Mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sedimentation on the Miocene Pearl River continental shelf, northeastern South China Sea: Implications for exploring lithologic traps

During the Miocene, when the Zhujiang Formation was deposited, the eastern part of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea, underwent intense mixed siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentation, particularly on the platform of the marginal ramp of the Dongsha Rise, northeastern margin of the South China Sea. Cores and well logs from industrial boreholes were collected and systematically investigated to reveal the sedimentary-petrographic characteristics of the mixed deposits and their formative processes. Four lithotypes were differentiated in the deposits, that is, (1) sandstone, (2) dolomitic sandstone and calcitic sandstone, (3) sandy dolomite and sandy limestone, and (4) dolomite, bioclastic limestone, and micrite limestone, which were formed by three major types of mixing processes: punctuated, facies, and in situ mixing processes. The porosity and permeability of the mixed deposits indicated that the siliciclastic component of the mixed deposits that experienced punctuated mixing formed the most high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs. Exploration revealed that the lithologic reserves in the study area were mainly developed in mixed sedimentation areas. Our results suggest that the mixed sedimentation area, particularly with pure sandstone sedimentation or bioclastic sandstone, that underwent compaction or structural fracture activities, may be the next preference for lithologic exploration.