Episodic fluid movements in superimposed basin: Combined evidence from outcrop and fluid inclusions of the Majiang ancient oil reservoir, Guizhou Province

Combined evidence from the outcrop and the fluid inclusion assemblage (FIA) analysis indicates that there exist two episodes of fluid flow controlled by the tectonic activity. The first episode was recorded mainly in the reservoir rock of the Honghuayuan Formation, representing the fluid flow of hydrocarbon charging. The second episode occurred mainly along the fault systems, representing the fluid movement when the ancient oil reservoir was destroyed. The host mineral morphology, homogeneous temperature, and salinity of the FIAs record an episodic fluid movement. Characters of high homogenous temperature, low salinity and a quick temperature variation of the first episode fluid flow may indicate an early-stage fluid eruption, and correspondingly, fine-grained calcite was formed. Temperature of the erupted fluid tended to decrease during its mixing with the upper formation fluid and finally had the same temperature as the upper formation. From then on, the temperature was rather steady and favored the growth of the coarse calcite. Due to this character of the temperature variation of the episodic fluid flow, we can use the homogenous temperature of the FIA of the coarse calcite to date the formation and the destruction time of the Majiang ancient oil reservoir. Episodic fluid flow was known for its inhomogeneous trapping, which resulted in the failure of dating according to the burial history. But taking a close look at its temperature variation, we think that the latest stage of fluid flow, characterized by steady state temperature and grow of the coarser crystals, can be used for dating. It will be of great value if this method is proved to be effective. The formation and the destruction time of the Majiang ancient oil reservoir were dated to be in the Indosinian Period and the late Yanshan-early Hymalayan Period respectively. This conclusion is in great discrepancy with the common accepted idea that the Majiang ancient oil reservoir was formed and destroyed during the Caledonian tectonic movement. Even so, this paper further discussed its reliability from the view of the source rock evolution and also the local tectonic evolution.