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Article

The Cretaceous Sedimentary Environments and Tectonic Setting of the Southern East China Sea Shelf Basin

by
Yepeng Yang
1,2,
Zaixing Jiang
1,2,* and
Xiaolong Jiang
3
1
School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
2
Key Laboratory of Marine Reservoir Evolution and Hydrocarbon Enrichment Mechanism, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
3
Yalong Scientific Development Company, Beijing 100096, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2023, 16(10), 4205; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104205
Submission received: 12 April 2023 / Revised: 10 May 2023 / Accepted: 17 May 2023 / Published: 19 May 2023
(This article belongs to the Section H1: Petroleum Engineering)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Although the amount of oil and gas reserves and the reservoir properties in the East China Sea Shelf Basin (ECSSB) indicate good prospects for oil and gas exploration in the Mesozoic strata, there has not yet been a significant breakthrough in oil and gas production. An important reason is that there are few detailed studies on the sedimentary paleogeography of the ECSSB which make it difficult to predict the distribution of sand bodies. In this paper, well-core observations, thin-section identifications, electron probe microanalysis, trace elements analysis and seismic interpretations were synthetically applied to study the sedimentary environments and the tectonic setting of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern ECSSB. In the Oujiang Sag, red mudstones and pyroclastic rocks were deposited, accompanied by wedged, chaotic pro-grading reflections in the seismic profile, indicating a volcano-alluvial fan sedimentary system. Abundant sedimentary structures including double-mud drapes, asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings and burrows, such as Planolites and Skolithos, were developed in the Minjiang Sag, typically indicating a high-energy tidal environment. The autogenetic glauconites in situ and the fossil Tintinnid also indicate a shallow marine environment. The resulting sedimentary characteristics are in accordance with the littoral facies revealed by the seismic reflections in the Minjiang Sag. Moreover, volcanic conduit facies, effusive facies, and pyroclastic facies were also recognized in the seismic profile in the Minjiang Sag. Therefore, it was presumed that subaqueous volcanic eruptions occurred in the Minjiang Sag. In the Keelung Sag, the littoral facies were dominant. The tectonic setting of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern ECSSB is the transitional arc accompanied by large-scale volcanic activities. In conclusion, the volcano-alluvial fan sedimentary system was developed in the Oujiang Sag and volcano-littoral sedimentary system was developed from the Minjiang Sag to the Keelung Sag. This study is intended to promote the understanding of the sedimentary paleogeography of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern ECSSB and to provide help in oil and gas exploration.

1. Introduction

The East China Sea Shelf Basin (ECSSB) is a Mesozoic–Cenozoic superimposed petroliferous basin overlying the Proterozoic and Paleozoic cratonic basement, located at the tectonic junction of Eurasian Plate, Pacific Plate and Philippine Plate [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Recent surveys showed that ECSSB was rich in hydrocarbon resources in Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata [8]. As a result, it draws the attention of geologists worldwide [9,10,11,12].
Over the past decade, numerous geological and geophysical data about the East China Sea Shelf Basin have been acquired from petroleum exploration and scientific researches [1,9,13,14,15]. According to E.I.A., the oil and gas reserves in the East China Sea Shelf Basin are 720 million tons [3]. Additionally, the porosity of the sandstones in Cretaceous can vary from 10% to 20% and the permeability ranges from 1.3 × 10−3 μm2 to 128 × 10−3 μm2 [16]. Although the amount of oil and gas reserves and the reservoir properties in the study area indicate good prospects for oil and gas exploration in the Mesozoic strata [17,18,19], there has not yet been a significant breakthrough in oil and gas industrial production. One important hindering reason is that most of the previous studies were focused on the stratigraphy and tectonic evolution of the East China Sea Shelf Basin [9,15,20,21,22,23]. On the other hand, studies on sedimentary paleogeography mainly concentrated on the Paleogene coal-bearing strata [10,11,24,25,26]. Because the Paleogene strata are more shallowly buried, their data are more easily accessible. There were few detailed discussions on the sedimentary paleogeography of the Upper Cretaceous due to the limited data previously. Thus, the sedimentary environments and sedimentary systems of the Upper Cretaceous remain debatable [27,28,29,30,31,32]. This results in difficulties predicting the distribution of sand bodies. Therefore, the study on sedimentary paleogeography is an essential work in oil and gas exploration in the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin.
Part of the previous studies on tectonic evolution of the East China Sea Shelf Basin mentioned the sedimentary environments of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin without detailed discussions [12,20,23,33]. Based on the predominant pollen group, Classopollis anulatus and Schizaeoisporites, it was considered that the Cretaceous in ECSSB was fluvial sedimentation under an arid tropical to subtropical climate [27]. Moreover, Yongqiang Zhao (2005) thought the Upper Cretaceous in ECSSB was fluvial and alluvial fan sedimentation, while Le Gao (2005) considered the Upper Cretaceous in ECSSB was fluvial and delta sedimentation [28,29]. Guolin Xiao (2004) held the view that the Upper Cretaceous in ECSSB was continental sedimentation affected by episodic transgression and volcanic activities [30]. On the contrary, Zhigao Li (2015) and Jiao Wang (2019) demonstrated it was an offshore environment influenced by volcanic activity in the Upper Cretaceous in ECSSB [31,32].
Sedimentary rocks record the geological information of where and when they are depositing, in the form of composition, sedimentary structures, textures, fossils, etc. [34,35,36]. Therefore, these sedimentary characteristics can reflect the sedimentary environments of sedimentary rocks. Additionally, a seismic facies unit is a mappable unit where its internal reflection parameters and external form differ from those of adjacent facies units [37,38]. The analysis of the internal reflection parameters and external morphology of the seismic facies provides important understanding of the sedimentary facies, volcanic facies and structures of the strata. Trace elements in sandstones, such as lanthanum, thorium, zirconium, scandium and cobalt, are very stable for their relatively low mobility during and after depositional processes. Therefore, they are suitable to study the provenance and tectonic setting when depositing [39].
In this study, we applied sedimentology, mineralogy and paleontology to study the sedimentary environment of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern ECSSB by observing well cores and thin sections. By analyzing the sedimentary characteristics of the samples, combined with the seismic interpretation, the sedimentary environments were constrained. The mineral composition and trace elements provided important constraints on the tectonic setting. A generalized depositional model including the sedimentary systems of the Upper Cretaceous in southern East China Sea Shelf Basin was summarized according to the composite analysis. This study aims to improve the understanding of the sedimentary paleogeography and aid in the oil and gas exploration in the Upper Cretaceous strata in the southern ECSSB.

2. Geological Setting

2.1. Geology and Tectonic Location

During the Late Cretaceous, the East China Sea Shelf Basin belonged to the western part of the East China Sea Basin [9,12,13] which is located in the southeastern margin of the Eurasian Plate (Figure 1) [20,21,22,40]. The East China Sea Shelf Basin is adjacent to the Zhemin Uplift to the west, separated from the Okinawa Trough Basin by the Diaoyu Island Uplift Belt in the east, and adjacent to the southwestern Taiwan Basin to the south [9,12]. The study area is located in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin and trends NNE, covering approximately 1.5 × 105 km2. During the Late Cretaceous, it includes Oujiang Sag, Yandang Low Uplift, Minjiang Sag, Taipei Low Uplift and Keelung Sag from west to east (Figure 1) [41].

2.2. The Formation and Evolution of the East China Sea Shelf Basin

The East China Sea Shelf Basin formed by multi-stage regional tectonic movements from Mesozoic to Cenozonic [23,42,43,44]. Among these movements, the Keelung Movement and Yushan Movement had a great influence on the formation and evolution of the East China Sea Shelf Basin during the Mesozoic [44,45].
The Keelung Movement (Tg) was a large-scale extensional activity on the Pre-Mesozoic basement which began at the end of the Middle Triassic [45]. The area that later developed into the Minjiang Sag, the Taipei Low Uplift and Keelung Sag began to subside at the end of the Middle Triassic and experienced extensive transgression [46]. The Keelung Movement laid the foundation for the Upper Cretaceous in ECSSB. Meanwhile, the Zhemin Uplift began to uplift slowly from the Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic [12]. From the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, a large-scale extensional activity, the Yushan Movement (T06) occurred accompanied by widespread magmatic activities. The Oujiang Sag formed during this stage [47]. In the late Early Cretaceous, the Yandang Uplift began with uplifting [48]. The Taipei Low Uplift also formed during the late Early Cretaceous and separated the Minjiang Sag and the Keelung Sag [33]. During the Late Cretaceous, large-scale volcanic activities occurred due to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate to the Eurasian plate [12].

2.3. Stratigraphy of the East China Sea Shelf Basin

The strata in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin range from the Triassic to the Neogene, overlying the basement from bottom to top (Figure 2). The Lower Triassic strata were not deposited and the Upper Triassic strata are in disconformable contact with the underlying Pre-Mesozoic strata. The Jurassic strata include the Fuzhou Formation and the Xiamen Formation from bottom to top and there is an unconformity between them. The Cretaceous strata are in disconformable contact with the underlying Middle Jurassic Xiamen Formation. It comprises the Yushan Formation, the Minjiang Formation and the Shimentan Formation from bottom to top. In this paper, the study object was the Upper Cretaceous from the Minjiang Formation to the Shimentan Formation (from 89 Ma to 66 Ma). The thickness of the Minjiang Formation is 372.5 m. The Minjiang Formation is composed of gray and gray-brown mudstones, light gray siltstones and sandstones, and reddish-brown sandstones. The sporopollens are abundant in the Minjiang Formation. The Shimentan Formation was in disconformable contact with the Minjiang Formation. The Shimentan Formation is mainly composed of volcanic rocks intercalated with sedimentary rocks, including brown mudstones and gray sandstones [49].

3. Materials and Methods

In this study, we observed and described the well cores in the well FZ13, which are 6 m thick from 1810 m to 1816 m in the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin. The cores are grayish-white sandstones and siltstones with black-muddy laminae. The well, FZ13, is located in the southwestern Minjiang Sag (shown in Figure 1b). The well cores were provided by Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology. Thin sections of well cores in well FZ13 were observed under a polarized optical Zeiss microscope (Axio Scope A1) to identify minerals, micro-fossils and microstructures. It was completed at the China University of Geosciences, Beijing and the microscope was manufactured by Carl Zeiss in Jena, Germany. Representative samples of well cores in well FZ13 were analyzed by EPMA at the Institute of Nuclear Industry Geology in Beijing. ICP-MS were used to test the trace elements in samples at the Institute of Nuclear Industry Geology in Beijing. The other well, WZ4, is located in the eastern Oujiang Sag. The petrology column indicates that they mainly developed the granites, andesites, sandstones, siltstones, red silty mudstones and red mudstones. However, the well cores of well WZ4 were not accessible. The seismic profile provided by the Shanghai Offshore Oil Company of Sinopec were applied to analyze the sedimentary facies.

4. Results

4.1. Sedimentary Characteristics

4.1.1. Petrographic Analysis

The well cores in well FZ13 are from Minjiang Formation of the Upper Cretaceous (89 Ma–66 Ma). They mainly consist of grayish-white sandstones and siltstones. There are several black-muddy laminae in the sandstones and siltstones (Figure 3). The grains are moderately to poorly sorted and range from subangular to subrounded. The sandstones and siltstones are dominated by quartz (average 47.45 wt%), lithics (average 30.91 wt%), feldspar (average 15.3 wt%) with small quantities of glauconite (average 4.64 wt%) and biotite (average 3.27 wt%). The quartz is mainly monocrystalline (average 45.91 wt%) with a small amount of polycrystalline material (average 1.55 wt%). The lithics are mainly volcanic and metavolcanic (average 26 wt%) with a small contribution from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks (average 3.36 wt%). These data are shown in Table 1. In the ternary plot, the composition of the well cores plots are in the quartzo-feldspatho-lithic field (Figure 4a) [50]. Based on the QFL and QmFLt diagrams, it is located mainly in the transitional arc (Figure 4b,c) [51,52].

4.1.2. Sedimentary Structures

Sedimentary structures may play a crucial role in understanding the sedimentary environments, in which sedimentary rocks were deposited [34]. There are abundant sedimentary structures in the well cores of the well FZ13, including scours, burrows, double mud drapes, foreset beddings, wavy beddings and asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings. The burrows, double-mud drapes and asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings described below are important indicators of the sedimentary environments.
The double-mud drapes were developed in the siltstones at the depth of 1814.10 m (Figure 5a,b). The gray siltstones and the black-muddy laminae formed several tidal bundles. The thickness of each bundle is about 2–3 cm [53,54]. In the tidal bundles, the foresets of siltstones were in different directions (sketched by the yellow dotted lines in Figure 5b). Between the tidal bundles, thin, double-muddy drapes of black mudstones existed [53]. The original beddings were deformed by the bioturbation and burrows cutting through the beddings.
The asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings were developed at 1814.60 m (Figure 5c,d). There were five cyclic rhythmites formed by the gray sandstones intercalated with black-muddy layers. The sandstones pro-graded in the same direction, resulting in a tidal bundle with a thickness of approximately 1–2 cm [54] (sketched by the yellow dotted lines in Figure 5d). Thin, muddy layers were composed of several muddy laminae between the sandstones. The direction of the muddy foresets differed from those of the contiguous sandstones which was similar to the S-shaped tidal bundles in the Curtis Formation in Utah [55].
Burrows commonly developed in the cores of the well FZ13, especially those that were densely distributed in the well cores from 1810.5 m to 1810.75 m, completely destroying the original bedding. It was identified that Planolites and Skolithos were dominant [56,57]. The Planolites existed as elliptic or circular wormholes on the cylindrical surface of the well cores, parallel to the bedding plane (sketched by yellow dotted lines in Figure 6b,d,f,h) [58]. These elliptic or circular wormholes occurred in the muddy layers and were filled with siltstones. The Skolithos were cylindrical burrows that penetrated vertically or obliquely through the bedding planes (sketched by red dotted lines Figure 6d,f,h) [59]. They were also filled with siltstones.

4.2. Glauconites Morphology and Origin

In the well cores of well FZ13, glauconites were observed from 1816 m to 1812 m under the optical microscope. The granular glauconites are dark green, spherical and elongated pellets, sparsely scattered among other mineral grains (Figure 7a,b,d,e,g,h) [60]. The pellets are from subrounded to rounded with sizes ranging from 10 μm to 500 μm. Under the cross-polarized light, granular glauconite exists as an aggregate of microcrystals which appear in different shades of green (Figure 7d,e,h). These microcrystals have different extinction positions (Figure 7d,e,h). The other glauconites are pseudomorphic-clastic and they were formed by the pseudomorphic replacement of biotite (Figure 7c,f) [61].
The content of glauconites in the samples of well cores in well FZ13 ranges from 3 wt% to 8 wt%. The chemical composition of glauconites in these samples are shown in Table 2. Comparing the chemical composition of the glauconites in the study objects with that of representative modern and ancient glauconites around the world (Table 2), it can be concluded that the composition of glauconites in the study area is most similar to that of glauconites in the littoral in the Lower Eocene in the East China Sea Basin [62]. Additionally, as the content of K2O is more than 6%, the glauconites in the samples in the study area are mature [61].

4.3. Biological Characteristics

The Tintinnid is a type of ciliate protozoan in the marine environment [66]. Under the optical microscope, a fossil of Tintinnid was found at the depth of 1815.72 m in the well cores in well FZ13 (Figure 8a,b). The fossil is a long tube with a cup-like shell called lorica [67,68]. It measures 1800 μm in length and 300 μm in width. The wall of the lorica exhibits complete extinction under cross-polarized light, indicating that it is composed of organic material. The internal structures of the lorica have been destroyed and filled with siltstones. However, it is still possible to recognize that the opening part is the collar [67].

4.4. Trace Element Characteristics

Figure 9 shows the triangular plots of Th-Sc-Zr and Th-Co-Zr and a plot of Zr versus Th of the sandstones in the study area [39]. In the plot of Th-Sc-Zr, the values of Th/Sc and Zr/Th are intermediate, so they mainly plot in the continental island arc. In the plot of Th-Co-Zr, they also mainly plot in the continental island arc and the transitional area because of the intermediate values of Th/Co and Zr/Th. In Figure 9c, there is a significant positive correlation between Zr and Th, and the values of Zr/Th vary from 15.66–19.37, which mainly plots in the continental island arc. Therefore, the graphic interpretation of trace elements is consistent with the analysis of sandstone composition in determining the sedimentary tectonic setting.

4.5. Seismic Facies

Based on the various internal reflection parameters and external forms, different seismic facies can be interpreted in terms of different sedimentary environment and depositional processes [37]. Figure 10 shows seismic profiles AA’ trending SE in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin (the location of AA’ is shown in Figure 1b). The Jurassic sediments are not developed in the Oujiang Sag, so the Upper Cretaceous are developed between T50 and Tg. In the Oujing Sag, the continuous–discontinuous reflections with various amplitudes present a wedge progradation; combined with the red mudstones developed in the Oujiang Sag in well WZ4 (Figure 11, the location of well WZ4 is shown in Figure 1b), it is interpreted as the alluvial fan facies [3,38]. In the Minjiang Sag, the Upper Cretaceous are developed between T50 and T60. The continuous–discontinuous reflection with medium–strong amplitudes dominates the seismic facies unit in the Minjiang Sag, which commonly corresponds to the littoral facies [69]. Moreover, they develop discontinuous and chaotic reflections with medium–weak amplitudes in the Minjiang Sag. They extend vertically in the shape of a pipe and cut through the surrounding strata, which are typically interpreted as volcanic conduit facies [70,71]. Above some volcanic conduits, the sheet-shaped and continuous reflections with strong amplitudes thinning out towards both sides, reflect the effusive facies [69,70,71]. Additionally, low-amplitude chaotic seismic reflections with low continuity widely extended laterally in the Minjiang Sag, indicates the pyroclastic facies [69,71]. In the Taipei Low Uplift and the Keelung Sag, the Upper Cretaceous are developed between T50 and T60. In these, the littoral facies are dominant during Cretaceous.

5. Discussion

5.1. The Sedimentary Environments

The results showed the sedimentary environments and tectonic settings of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin. The double mud drapes and asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings are both typical sedimentary structures resulting from a strongly asymmetric bidirectional flow that indicates tidal environments [53,72]. Glauconite is a green iron potassium phyllosilicate mineral that mainly forms in marine sediments [60,73,74,75,76,77]. In cores of the well FZ13, the glauconites are mainly dark green, mature pellets with a high content of potassium (Figure 7a,b). Some glauconites are formed by replacing biotites. All these characteristics show that glauconites in the study object are autogenetic in situ, so they can be indicators in the shallow marine environments [73,75,78,79,80]. Moreover, as the granular glauconites are spherical or elongated pellets with good roundness and the presence of abundant burrows, they reflect high-energy environments with turbulent currents, which is in accordance with tidal environments [75,80]. On the other hand, Tintinnids are abundant in shallow marine environments during Cretaceous [68,81]. Therefore, the occurrence of the fossil Tintinnid also indicates shallow marine environments. Sandstones with good reservoir properties tend to be deposited in the shallow marine environments, especially the tidal environments [82]. Therefore, the study object can be an important target in future oil and gas exploration.

5.2. The Tectonic Setting and Depositional Model

The intense subduction of the Paleo–Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate during the Late Cretaceous resulted in significant volcanic activity in the region spanning from eastern South China to the East China Sea Shelf Basin [23,83,84]. Meanwhile, regional subsidence occurred in the East China Sea Shelf Basin under extensional stress. Therefore, pyroclastic sediments were widely discovered in the surrounding area, especially the east of the Zhemin Uplift (Figure 11) [12]. According to the interpretation of trace elements and the analysis of sandstone composition, the tectonic settings of the Upper Cretaceous in southern East China Sea Shelf Basin were the continental island arc and transitional arc [12,23,39,51,52,83]. Therefore, volcanic rocks distribute widely in the study area. As a result of extensional activities, the Oujiang Sag and Yandang Low Uplift formed during the late Early Cretaceous [12,85]. The Oujiang Sag, bounded by several normal faults, was a rift basin during the Late Cretaceous (Figure 10). The materials from the Zhemin Uplift were deposited in it. The Yandang Low Uplift played a role as a barrier to the progressing transgression from SEE to the NWW [5,12]; thus, the seawater did not enter the Minjiang Sag. Moreover, in the well WZ4, there are granite, andesite, and red mudstones. Therefore, in the Oujiang Sag, it deposited alluvial fan facies accompanied with volcanic facies (Figure 10 and Figure 11) [3,12,49]. The Minjiang Sag was a subaqueous slope topographically trending SEE during the Late Cretaceous [33]. Based on the above analysis, it can be inferred that it was littoral environments in the Minjiang Sag during the Late Cretaceous. According to the volcanic conduit facies, effusive facies, and pyroclastic facies discovered by the seismic interpretation (Figure 10) and pyroclastic rocks in the well cores were discovered by previous studies in the Minjiang Sag [12]; it is inferred that volcanic eruptions happened in the subaqueous environment during the Late Cretaceous period. The Taipei Low Uplift was a subaqueous low uplift separating the Minjiang Sag and the Keelung Sag during the Late Cretaceous [3,12,23,31,33]. Therefore, the littoral sedimentation were deposited in the Taipei Low Uplift and the Keelung Sag. To summarize, a generalized depositional model of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin is shown in Figure 12.
This study laid the geological groundwork for oil and gas exploration. In the further study, field work will be conducted in the surrounding area of the southern ECSSB to improve the study of sedimentary paleogeography. Furthermore, our work will be continued to study on the distribution of the sand bodies in the southern ECSSB, in order to provide help in oil and gas exploration.

6. Conclusions

This study conducted a detailed analysis of the sedimentary environment and tectonic setting of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin, using a comprehensive approach that includes sedimentology, mineralogy and paleontology. The sedimentary structures, fossils, mineral characteristics, trace elements and seismic facies were described and analyzed. In the Oujiang Sag, red mudstones, pyroclastic rocks and wedged, chaotic, pro-grading reflections in the seismic profile indicate the alluvial fan facies were accompanied with volcanic eruptions. In the Minjiang Sag, the sedimentary structures and burrows indicate that the area was subject to tidal environments, and the presence of glauconites and Tintinnids suggests littoral environments. In the seismic profile, the volcanic conduit facies, effusive facies, and pyroclastic facies were found and proved by the well cores in previous studies, which indicates subaqueous volcanic eruptions. In the Taipei Low Uplift and the Keelung Sag, the seismic facies revealed littoral environments. According to the analysis of trace elements, it was concluded that the tectonic setting of the Upper Cretaceous in southern East China Sea Shelf Basin was a transitional arc. That explains why volcanic activities widely occurred. Based on these findings, a generalized depositional model of the Upper Cretaceous in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin was concluded. From the Oujiang Sag to the Keelung Sag, it developed the volcano-alluvial fan sedimentary system and volcano-littoral sedimentary system. The alluvial fan and littoral are favorable environments that tend to deposit sandstones with reliable reservoir properties. Therefore, the Upper Cretaceous in the Oujiang Sag, Mijiang Sag and Keelung can be important targets in future oil and gas exploration.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Z.J. and Y.Y.; methodology, Y.Y.; software, Y.Y.; formal analysis, Z.J. and Y.Y.; investigation, X.J. and Y.Y.; writing—original draft preparation, Y.Y.; writing—review and editing, Z.J.; project administration, Z.J. and X.J.; funding acquisition, Z.J. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41772090) and National Major Research Program for Science and Technology of China (Grant No.2017ZX05009-002).

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank colleagues from the Strategic Research Center of Oil and Gas Resources, MLR, the Qingdao Ocean Geological Institute, the Shanghai Offshore Oil Company of Sinopec, the CNOOC Research Institute and the Fujian Geological Survey for working together during this study. They offered us access to their data and provided much assistance. We are extending our sincere gratitude to the editors and reviewers for encouraging comments and critical reviews that significantly helped to improve the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. (a) The tectonic location of the East China Sea Shelf Basin (modified from [12,23]). (b) The structural unit map of the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin during the Late Cretaceous (modified from the Shanghai Offshore Oil Company of Sinopec and the CNOOC Research Institute).
Figure 1. (a) The tectonic location of the East China Sea Shelf Basin (modified from [12,23]). (b) The structural unit map of the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin during the Late Cretaceous (modified from the Shanghai Offshore Oil Company of Sinopec and the CNOOC Research Institute).
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Figure 2. The stratigraphic column of the Mesozoic in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin (modified from [3,12]).
Figure 2. The stratigraphic column of the Mesozoic in the southern East China Sea Shelf Basin (modified from [3,12]).
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Figure 3. The sketch of well cores in well FZ13.
Figure 3. The sketch of well cores in well FZ13.
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Figure 4. (a) The classification of sandstones in well FZ13 [42]. Abbreviations: Q = quartz; F = feldspathic; L = lithic; Fq = feldspatho-quartzose; Qf = quartzo-feldspathic; Lf = litho-feldspathic; Fl = feldspatho-lithic; Ql = quartzo-lithic; Lq = litho-quartzose; lFQ = litho-feldspatho-quartzose; lQF = litho-quartzo-feldspathic; qLF = quartzo-litho-feldspathic; qFL = quartzo-feldspatho-lithic; fQL = feldspatho-quartzo-lithic; fLQ = feldspatho-litho-quartzose. (b) The QFL diagram of samples in FZ13 showed that the tectonic setting plots in the transitional arc [51,52]. Q = total quartzose grains; F = monocrystalline feldspar grains; L = unstable polycrystalline lithic fragments. (c) The QmFLt diagram of samples in FZ13 showed that the tectonic setting plots in the transitional arc [51,52]. Qm = monocrystalline quartz; F = feldspar; Lt = total polycrystalline lithic fragments.
Figure 4. (a) The classification of sandstones in well FZ13 [42]. Abbreviations: Q = quartz; F = feldspathic; L = lithic; Fq = feldspatho-quartzose; Qf = quartzo-feldspathic; Lf = litho-feldspathic; Fl = feldspatho-lithic; Ql = quartzo-lithic; Lq = litho-quartzose; lFQ = litho-feldspatho-quartzose; lQF = litho-quartzo-feldspathic; qLF = quartzo-litho-feldspathic; qFL = quartzo-feldspatho-lithic; fQL = feldspatho-quartzo-lithic; fLQ = feldspatho-litho-quartzose. (b) The QFL diagram of samples in FZ13 showed that the tectonic setting plots in the transitional arc [51,52]. Q = total quartzose grains; F = monocrystalline feldspar grains; L = unstable polycrystalline lithic fragments. (c) The QmFLt diagram of samples in FZ13 showed that the tectonic setting plots in the transitional arc [51,52]. Qm = monocrystalline quartz; F = feldspar; Lt = total polycrystalline lithic fragments.
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Figure 5. (a) The double mud drapes. well FZ13, 1814.10 m. (b) The yellow dotted lines sketch the foresets in the siltstones between the double mud drapes in photograph (a). (c) The asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings. well FZ13, 1814.60 m. (d) The yellow dotted lines sketch the forests in asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings in photograph (c).
Figure 5. (a) The double mud drapes. well FZ13, 1814.10 m. (b) The yellow dotted lines sketch the foresets in the siltstones between the double mud drapes in photograph (a). (c) The asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings. well FZ13, 1814.60 m. (d) The yellow dotted lines sketch the forests in asymmetric herringbone cross-beddings in photograph (c).
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Figure 6. (a) well FZ13, 1810.50 m. (b) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites in well cores in photograph (a). (c) well FZ13, 1810.60 m. (d) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites and the red dotted lines sketch the Skolithos in well cores in photograph (c). (e) well FZ13, 1811.30 m. (f) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites and the red dotted lines sketch the Skolithos in well cores in photograph (e). (g) well FZ13, 1814.10 m. (h) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites and the red dotted lines sketch the Skolithos in well cores in photograph (g).
Figure 6. (a) well FZ13, 1810.50 m. (b) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites in well cores in photograph (a). (c) well FZ13, 1810.60 m. (d) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites and the red dotted lines sketch the Skolithos in well cores in photograph (c). (e) well FZ13, 1811.30 m. (f) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites and the red dotted lines sketch the Skolithos in well cores in photograph (e). (g) well FZ13, 1814.10 m. (h) The yellow dotted lines sketch the Planolites and the red dotted lines sketch the Skolithos in well cores in photograph (g).
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Figure 7. (a) Granular glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1812 m. (b) The granular glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1815.72 m. (c) The pseudomorphic-clastic glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1812.35 m. (d) The photograph of (a) under cross-polarized light. (e) The photograph of (b) under cross-polarized light. (f) The photograph of (c) under cross-polarized light. (g) The granular glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1815.7 m. (h) The photograph of (g) under cross-polarized light. (i) The photograph of (g) by EPMA.
Figure 7. (a) Granular glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1812 m. (b) The granular glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1815.72 m. (c) The pseudomorphic-clastic glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1812.35 m. (d) The photograph of (a) under cross-polarized light. (e) The photograph of (b) under cross-polarized light. (f) The photograph of (c) under cross-polarized light. (g) The granular glauconites under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1815.7 m. (h) The photograph of (g) under cross-polarized light. (i) The photograph of (g) by EPMA.
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Figure 8. (a) The fossil of Tintinnid under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1815.72 m. (b) The photograph of (a) under cross-polarized light. (c). A simplified sketch of the lorica of the Tintinnid [67].
Figure 8. (a) The fossil of Tintinnid under plane-polarized light. well FZ13, 1815.72 m. (b) The photograph of (a) under cross-polarized light. (c). A simplified sketch of the lorica of the Tintinnid [67].
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Figure 9. (a) The triangular plots of Th-Sc-Zr. (b) The triangular plots of Th-Co-Zr. (c) The plot of Zr versus Th. ACM = active continental margin; PM = passive margin; CIA = continental island arc; OIA = ocean island arc. The red dots represent the samples.
Figure 9. (a) The triangular plots of Th-Sc-Zr. (b) The triangular plots of Th-Co-Zr. (c) The plot of Zr versus Th. ACM = active continental margin; PM = passive margin; CIA = continental island arc; OIA = ocean island arc. The red dots represent the samples.
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Figure 10. (a) The seismic profile located at AA’ in Figure 1b. (b) The seismic facies of (a). According to interpretation, they deposited alluvial fan facies in the Oujiang Sag, and the littoral facies from Minjiang Sag to Keelung Sag. In the Minjiang Sag, they also developed volcanic conduit facies, effusive facies, and pyroclastic facies.
Figure 10. (a) The seismic profile located at AA’ in Figure 1b. (b) The seismic facies of (a). According to interpretation, they deposited alluvial fan facies in the Oujiang Sag, and the littoral facies from Minjiang Sag to Keelung Sag. In the Minjiang Sag, they also developed volcanic conduit facies, effusive facies, and pyroclastic facies.
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Figure 11. The petrology column of WZ4.
Figure 11. The petrology column of WZ4.
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Figure 12. A generalized depositional model of the Upper Cretaceous in southern East China Sea Shelf Basin.
Figure 12. A generalized depositional model of the Upper Cretaceous in southern East China Sea Shelf Basin.
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Table
Table 1. Mineral composition (wt%) of samples in the well cores in well FZ13.
Table 1. Mineral composition (wt%) of samples in the well cores in well FZ13.
SamplesQQmQpFGlBiLLvLs
156542173222202
258571134421201
352502153327243
449472154527252
546442145233303
642402165334304
743421148530246
845441157429245
940391165534295
1044431173135323
1147452164231283
Average47.4545.911.5515.34.643.2729.36263.36
Abbreviations: Q = quartz, Qm = monocrystalline quartz, Qp = polycrystalline quartz, F = feldspar, Gl = glauconite, Bi = biotite, L = lithics, Lv = lithics of volcanic and metavolcanic rocks, Ls = lithics of sedimentary and metamorphic.
Table
Table 2. Composition (%) of glauconite in samples in the study object and other areas by EPMA.
Table 2. Composition (%) of glauconite in samples in the study object and other areas by EPMA.
StrataAreaSedimentary EnvironmentAl2O3MgOSiO2K2ONa2OCaOMnOFeOTiO2
Modern sediments [63]East China SeaOffshore6.946.3144.733.350.6--21.53-
Modern sediments [63]South China SeaOffshore5.315.6345.073.710.39--25.07-
Modern sediments [63]Pacific OceanOffshore5.073.9149.724.890.6--22.51-
Lower Eocene [64]HuanghuaCoastal lakes8.844.1449.729.35-0.16-18.75-
Permian [65]GuizhouLittoral13.934.3448.498.170.160.10.1512.320.29
Lower Eocene [62]East China SeaLittoral10.714.245.648.090.450.190.0515.10.12
Upper CretaceousThe study area 10.403.3950.196.550.340.470.0314.510.23
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Yang, Y.; Jiang, Z.; Jiang, X. The Cretaceous Sedimentary Environments and Tectonic Setting of the Southern East China Sea Shelf Basin. Energies 2023, 16, 4205. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104205

AMA Style

Yang Y, Jiang Z, Jiang X. The Cretaceous Sedimentary Environments and Tectonic Setting of the Southern East China Sea Shelf Basin. Energies. 2023; 16(10):4205. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104205

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yang, Yepeng, Zaixing Jiang, and Xiaolong Jiang. 2023. "The Cretaceous Sedimentary Environments and Tectonic Setting of the Southern East China Sea Shelf Basin" Energies 16, no. 10: 4205. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104205

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