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Thermal evolution and the maturation of the deeply buried lower Paleozoic source rocks in the Tarim Basin, northwest China

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Abstract

The Ordovician reservoirs in the Tarim Basin have shown good exploration potential in recent years. To better understand its complex thermal history and further oil and gas exploration, we reconstructed the thermal evolution of the lower Paleozoic strata in Tarim Basin by applying new and previously published equivalent vitrinite reflectance (Requ), (U–Th)/He ages, and fission tracks. The modeled results indicated that there were three phases of heat flow evolution in the Tarim Basin: (1) The gradual cooling stage during Carboniferous-Ordovician, the heat flow was gradually decreasing during this period; (2) Rapidly raised stage in the early Permian period, the heat flow in Tabei and Tazhong uplift was raised rapidly during this period and the maximum is 51~62 mW/m2; (3) The decline stage since Middle Permian. The tectonic activity was relatively stable and the heat flow was gradually reduced during this period. The abnormal high temperature of the Permian may be the result of the magmatic activity events. Additionally, the maturity evolution plane distribution of the bottom interface of the Lower Cambrian source rock was modeled based on the new thermal histories, suggesting that the source rocks experienced rapid heating during the Caledonian period, and entered the hydrocarbon generation stage at the end of Ordovician. In the end of Mesozoic, the Cambrian source rocks reached the dry gas stage in the south of Shuntuoguole low uplift, Manjiaer depression, Tadong uplift, and Kongquehe slope. Currently, the maturity mostly maintained the characteristics of the end of the Mesozoic. The thermal history and maturity histories of the lower Paleozoic source rock in Tarim Basin provide new insights to guide oil and gas exploration of the basin.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42002142) and Heilongjiang Province talent introduction research start-up funds (1305021851).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Geosciences, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, 163318, Heilongjiang, China

    Yuchen Liu, Suying Dong & Changhong Zhao

  2. Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, 163318, Heilongjiang Province, P. R. China

    Yuchen Liu

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Liu, Y., Dong, S. & Zhao, C. Thermal evolution and the maturation of the deeply buried lower Paleozoic source rocks in the Tarim Basin, northwest China. Arab J Geosci 14, 1238 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07562-w

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