Sedimentary Patterns and Stratigraphic Trap Models of Deeply Buried Intervals in the Baxian Depression, North China

The Baxian depression is a typical half-graben located in the Jizhong sub-basin, north China. Commercial petroleum traps have been discovered in the Jizhong sub-basin. However, the 3(rd) and 4(th) members of the Shahejie Formation in this sub-basin have been poorly explored. These two members, belonging to the Lower Paleogene age, are buried deeply in the depression. Favorable petroleum reservoir conditions exist in such deep intervals of the half-graben due to the presence of different types and extent of deltas and turbidity fans in various areas. In fact, three types of turbidite fans are developed in the sag below the transitional belt on the eastern gentle slope. This work summarized three stratigraphic trap belts, i.e., the steep slope, gentle slope, and sag. On the steep slope, structural-stratigraphic traps with small-scale delta fronts and turbidite sandbodies are well developed. On the gentle slope, hydrocarbons generally accumulate in the large-scale delta front, onlapping beds and those sandbodies adjacent to unconformities. In the sag, petroleum trap models are typically characterized by pinched-out turbidite sandbodies. Stratigraphic traps were easily formed in turbidite fans below the eastern transitional belt. The petroleum traps that have already been discovered or predicted in the study area indicate that stratigraphic traps have favorable petroleum exploration potential in deeply buried areas (depth >5000 m) in a half-graben basin or depression.