Influence of lithospheric thickness distribution on oil and gas basins, China seas and adjacent areas
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Abstract: The distribution of oil and gas resources is intricately connected to the underlying structure of the lithosphere. Therefore, investigating the characteristics of lithospheric thickness and its correlation with oil and gas basins is highly important. This research utilizes recently enhanced geological–geophysical data, including topographic, geoid, rock layer thickness, variable rock layer density, and interface depth data. Employing the principles of lithospheric isostasy and heat conduction, we compute the laterally varying lithospheric thickness in the China seas and adjacent areas. From these results, two pivotal parameters for different types of oil and gas basins were statistically analyzed: the minimum lithospheric thickness and the relative fluctuation in lithospheric thickness. A semiquantitative analysis was used to explore the connection between these parameters and the hydrocarbon abundance within the oil and gas basins. This study unveils distinct variations in lithospheric thickness among basins, with oil and gas rich basins exhibiting a thicker lithosphere in the superimposed basins of central China and a thinner lithosphere in the rift basins of eastern China. Notably, the relative fluctuations in lithospheric thickness in basins demonstrate significant disparities: basins rich in oil and gas often exhibit greater thickness fluctuations. Additionally, in the offshore basins of China, a conspicuous negative linear correlation is observed between the minimum lithospheric thickness and the relative fluctuation in lithospheric thickness. This study posits that deep-seated thermal upwelling results in lithospheric undulations and extensional thinning in oil and gas basins. Concurrently, sustained deep-seated heat influences sedimentary materials in basins, creating favorable conditions for oil and gas generation. The insights derived from this study contribute to a quantitative understanding of the intricate relationships between deep lithospheric structures and oil and gas basins. These findings provide valuable guidance for future oil and gas exploration in the studied areas.
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Figure 1. Distribution of oil and gas basins in the China seas and adjacent areas (modified from Chen et al., 2019)
① Hailar Basin, ② Erlian, ③ Ordos Basin, ④ Sichuan Basin, ⑤ Chuxiong Basin, ⑥ Lanping-Simao Basin, ⑦ Songliao Basin, ⑧ Bohai Bay Basin, ⑨ South North China, ⑩ Nanxiang, ⑪ Jianghan Basin, ⑫ Sanjiang Basin, ⑬ North Yellow Sea, ⑭ Subei Basin, ⑮ South Yellow Sea, ⑯ Beibu Gulf, ⑰ East China Sea Shelf Basin, ⑱ Okinawa Trough Basin, ⑲ Taixi, ⑳ Taixinan, ㉑ Zhujiang River estuary, ㉒ Qiongdongnan Basin, ㉓ Yinggehai Basin, ㉔ Zhong Jiannan, ㉕ Wan’an, ㉖ Nanweixi, ㉗ Yongshu Basin, ㉘ Nanweidong, ㉙ Jiuzhang Basin, ㉚ Beikang Basin, ㉛ Andubei Basin, ㉜ Liyue, ㉝ North Palawan, ㉞ South Palawan, ㉟ Nansha Trough Basin, ㊱ Brunei-Sabah Basin, ㊲ Zengmu Basin,
Figure 7. Schematic diagram of lithospheric local isostasy theory (modified from Fullea et al., 2007).
Figure 10. Lithospheric thickness map of oil and gas basins in the China seas and adjacent areas.
Figure 11. Statistical chart of the minimum lithospheric thickness in the China seas and adjacent oil and gas basins a. Statistics according to the type of oil and gas basin; b. statistics according to the minimum thickness of the lithosphere in the oil and gas basin.
Figure 12. Statistical chart of relative lithospheric thickness fluctuation in the China seas and adjacent oil and gas basins a. Statistics according to the type of oil and gas basin; b. statistics according to the relative fluctuation in lithospheric thickness in oil and gas basins.
13. Plots of lithospheric thickness in the China seas and adjacent oil and gas basins a. Minimum lithospheric thickness and oil abundance; b. relative lithospheric thickness fluctuation and oil abundance; c. sedimentary layer thickness and oil abundance; d. heat flow value and oil abundance; e. lithospheric minimum value and heat flow value; f. relative lithospheric thickness fluctuation and heat flow value; g. sedimentary layer thickness and heat flow value; h. lithospheric thickness minimum value and relative lithospheric thickness fluctuation difference.
Note: 8 Bohai Bay Basin; 7 Songliao Basin; 9 South North China Basin; 12 Sanjiang Basin; 21 Zhujiang River estuary Basin; 22 Qiongdongnan Basin; 17 East China Sea Shelf Basin; 16 Beibu Gulf Basin; 2 Erlian Basin; 1 Hailar Basin; 15 South Yellow Sea Basin; 14 Subei Basin; 10 Nanxiang Basin; 11 Jianghan Basin; 13 North Yellow Sea Basin; 25 Wan'an Basin; 24 Zhong Jiannan Basin; 23 Yinggehai Basin
Figure 14. Lithosphere action and basin classification models (Wang et al., 1998).
Table 1. Calculation parameters
Parameters Property of matter Parameter value $ {\rho _a} $ Asthenosphere density (g/cm3) 3.2 $ {\rho _{\text{w}}} $ Sea water density (g/cm3) 1.03 $ {H_{\text{0}}} $ Elevation calibration constant (m) 140 $ \alpha $ Coefficient of mantle thermal expansion
(10−5 K−1)3.5 $ {T_{\text{s}}} $ Surface temperature (℃) 5 $ {T_{\text{a}}} $ Lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary temperature (℃) 1 330 $ {A_{\text{s}}} $ Heat yield of surface rocks (10−6 W/m3) 2.5 $ {a_r} $ The constant factor of exponential distribution of crustal rock heat yield (103) 15 $ {k_c} $ Crustal heat conductivity (W/(K·m)) 2.5 $ {k_m} $ Mantle heat conductivity (W/(K·m)) 3.3 
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Table 2. Statistical table of geological resources (Zheng et al., 2019; Xie and Gao, 2020) and lithospheric thickness parameters in the China seas and adjacent oil and gas basins
Basin type Basin name Basin
area Ls/
km2Oil geological resources/
108tGas
geological resources/
108m3Total oil resource equivalent/
108tOil abundance/
(105t·km2)Minimum lithospheric thickness Lmin/km Relative fluctuation difference ∆L/102km Average sedimentary thickness Lsed/km Average heat flow Q(mW·m−2) Superimposed basins Chuxiong 43 200 − − − − 84 34 0.8 74 Lanping-
Simao75 850 − − − − 76 34 0.3 63 Ordos 237 025 116.5 23 636.3 135.3 57.1 89 29 3.5 66 Sichuan 198 550 − 124 655.8 99.3 50.0 91 29 6.4 55 Continental rift basin Songliao 264 975 111.4 26 734.9 132.7 50.1 75 23 1.7 64 Hailar 43 500 10.1 841.8 10.8 24.8 88 9 0.5 57 Erlian 139 200 13.4 − 13.4 9.6 88 26 0.2 71 Sanjiang 39 425 − − − − 86 17 0.2 48 South North China 144 175 − − − − 82 16 1.3 60 Bohai Bay 20 2000 325.3 236 074.1 513.4 254.1 72 23 2.3 61 Beibu Gulf 51 950 21.2 − 21.2 40.8 74 22 2.1 62 Nanxiang 18 950 5.2 400.0 5.5 28.9 82 14 1.4 50 South Yellow Sea 49 000 7.3 1847.0 8.8 18.0 80 11 0.7 76 Jianghan 37 125 5.2 − 5.2 13.9 83 15 2.5 50 North Yellow Sea 44 300 4.2 − 4.2 9.6 76 20 1.0 51 Subei 157 675 6.2 600.0 6.7 4.2 78 17 2.5 67 Continental margin rift basin Qiongdongnan 89 025 14.9 51 607.0 56.0 62.9 55 43 4.2 80 Zhujiang River estuary 249 300 74.3 29 958.0 98.2 39.4 47 43 2.4 66 East China Sea Shelf 247 600 2.7 60 479.0 50.9 20.6 60 33 3.1 78 Tai Xinan 47 650 1.2 805.0 1.9 3.9 50 45 3.6 69 Tai Xi 64 800 0.6 1248.0 1.6 2.5 72 28 2.1 65 Strike-slip and extensional basin Wan’an 66 225 23.1 27 463.0 45.0 68.0 63 31 5.2 67 Zhongjiannan 127 175 33.7 51 980.0 75.1 59.1 43 47 1.9 94 Yinggehai 117 950 − 44 209.0 35.2 29.9 70 31 5.7 81 Detached continental block basin Beikang 56 350 8.9 14 855.0 20.7 36.7 64 30 4.2 64 Liyue 70 300 6.1 16 644.0 19.4 27.6 54 33 2.5 42 Nanwei Dong 5 875 0.9 897.0 1.6 27.1 65 15 2.7 66 Nanwei Xi 80 225 8.8 13 382.0 19.4 24.2 48 41 3.0 68 Yongshu 2 275 0.3 294.0 0.5 22.9 54 14 2.3 98 North Palawan 17 275 1.4 2 178.0 3.1 18.0 53 26 2.3 67 South Palawan 13 150 0.9 1 471.0 2.1 15.9 67 15 3.8 40 Nansha Trough 46 275 3.2 3 271.0 5.8 12.6 53 41 3.1 53 Andubei 11 950 0.7 708.0 1.3 10.5 59 20 2.0 59 Jiuzhang 14 525 0.8 825.0 1.5 10.1 56 23 2.0 35 Backarc basin Okinawa trough 137 925 2.2 5 368.0 6.5 4.7 54 41.2 2.2 98 Forearc basin Brunei-
Sabah63 725 31.7 15 274.0 43.9 68.8 65 33.4 7.5 49 Foreland Basin Zengmu 161 250 29.6 165 966.0 161.8 100.3 64 32.9 6.0 70 Note: “−” indicates no data.
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