Evolution of lithofacies and paleogeography and hydrocarbon distribution worldwide (I)

Abstract By using a large amount of geological and geophysical data, the geological characteristics such as lithofacies and paleogeography of 4981 geological units at thirteen key geological periods or epoches since the Precambrian in the world have been figured out. The global lithofacies and paleogeography charts have been compiled by ArcGis mapping technology. Combined with the results of plate-paleogeography reconstruction, the lithofacies and paleogeography as well as the prototype basins of these global paleoplates have been restored with the Gplate software. Results show that there are 22 kinds of lithofacies combinations and 10 types of paleogeography units developed since Precambrian. These features of lithofacies and paleogeography as well as their evolution were mainly controlled by the divergent and convergent movements of those plates. Taking the results of the lithofacis and paleogeography at the present and paleoplate location during the seven key geological periods from the Precambrian to Paleozoic for example, during the Late Precambrian and Cambrian, the large-scale disintegration of the Rodinia supercontinent resulted in reduction of uplift denudation area and clastic terrestrial facies area, the expansion of coastal-shallow marine facies and shallow-water carbonate platform. In Devonian, uplift denudation area and clastic terrestrial facies area began to increase and littoral-shallow marine facies area and shallow-water carbonate platform shrank as a result of the formation of Larussia supercontinent. In the Permian, with the formation of the Pangea continent, the development of the global uplift denudation area and clastic terrestrial facies reached its peak, while the littoral and shallow marine facies were very limited in distribution. The lithofacies and paleogeography features and evolution patterns of different stages lay a solid foundation for analyzing the formation conditions of geological elements, such as source rocks, reservoirs and cap rocks for oil and gas accumulation, and revealing the distribution regularity of oil and gas around the world.