Mechanism of Silurian hydrocarbon pool formation in the Tarim Basin

There are three formation stages of Silurian hydrocarbon pools in the Tarim Basin. The widely distributed asphaltic sandstones in the Tazhong (central Tarim) and Tabei (northern Tarim) areas are the results of destruction of hydrocarbon pools formed in the first-stage, and the asphaltic sandstones around the Awati Sag were formed in the second-stage. The hydrocarbon migration characteristics reflected by the residual dry asphalts could represent the migration characteristics of hydrocarbons in the Silurian paleo-pools, while the present movable oil in the Silurian reservoirs is related to the later-stage (the third-stage) hydrocarbon accumulation.