TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Yan-qiu A1 - Guo, Zeng-hui A1 - Chen, Dai-zhao T1 - Porosity distribution in cyclic dolomites of the Lower Qiulitag Group (Upper Cambrian) in northwestern Tarim Basin, China JF - China geology N2 - Increasing interests in hydrocarbon resources at depths have drawn greater attentions to the deeply-buried carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin in China. In this study, the cyclic dolomite rocks of Upper Cambrian Lower Qiulitag Group from four outcrop sections in northwestern Tarim Basin were selected to investigate and evaluate the petrophysical properties in relation to depositional facies and cyclicity. The Lower Qiulitag Group includes ten lithofacies, which were deposited in intermediate to shallow subtidal, restricted shallow subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal environments on a carbonate ramp system. These lithofacies are vertically stacked into repeated shallowing-upward, meter-scale cycles which are further grouped into six third-order depositional sequences (Sq1 to Sq6). There are variable types of pore spaces in the Lower Qiulitag Group dolomite rocks, including interparticle, intraparticle, and fenestral pores of primary origin, inter crystal, and vuggy pores of late diagenetic modification. The porosity in the dolomites is generally facies-selective as that the microbially-originated thrombolites and stromatolites generally yield a relatively high porosity. In contrast, the high-energy ooidal grainstones generally have very low porosity. In this case, the microbialite-based peritidal cycles and peritidal cycle-dominated highstand (or regressive) successions have relatively high volumes of pore spaces, although highly fluctuating (or vertical inhomogeneous). Accordingly, the grainstone-based subtidal cycles and subtidal cycle-dominated transgressive successions generally yield extremely low porosity. This scenario indicates that porosity development and preservation in the thick dolomite successions are primarily controlled by depositional facies which were influenced by sea-level fluctuations of different orders and later diagenetic overprinting. KW - Dolomites KW - porosity KW - cyclicity KW - Upper Cambrian KW - stromatolite KW - microbial KW - build up KW - oil-gas basin KW - oil-gas exploration engineering KW - Tarim Basin KW - China Y1 - 2020 UR - http://en.cgsjournals.com/zgdzdcqkw-data/zgdzyw/2020/3/PDF/cg2020026.pdf SN - 2096-5192 SN - 2589-9430 VL - 3 IS - 3 SP - 425 EP - 444 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Yanqiu A1 - Chen, Daizhao A1 - Zhou, Xiqiang A1 - Guo, Zenghui A1 - Wei, Wenwen A1 - Mutti, Maria T1 - Depositional facies and stratal cyclicity of dolomites in the Lower Qiulitag Group (Upper Cambrian) in northwestern Tarim Basin, NW China JF - Facies : an international journal of palaeontology, sedimentology, geology N2 - The Upper Cambrian Lower Qiulitag Group in the Tarim Basin, NW China, is overwhelmingly composed of cyclic dolomites. Based on extensive field investigations and facies analysis from four outcrop sections in the Bachu-Keping area, northwestern Tarim Basin, four main types of facies are recognized: open-marine subtidal, restricted shallow subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal facies, and these are further subdivided into ten lithofacies. In general, these facies are vertically arranged into shallowing-upward, metre-scale cycles. These cycles are commonly composed of a thin basal horizon reflecting abrupt deepening, and a thicker upper succession showing gradual shallowing upwards. Based on the vertical facies arrangements and changes across boundary surfaces, two types of cycle: peritidal and shallow subtidal cycle, are further identified. The peritidal cycles, predominating over the lower-middle Lower Qiulitag Group, commence with shallow subtidal to lower intertidal facies and are capped by inter-supratidal facies. In contrast, the shallow subtidal cycles, dominating the upper Lower Qiulitag Group, are capped by shallow-subtidal facies. Based on vertical lithofacies variations, cycle stacking patterns, and accommodation variations revealed by Fischer plots, six larger-scale third-order depositional sequences (Sq1-Sq6) are recognized. These sequences generally consist of a lower transgressive and an upper regressive systems tract. The transgressive tracts are dominated by thicker-than-average cycles, indicating an overall accommodation increase, whereas the regressive tracts are characterized by thinner-than-average peritidal cycles, indicating an overall accommodation decrease. The sequence boundaries are characterized by transitional zones of stacked thinner-than-average cycles, rather than by a single surface. These sequences can further be grouped into lower-order sequence sets: the lower and upper sequence sets. The lower sequence set, including Sq1-Sq3, is characterized by peritidal facies-dominated sequences and a progressive decrease in accommodation space, indicating a longer-term fall in sea level. In contrast, the upper sequence set (Sq4-Sq6) is characterized by subtidal facies-dominated sequences and a progressive increase in accommodation space, indicating a longer-term rise in sea level. KW - Dolomites KW - Facies KW - Stratal cyclicity KW - Sequences KW - Upper Cambrian KW - Tarim Basin KW - China Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-014-0417-1 SN - 0172-9179 SN - 1612-4820 VL - 61 IS - 1 PB - Springer CY - New York ER -