Characteristics of strike-slip faults and exploration of fault-dissolution body in Xiaotangnan area of Tarim Basin

Abstract

Faults play an important role in the exploration and development of Ordovician carbonate fracture-cavity hydrocarbon reservoirs in Tarim Basin, including controlling reservoirs development and hydrocarbon accumulation.The structure and evolution characteristics of strike-slip faults are analyzed based on the new 3D seismic data in Xiaotangnan area. The results show that there are three NE strike-slip faultsand they have linear, horse-tailed, braided and half-flowered combinations in the Xiaotangnan area.Two sets of deep and shallow fault systems were developed longitudinally. The deep strike-slip faults were formed in the Early to Middle Caledonian, showing steep or flower-shaped pattern, while the shallow faults were formed in the Late Caledonian to Hercynian, showing negative flower-shaped strike-slip faults. The Shunnan 4 extension fault zone in the study area has obvious zoning characteristics, which shows a linear fault zone, horsetail fault zone from south to north.In the cavern fault area, the strata are seriously broken, which is conducive to karstic process, and the fault solution reservoir is more developed, so it is the preferred area for risk exploration.This study has certain guiding significance for the exploration of Ordovician fault-solution reservoirs in this area.

Keywords

• strike-slip faults
• fault-dissolution body
• hydrocarbon reservoirs
• tarim basin