Discovery of Seismites in the Carboniferous Formation of the Shibei Sag (China) and Its Petroleum Geological Significance

To promote oil and gas exploration of the Carboniferous formation in the Shibei sag, the northeastern margin of Junggar Basin, recently drilled rocks from Well ZB6 with typical seismics were characterized. Through systematic core observation, the identification marks of seismites were described, a vertical sequence of seismites was established, and its oil and gas geological significance was analyzed. The results show that the seismites have typical identification marks, such as soft-sediment deformation structures (including five typical marks: liquefied stone vein, liquefied crinkled deformation structure, ball–pillow structure, flame structure and load cast, water release structure and liquefied breccia), brittle fracture structures (including three typical marks: seismic fractures, synsedimentary microfractures and seismic fracture rock) and special rock types, such as seismic grain-supported conglomerates. The stratigraphic succession reconstructed in Well ZB6 was characterized, from base to top, by (1) a basal non-seismic interval; (2) a seismic interval made up of a grain-supported conglomerate level, brittle fracture level, soft-sediment deformation level; and (3) a non-seismic interval. The discovery of seismites has oil and gas geological significance for improving reservoir performance and forming favorable source–reservoir–cap assemblages. The research describes the new reservoir genetic type and exploration direction of the Carboniferous formation in the Shibei sag (China), which has important guiding significance for the next step of oil and gas exploration.