and throttling temperature of ultra-high-pressure sour natural gas, and reveal their changing laws. The surface throttling technology of the ultra-high-pressure sour gas wells Long 004-X1 and Long 016-H1 was optimized from five-stage to three-stage, and the application of the fixed throttle valve in the field is successfully demonstrated.

The northwestern Sichuan Basin has experienced Meso-Cenozoic intracontinental compressional tectonic processes and formed multi-detachment stratigraphic distribution of foreland basins and fold-thrust belts, which have caused complicated structural deformations in the deep buried layers. Rapid uplift with accelerated erosion and two sets of detachments in the Lower Triassic and Lower Cambrian controlled the multilevel deformation structure. We conducted discrete numerical simulations with double weak detachments and erosion under extrusion conditions in order to examine the mechanics and kinematics of the frontalpiedmont zones of the NW Sichuan Basin. The following findings were made. (1) With continuous compression, the weak detachments promoted the decoupled and ladder-like deformation of the thrust belt, where the deformation above the slip layer extended further than it did below it. Rapid uplift and erosion at the thrust front contributed to the formation of a passive roof fault and a monocline in the upper layer, a series of forward and backward thin-skinned thrust-buried structures in the middle layer sandwiched between two weak detachments and stacking structures in the lower layer. (2) Erosion effectively prevents the deformation from propagating above the upper detachment, but can advance a horizontal transition in the deformation style generated within the middle brittle layer: from oblique and tight fault propagation folds to symmetrical, wide, and gentle detachment folds. (3) The model results consistent with tectonic deformation in the NW Sichuan Basin indicate a possible evolutionary mechanism under compression. There is hierarchical deformation of uncoordinated contraction controlled by the Lower Triassic and Early Cambrian weak layers, with the characteristics of the shallow monocline, the middle thin-skinned thrusts, and the deeper basement-involved folds. Continuous compression contributed a sequential pattern of steps as a whole, from the frontalpiedmont zones to the foreland basin, autochthonous stacking thrusts, and the huge buried structure in the NW Sichuan Basin. During the Himalayan period, syntectonic erosion along with the uplifted thrust front maintained the development of a passive-roof duplex and a huge forward buried structure.

The northwestern Sichuan region has experienced multi-stage tectonic evolution including marine cratonic basin from the Sinian to the Middle Triassic and intra-continental basin from the Late Triassic to the Cenozoic. Several regional tectonic activities caused complicated stratigraphic distribution and structural deformations in the deep-buried layers. During the key tectonic periods, some characteristic sedimentary and deformation structures were formed, including the step-shaped marginal carbonate platform of Dengying Formation, the western paleo-high at the end of Silurian, and the passive continental margin of the Late Paleozoic–Middle Triassic. The Meso-Cenozoic intra-continental compressional tectonic processes since the Late Triassic controlled the formation of complex thrusting structures surrounding and inside the northwestern basin. The northern Longmenshan fold-thrust belt has a footwall in-situ thrust structure, which is controlled by two sets of detachments in the Lower Triassic and Lower Cambrian and presents as a multi-level deformation structure with the shallow folds, the middle thin-skin thrusts and the deeper basement-involved folds. The thrust belt in front of the Micangshan Mountain shows a double-layer deformation controlled by the Lower Triassic salt detachment, which is composed by the upper monocline and deep-buried imbricate thrust structures. The interior of the basin is characterized by several rows of large-scale basement-involved folds with NEE strike direction. From the perspective of structural geology, the favorable exploration reservoirs and belts in northwestern Sichuan have obvious zoning characteristics. The favorable exploration layers of Dengying Formation of Upper Sinian are mainly distributed in the eastern and northern areas of the northwestern Sichuan Basin, in which the Jiulongshan structural belt, Zitong syncline and Yanting slope are the most favorable. The Lower Paleozoic was transformed by Caledonian paleo-uplift and late Cenozoic folding, and the midwest area such as the Zitong syncline is a potential area for hydrocarbon exploration. The favorable part of the Upper Paleozoic is mainly distributed in the northern Longmenshan belt and its frontal area, where the deep-buried thin-skin thrust structures in the footwall are the key exploration targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An investigation of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) in 39 sites has been carried out in the northwestern Sichuan Basin which is adjacent to the northeastern Tibetan plateau, discussing the deformation pattern of the basin and the orogenic process of the corresponding orogens. Stepwise demagnetization of three orthogonal isothermal remanent magnetization suggests that hematite is the main magnetic carrier mineral. Combined with the low value of magnetic susceptibility, it is considered that the AMS is some combination of hematite and paramagnetic matrix minerals. Different types of magnetic fabrics from sedimentary to pencil structure magnetic fabric and sharps of susceptibility ellipsoids from oblate to prolate were observed. The existence of sedimentary magnetic fabric and the accordance of magnetic lineation and bedding strike indicate the magnetic fabrics along the front of Longmen Shan belt were the result of tectonic deformation. Thermochronology researches in the orogens and our apatite fission track analysis in the northwestern Sichuan Basin suggest that magnetic fabric mainly reflects the Cenozoic deformation. The magnetic lineation which is consistent with the fault and fold strikes in the Longmen Shan was induced by Mesozoic and Cenozoic deformation, and the latter is the primary one. Besides the typical weak deformation magnetic fabrics, atypical magnetic fabrics characterized by a magnetic lineation that is oblique to the bedding strike are shown in 53% sites along the front of Micang Shan. It is proposed that such a type of atypical magnetic fabric is the result of two competing sub-fabrics in the weakly deformed tectonic superposition region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Northwestern Sichuan Basin is a hot spot for natural gas exploration, and in recent years, many wells have obtained high-yield commercial gas flows in the Qixia Formation. However, due to the influence of foreland orogeny, the oil and gas in the Qixia Formation often have the characteristics of multisource filling, multistage accumulation and multistage transformation, which results in an unclear understanding of the gas source and the accumulation process. This paper uses the concept of sub-block research through carbon isotope and biomarkers analyses, to carry out gas-gas, gas-source and bitumen-source rock comparisons in different structural belts to determine the natural gas sources. On this basis, basin simulation and fluid inclusion analysis technology are used to determine the stage of hydrocarbon accumulation, and then the accumulation process is determined. Studies have shown that the gas source of the Qixia Formation are different in the different structural belts: (1) The natural gas from the Qixia Formation in the thrust nappe belt mainly originates from the Qiongzhusi Formation source rock; (2) The natural gas from the Qixia Formation in the hidden fault belt is a mixture of the source rock of the Qixia Formation and the source rock of the Qiongzhusi Formation; and (3) The natural gas from the Qixia Formation in the gentle belt mainly originates from the Middle Permian source rock and the Upper Permian Longtan Formation source rock. The Indosinian, Yanshania, and Himalayan movements all have great influence on the formation of the Qixia Formation reservoir in northwestern Sichuan, and the accumulation process of the different structural belts is quite different, but generally, the accumulation process of the different structural belts have experienced three stages: a primary oil pool stage, gas pool stage and reformation and definition stage. • Through sub-block research, gas source of the foreland thrust belt is studied. • Different gas sources cause differences in carbon isotopes. • Accumulation process of each structural belt is distinct. • The results have implications for exploration in complex tectonic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim to the complexity and zonality of Paleozoic marine hydrocarbon accumulation caused by foreland basin tectonic in northwestern Sichuan Basin, the influence and differential characteristics of foreland basin tectonic evolution on Paleozoic marine hydrocarbon accumulation are analyzed from the perspective of reservoir forming conditions. It is supposed that the foreland basin structure in western Sichuan Basin longitudinally promoted the thermal evolution of the Paleozoic source rocks into the high-mature and over-mature stage. Laterally, there was a delay effect on the source rocks in the thrust belt and depression zone. The reservoir with characteristics of low porosity and permeability was caused by foreland basin squeezing action, and the porosity of the reservoir conforms to the compaction law. And the uplift destroyed the capping ability of the cover in the foreland thrust belt, reduced the effectiveness of traps, and fault block traps and tectonic-lithologic traps are developed in an area covering the front of thrust belt, and the preserve condition are well. The Paleozoic oil and gas accumulation in the study area has obvious zonation, in which the foreland thrust nappe belt affected by lateral migration system has the characteristics of late adjustment of early oil to gas, and reservoir controlled by preservation. The area in front of thrust belt is affected by stage migration system of permeable bed-fault, with characteristics of multi-source injection, multi-period migration and accumulation, and reservoir controlled by source faults. The depression zone is characterized by near source injection, continuous hydrocarbon supply, and reservoir controlled by vertical migration system of intraformational faults. The comprehensive analysis shows that the area in front of thrust belt is a favorable hydrocarbon accumulation area of Paleozoic marine formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial gas flows have recently been discovered from the Guanwushan Formation (D 2 g) in the Northwestern Sichuan Basin for the first time, thus ushering in the prelude of Devonian natural gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin. However, the source and origin of the Devonian natural gas is not clear and this seriously restricts the next exploration and development stages. Based on geochemical experimental analyses, this study aimed to comprehensively research the geochemical characteristics of the Devonian natural gas, reservoir solid bitumen, and source rocks. The results showed that (1) the Devonian natural gas is mainly composed of hydrocarbon gas and is oil cracking gas. (2) The Devonian natural gas has relatively light ethane carbon isotopes ranging from −31.82‰ and −29.93‰, between the Cambrian and Permian natural gas values, indicating it is a mixed gas, but is more similar to the Cambrian natural gas. (3) The carbon isotopes of the Devonian reservoir solid bitumen were less than −29‰ and C 29 sterane had an absolute predominance among the sterane compounds, thus showing that it is derived from the source rocks of the Qiongzhusi Formation. (4) During the late Permian, the Lower Cambrian source rocks entered the high peak period of hydrocarbon generation and the crude oil migrated down the fractures to the Devonian reservoirs. During the later stage of deep burial, the crude oil cracked into the dry gas and the heavy contents formed pyrobitumen through polycondensation. Meanwhile, gas from the Permian source rocks mixed to form the present Devonian reservoirs. These research results play an important guiding role in the natural gas exploration and development in the marine stratum of the ultra-deep Devonian System in the Sichuan Basin. • Devonian natural gas in the Northwestern Sichuan Basin belongs to crude oil cracking gas. • Devonian natural gas in the Northwestern Sichuan Basin was mainly derived from source rocks of Qiongzhusi Formation. • The research is favorable for the next exploration and development in Devonian natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]