Timing of trap formation and petroleum generation in the northern East China Sea Shelf Basin

Basin modeling and cross-section restoration from the northern East China Sea Shelf Basin reveal the timing of trap formation and petroleum generation. Cross-section restoration suggest that extension started in the Late Cretaceous and was interrupted by inversion at the end of Miocene that created large anticline structures, providing numerous petroleum traps. One-dimensional basin modeling of the JDZ-VII-I well show that the main phase of oil generation in the synrift fluvial shales in the Jeju Basin occurred during the Early Oligocene–middle Miocene period, predating the regional inversion. Thus, potential for large oil accumulations in the southern part of the basin is probably limited. Most of the petroleum are likely to have flowed toward the basin margin as well as basin center until the Late Miocene because no structures were available to capture them. The formation of anticline structures overlapped and/or postdated the main phase of gas generation in the Jeju Basin. This is probably why the JDZ-VII-1 is gas-prone with the gas trapped mainly in the anticlinal structures formed by the tectonic uplift. The source rocks in the southwestern part of the Domi Basin are immature for petroleum generation.

► We reconstructed one seismic profile to document the timing of trap formation.
► 1D basin modeling was performed on two wells to study the hydrocarbon generation.
► Cross-section restoration suggests a prominent inversion in the Late Miocene.
► 1D basin modeling indicates that oil generation started about 40 Ma at the JDZ-VII-1.
► Source rocks are in PSW are thermally immature to generate hydrocarbons.