The salt beds of the Middle-Lower Cambrian are widespread in the middle-west parts of the Central Uplift and adjacent areas, the Tarim Basin. This paper presents the results of seismic interpretation and drilling data analysis, which discovered that the salt beds were formed in an old geologic age, deeply buried, with relatively small scaled flowing and gathering and uneven distribution. As the regional detachment layers, the salt sequences considerably control the structural deformation of the up-salt Paleozoic, forming a series of hydrocarbon traps. In due course, the salt beds of the Middle-Lower Cambrian provide excellent cap rocks and trap conditions; thus the value of exploring hydrocabon reservoir in the target strata of the sub-salt Sinian- Cambrian is greatly increased. Research has shown that the salt-related structures of the Middle-Lower Cambrian in the area mainly exist in the form of salt pillow, salt roller, up-salt anticline, salt diapir, assemblage of the salt arch and up-salt fault-block, assemblage of basement fault and salt anticline, assemblage of the basement fault-block and salt dome, assemblage of salt detachment and fault-related fold, and assemblage of basement fault-block, salt arch and up-salt imbricated thrusts. The evolution and deformation mechanisms of the salt-related structures are controlled largely by basement faulting, compressional shortening, plastic flowing and gathering, superstratum gravitation, and up-salt faulting and detaching. They are distributed in rows or belts along basement faults or fault block belts.
Hydrocarbon preservation conditions have restricted exploration in the Middle and Upper Yangtze,and structural deformation and fluid activity have played an important role in the origin and preservation of oil and gas.In order to study that how the deformation and fluid activity impact the hydrocarbon preservation,we did some field work and collected some calcite vein samples for analysis of deformation periods using acoustic emission and fluid inclusions.Combined with previous studies,the strata distribution,tectonic deformation and fluid characteristics show that there are three structural belts in the study area：East Sichuan,West Hunan and Hubei and the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift,and that their tectonic deformation style,fluid inclusion characteristics and hydrocarbon preservation are different.The breakthrough thrusts were well developed in the anticline core,and a lot of hydrocarbon inclusions were found in calcite veins around the thrusts in East Sichuan.The breakthrough thrusts were only in the syncline core in West Hunan and Hubei,and the brine inclusions did not contain hydrocarbon in calcite veins around the thrusts.Many breakthrough thrusts were found in the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift,where there were only rare calcite veins.The deformation and hydrocarbon inclusion indicated that when there was no fault breakthrough in East Sichuan,the Paleozoic covered by the Triassic regional cap was good for hydrocarbon preservation.The strata above the Lower Paleozoic were denuded,and lots of brine inclusions and deep infiltration of surface water were found in the West Hunan and Hubei,so only the part of the syncline area with a well developed Silurian regional cap had good preservation conditions.Intense tectonic movements and denudation were widely developed in the northwestern periphery of the Xuefeng Uplift,where there were only paleo-reservoirs,non-hydrocarbon fluid activity and poor preservation conditions.
This article aims to analyze the main controlling factors of development, distribution and evolution of the fault systems in the Tarim Basin. Based on the seismic profile interpretation, compre- hensive analysis of the drilling and geologic data, six fault systems maybe recognized in the Tarim Basin, they are the foreland fault system of the South Tianshan Mountain, the northern Tarim uplift fault sys- tem, North Tarim depression fault system, central fault system, Southwest Tarim fault system, and Southeast Tarim fault system. It is indicated that the main differences exist at the development, evolu- tion and distribution of the fault systems in the Tarim Basin. The sub-fault systems can be recognized according to the differences of the fault development and distribution in the interior of the fault system. It is characterized that the multi-level differential development and distribution of the fault systems ex- ist in the Tarim Basin. The fault belt developed in the Paleozoic strata mainly distribute at the pa- leo-uplift and paleo-slope in the interior of the Tarim Basin, and the fault belt occurred in the Meso-Cenozoic beds mainly develop at the peripheral foreland depressions. Zonal and segment differ- ential development and distribution of the fault systems also exist in the Tarim Basin. The formation and distribution of the Tarim fault systems is of complex controlling mechanisms. Poly-phase structural movement and tectonic transition controls the multi-phase differential development and distribution of the fault systems in the Tarim Basin. Multi-level differential development and distribution is controlled by multi-level detachment belt and regional unconformities. Zonal and segment differential develop- ment and distribution of the Tarim fault systems maybe controlled by pre-existed basement structural texture. The major direction of the fault systems in the Tarim Basin is controlled by the later stage basin-mountain coupling.
