Development characteristics of the fault system and its control on basin structure, Bodong Sag, East China

The Bodong Sag, located in the Bohai Sea, offshore China, is one of the most petroliferous basins in China. Based on three dimensional seismic reflection data and time slice data, we analyze the fault system of the Bodong area in detail, establish the fault structure pattern of different types and summarize the distribution of the fault system. It is concluded that the development characteristics of the Cenozoic fault system are in accordance with the dextral stress field of the Tanlu Fault, which displayed a brush structure with NNE strike-slip faults as its principal faults, NE-trending extensional faults as secondary faults and EW-trending faults as minor faults. Faults can be divided into (1) strike-slip type, (2) extensional type, (3) strike-slip extensional type and (4) extensional strike-slip type. The spatial structures of different faults have obvious differences because of the fault properties and activity intensity. The fault system at different stages shows tremendous differences because of the transition of the Tanlu Fault from sinistral strike-slip to dextral strike-slip, the transition between extension and strike-slip, and the transition from mantle upwelling to thermal subsidence. According to the controlling effect of faults on basin structure, the Cenozoic basin experienced four evolutionary stages, (a) transition stage from sinistral strike-slip to dextral strike-slip, (b) strike-slip extensional faulted stage, (c) extensional strike-slip faulted stage and (d) strike-slip depression stage. The identification of temporal and spatial differences of faults could be used as a significant guideline for oil and gas exploration in the Bodong area.