中扬子地块西部地区结构构造与页岩气保存条件的关系

中扬子地块西部地区下古生界暗色页岩发育,为海相页岩气的富集成藏奠定了物质基础。为了查明构造对页岩气差异保存的控制作用、揭示页岩气保存的关键因素,首先精细解析该区的结构构造特征,开展构造结构模式识别与构造区带划分,研究构造的变形方式及变形强度;在此基础上,分析确定不同构造样式与页岩气保存条件的关系;进而结合构造变形与海相页岩岩相古地理特征,指出该区页岩气勘探的有利区带。研究结果表明:①该区可分为4个构造形变带,识别出限制型、弱改造型和强改造型3类前展式结构模式;②限制型位于湘鄂西北段,前展式构造不完整,发育冲断带和挤压断褶带;③弱改造型和强改造型分别位于湘鄂西和武陵山地区,具有完整的前展式构造,但前者的变形强度较弱,未经历晚期的构造叠加改造作用;④该区存在着3个构造转换带——川东断褶带与湘鄂西断褶带构造转换带、湘鄂西断褶带与武陵山断褶带构造转换带、中扬子地块露头区与盆腹区构造转换带,其中前者以齐岳山断层发生构造转换,西侧川东断褶带为隔档式褶皱,断层密度小、地层剥蚀强度小、页岩气富集于背斜和斜坡中,东侧湘鄂西断褶带为隔槽式褶皱,断层作用强、地层剥蚀强度大、页岩气富集于残留向斜中。结论认为,该区上奥陶统五峰组—下志留统龙马溪组页岩气在秭归向斜、冲断—滑脱带和齐岳山断层西缘保存条件为最好;下寒武统牛蹄塘组页岩气勘探的有利区带分布于开县对冲带、挤压褶皱带、冲断—滑脱带和宜昌斜坡西侧。

Relationship between geological structure and marine shale gas preservation conditions in the western Middle Yangtze Block

Lower Paleozoic dark shale is developed in the western Middle Yangtze Block, which lays a material foundation for the enrichment and accumulation of marine shale gas. In order to ascertain the control action of geological structures on the differential preservation of shale gas and reveal the key factors in shale gas preservation, this paper firstly analyzed the structure characteristics of this area, carried out structure pattern recognition and structural belt division, and studied structural deformation mode and intensity. Based on this, the relationships between different structure styles and shale gas preservation conditions were analyzed. Finally, combined with the structural deformation and the lithofacies paleogeographic characteristics of marine shale, the favorable exploration zones of shale gas were proposed. And the following research results were obtained. First, the western Middle Yangtze Block can be divided into four structural deformation zones, and three types of piggyback structural patterns have been identified, including restricted type, weakly reformed type and strongly reformed type. Second, the restricted type is located in the northwestern part of Hunan and Hubei Provinces. In this pattern, piggyback structure is incomplete and thrust belt and compression fold belt are developed. Third, the weakly and strongly reformed types are located in the western parts of Hunan and Hubei, and Wulingshan area, respectively. They both have complete piggyback structures, but the former has lower deformation intensity and has never undergone the late superimposed reformation. Fourth, there are three structural transfer belts in the western Middle Yangtze Block, i.e. the structural transfer belt between the East Sichuan fault–fold belt and West Hunan–Hubei fault–fold belt, the structural transfer belt between West Hunan–Hubei fault–fold belt and Wulingshan fault–fold belt, and the structural transfer belt between the outcrop and the hinterland of Middle Yangtze Block. The first one is structurally transformed at the Qiyueshan fault. The East Sichuan fault–fold belt on the west is an ejective fold with low fault density and formation denudation intensity, where shale gas is enriched in anticlines and slopes; while the West Hunan–Hubei fault–fold belt on the east is a trough-like fold with strong faulting and high formation denudation intensity, where shale gas is enriched in residual synclines. In conclusion, shale gas preservation conditions of Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation–Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in this area are the best in Zigui syncline, thrust-detachment zone and western margin of Qiyueshan fault. The favorable exploration areas of shale gas of Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation are distributed in the western flank of Yichang slope, Kaixian thrust zone, compression fold zone and thrust-detachment zone.