The tectonic evolution of the Qiongdongnan Basin in the northern margin of the South China Sea

Hu, Bo; Wang, Liangshu; Yan, Wenbo; Liu, Shaowen; Cai, Dongsheng; Zhang, Gongcheng; Zhong, Kai; Pei, Jianxiang; Sun, Bo

doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.08.022

Cited by 86 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Subsequently, the Neogene strata, including the littoral to neritic Sanya Formation and Meishan Formation, the bathyal to abyssal Huangliu Formation, Yinggehai Formation, and Ledong Formation were developed in the upper mega‐sequence, in the stage of the thermal subsidence and rapid subsidence (23.3 Ma to Quaternary; Zhao et al, ). The Cenozoic sediments in the basin are more than 10 km thick (Hu et al, ). The hydrocarbon source rocks were well developed in the Palaeogene, among which the Eocene medium‐deep lake facies and Oligocene coal and neritic facies strata of the Yacheng Formation had entered the mature hydrocarbon threshold, and the thermal evolution degree of organic matter is in the mature‐highly mature light oil and gas window, which means it can produce thermogenic gas (Huang, Wang, & Liang, ; Li, He, Liu, & Lv, ).…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The pressure in the whole basin increased gradually from south to north, and the pressure in the central sags rose as the depth increased (Shi, Xie, Wang, Li, & Tong, ; Wang et al, ; Zhai & Chen, ). As a consequence, the rapidly deposited, undercompacted thick shale provided the foundation for the formation of mud diapirs and gas chimneys in the QDNB (Hu et al, ; Zhang, Liang, Yang, et al, ; Zhao et al, ). In addition, the average geothermal gradient of the QDNB is high (approximately 4°C/100 m; Yuan et al, ), and the geothermal gradient in the central and southern depression belts is higher than the mean value of the QDNB (Tang et al, ), which is close to the geothermal gradient in the central mud diapiric structure zone of the YGHB (Lei, Ren, Clift, et al, ; Liu et al, ).…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cold seep location is from Liang et al (2017) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] and E-W zoning in blocks (Zhang, Zhang, Shen, & He, 2014), which are complicated by multiple diverse sags and uplifts ( Figure 1b). The QDNB can be divided into two mega-sequences based on the tectonic evolution and sedimentary filling features ( Figure 2; Clift & Lin, 2001;Hu et al, 2013). During the rifting stage (65 to 23.3 Ma), the Palaeogene strata, including the Eocene lacustrine facies (Lingtou Formation; not penetrated by a drilled well) and Oligocene strata of the marsh to coastal plain facies (Yacheng and Lingshui formations), were deposited in the lower mega-sequence in the succession.…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB), located on the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS), is not only a petroleum‐enriched basin but also a favourable gas hydrate accumulation district (Chen, Li, & Xia, ; Huang, Tian, Li, Wang, & Xiao, ; Liang et al, ; Wang et al, ; Wu et al, ; Xie, Wang, & Tong, ; Zhang et al, ; Zhu et al, ). Petroleum geology and natural gas hydrate studies on the QDNB have shown that in addition to various types of faults (Hu et al, ; Hui et al, ; Lei et al, ; Zhang, ), a number of mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and associated diapiric structures, that may have a relationship with oil and gas, developed in the deepwater QDNB (Wang et al, ; Wang, Wu, Dong, Gong, & Chai, ; Zhang, ; Zhang et al, ; Zhang et al, ; Zhao, ). Some of the mud diapirs and gas chimneys are even accompanied by large natural gas reservoirs, such as the SS17‐2 and SS22‐1 large gas fields in the southern Lingnan Low Uplift area (Figure b; Zhang et al, ; Zhang, Xu, et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distribution and characteristics of mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and bottom simulating reflectors associated with hydrocarbon migration and gas hydrate accumulation in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern slope of the South China Sea

Zhang

Gong

et al. 2018

Geological Journal

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A comprehensive analysis on high‐resolution seismic data and the geological characteristics of the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) in the northern South China Sea reveals multiple seismic evidence indicative of hydrocarbon migration and gas hydrate accumulation, including mud diapirs, gas chimneys, bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs), acoustic blanking, enhanced reflections, V‐AMP structures, elevated stacking velocity of sediments, and seafloor expressions. Mud diapirs and gas chimneys, which are characterized by acoustic turbidity, fuzziness, and blanking reflections on seismic profiles, with a diversity of structures and scales, are widespread and concentrated in the centres of sags and the transitional zones between sags and uplifts. Five BSR regions, with a total area of approximately 11,000 km2, have been delineated in the QDNB. They have high or medium‐high continuity amplitudes with overlying acoustic blanking on seismic profiles, indicating the occurrence of gas hydrate. Distinct fluid seepage phenomena are common below the BSRs, demonstrating that abundant free gas has migrated and accumulated beneath the gas hydrate. The distribution of BSRs and the developed zones of mud diapirs and gas chimneys presents a spatial superposition feature, and the BSRs are usually located on top of or within the structural highs of the mud diapirs and gas chimneys, indicating a close relationship between them. Mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and associated faults are efficient pathways for migrating hydrocarbons, through which the mature to highly mature thermogenic gas of the Palaeogene strata and the biogenic gas of the Neogene sediments migrate to the gas hydrate stability zones and form gas hydrate. Gas hydrate samples were recovered from the gas chimney area during the remote operated vehicle (ROV) investigation in deepwater QDNB in 2015. Based on the seismic interpretation and geochemical results, we propose two models of gas hydrate accumulation in the deepwater area of the QDNB: (a) near source biogenic gas hydrate with self‐generation and self‐accumulation, and (b) distal source thermogenic gas hydrate with lower generation and upper accumulation. We believe that the areas with a fine spatial coupling configuration between the mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and BSRs are favourable exploration targets for gas hydrate in the QDNB.

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Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Distribution and characteristics of mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and bottom simulating reflectors associated with hydrocarbon migration and gas hydrate accumulation in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern slope of the South China Sea

Zhang

Gong

et al. 2018

Geological Journal

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“…When the western SCS faults occurred as dextral rightstepping faults at the later stage, the Indochina Block in a NNE motion sense relative to the Eurasian Plate controlled the Yinggehai Basin and Beibuwan Basin (Fig. 6; Hu et al, 2013). Accompanied by the clockwise rotation of the Indochina Block, the distribution of igneous rocks in the western SCS changed from NW-trending in the Beibuwan Basin (Huang et al, 2003;Franke, 2013), via S-N-trending along the Eastern Vietnam Fault to NE-trending in the Wan'an Basin (Fig.…”

Section: Post-spreading Evolution Of the Scs And Related Volcanism (1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and spatial distribution of Cenozoic igneous rocks in the South China Sea and its adjacent regions: implications for tectono‐magmatic evolution

Hui

et al. 2016

Geological Journal

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The ocean–continent transition/conjunction zone is a mysterious and significant region in global tectonics and geodynamic evolution. The South China Sea (SCS) is one of the largest marginal basins in the Western Pacific with significant Cenozoic magmatic activities. The relationship between the tectono‐magmatic evolution and the tectonic setting of these Cenozoic igneous rocks is still controversial. In this study, the interpretation of gravity data, magnetic observation and seismic profiles is combined to identify the Cenozoic igneous rocks in the SCS and adjacent regions, and more than 70 magmatic activities have been discerned. We also show how the tectonic movements control the lithology and distribution of these magmatic activities. These Cenozoic magmatic rocks are related to the pre‐spreading, syn‐spreading and post‐spreading of the SCS. We suggest a geodynamic evolution of the SCS according to the temporal and spatial distribution of the igneous rocks. (1) An early period of bimodal volcanism (>32 Ma ago) mainly happened in the Paleogene basins at the northern margin of the SCS. This earlier volcanism happened under a trans‐extensional regime, which resulted from the collision between the Indian and the Eurasian plates since the early Cenozoic. The magmatic rocks may be related to the NNE‐trending right‐stepping dextral strike‐slip faults and the syn‐kinematic pull‐apart basins. These igneous rocks are mostly NNE trending. It is consistent with the Cenozoic dextral trans‐extensional tectonic setting in the East Asian Continental Margin. (2) Syn‐spreading igneous rocks first formed in the Northwest Sub‐basin of the SCS, and then later in the Central and Southwest sub‐basins. The mechanism of the magmatic emplacement results from the NNE‐trending right‐stepping dextral strike‐slip pull‐apart tectonic activity. (3) The spatial alignment of the Quaternary post‐spreading basalts is nearly E–W‐trending, and the different magmatic zones are segmented by NNE‐trending strike‐slip faulting. These volcanics are under an extrusion regime, which resulted from the arc–continent collision between the Luzon–Taiwan Arc and the Eurasian Plate due to the continuously WNW‐directed indentation of the Philippine Sea Plate during the period 9–6 Ma ago. In addition, the nascent NNE trending and dextral Changle–Nanao Fault may have played a significant role in the southward extrusion of the Taiwan Island Arc and the southeast SCS, resulting in an E–W‐trending distribution or strike of the volcanics and normal faults. In Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, widespread Cenozoic extensional post‐spreading granitic plutons are possibly derived from the mantle plume. Magnetic anomaly interpretation and tectonic analysis on these mafic rocks suggest that they were controlled by the Ailaoshan Red River left‐lateral ductile strike‐slip fault zone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Post‐rift Tectonic History of the Songliao Basin, NE China: Cooling Events and Post‐rift Unconformities Driven by Orogenic Pulses From Plate Boundaries

et al. 2018

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The classic lithosphere‐stretching model predicts that the post‐rift evolution of extensional basin should be exclusively controlled by decaying thermal subsidence. However, the stratigraphy of the Songliao Basin in northeastern China shows that the post‐rift evolution was punctuated by multiple episodes of uplift and exhumation events, commonly attributed to the response to regional tectonic events, including the far‐field compression from plate margins. Three prominent tectonostratigraphic post‐rift unconformities are recognized in the Late Cretaceous strata of the basin: T11, T03, and T02. The subsequent Cenozoic history is less constrained due to the incomplete record of younger deposits. In this paper, we utilize detrital apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronology to unravel the enigmatic timing and origin of post‐rift unconformities. Relating the AFT results to the unconformities and other geological data, we conclude that in the post‐rift stage, the basin experienced a multiepisodic tectonic evolution with four distinct cooling and exhumation events. The thermal history and age pattern document the timing of the unconformities in the Cretaceous succession: the T11 unconformity at ~88–86 Ma, the T03 unconformity at ~79–75 Ma, and the T02 unconformity at ~65–50 Ma. A previously unrecognized Oligocene unconformity is also defined by a ~32–24 Ma cooling event. Tectonically, all the cooling episodes were regional, controlled by plate boundary stresses. We propose that Pacific dynamics influenced the wider part of eastern Asia during the Late Cretaceous until Cenozoic, whereas the far‐field effects of the Neo‐Tethys subduction and collision processes became another tectonic driver in the later Cenozoic.

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The tectonic evolution of the Qiongdongnan Basin in the northern margin of the South China Sea

Cited by 86 publications

References 68 publications

Distribution and characteristics of mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and bottom simulating reflectors associated with hydrocarbon migration and gas hydrate accumulation in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern slope of the South China Sea

Distribution and characteristics of mud diapirs, gas chimneys, and bottom simulating reflectors associated with hydrocarbon migration and gas hydrate accumulation in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern slope of the South China Sea

Temporal and spatial distribution of Cenozoic igneous rocks in the South China Sea and its adjacent regions: implications for tectono‐magmatic evolution

Post‐rift Tectonic History of the Songliao Basin, NE China: Cooling Events and Post‐rift Unconformities Driven by Orogenic Pulses From Plate Boundaries

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