Evolution of hydrocarbon generation of Jurassic source rock of the Lenke-1 well in Lenghu tectonic belt of Qaidam basin, China

The Lenghu tectonic belt is located at or near the northern margin in the Qaidam Basin, which is an intracontinental composite basin evolved during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic epochs. The Lower Jurassic is considered a good source rock with a wide distribution. Since the deposit of the Lower Jurassic hydrocarbon source rock, the basin has undergone many tectonic events of subsidence and uplift. The source rocks in the Lengke-1 well, have experienced a complicated tectonic-burial history during which different hydrocarbon generation (HG) evolutions have taken place. We have investigated the history of burying, heating and hydrocarbon generation of the Lower Jurassic source rocks, not just on the basis of tectonic disturbance and deep burial, but also from new studies in fluid inclusion measurements and the application of numerical simulation with EASY%Ro. Our study reveals the evolution process, tectonic episodes and the strength of the HG of the Jurassic source rock. We conclude that twice HG processes have taken place since the Lower Jurassic formation and infer from that the important conclusion that more HG of the Lower Jurassic source rock took place during the Eocene-Miocene epochs. Finally, we discuss the oil and gas tarp formation and destruction in the Lenghu tectonic belt and point out that more attention should be paid to the thrust faults, which formed during the late Himalayan epoch.