Tectonic Features of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation in the Mugan Area, Southwestern Sichuan Basin, China, and Implications for Shale Gas Preservation

Abstract Shale gas resources in mainland China and its commercial exploitation has been widely focused on the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation organic-matter-rich shale in the Sichuan Basin. However, whether southwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin can produce high-quality shale gas has not been well resolved, which might be related to the poor understanding of the relationship between Cenozoic tectonic deformation and shale gas preservation. To answer the aforementioned scientific question, we conducted a detailed work in the Mugan area to show geologic structures and gas contents in the area through seismic profiles and geochemistry analysis. Specifically, the stable Mugan syncline shows a high gas content (>2.6 m3/t measured at three boreholes D1, D2, and D3), whereas its periphery presents a poor gas content (about 0.6 m3/t measured at two boreholes X1 and Y1). Moreover, oblique fracture density and dissolved pores are much higher at boreholes X1 and Y1 than that at the other three boreholes. We propose an opposite-verging thrust fault model to explain the different gas contents and tectonic features in the Mugan area, which might indicate that regions in the southwestern Sichuan Basin with similar tectonic and stratigraphic characteristics as those in the Mugan syncline are likely to produce high-yield shale gas. This finding provides new insights into the exploration theory of shale gas in the Tibetan Plateau.