Differential Hydrocarbon Enrichment and its Main Controlling Factors in Depressions of the Bohai Bay Basin

Significant differential hydrocarbon enrichment occurs in depressions in a petroliferous basin. There are multiple depressions in the Bohai Bay Basin, and each depression as a relatively independent unit of hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation, contains significantly different hydrocarbon generation conditions and enrichment degree. On the basis of previous documents and a large number of statistical data, this work comparatively analyzed the differential hydrocarbon enrichment and its major controlling factors in depressions of the Bohai Bay Basin. The results show that depressions in the Bohai Bay Basin have various hydrocarbon enrichment degrees, and can be categorized into four types, namely enormously oil‐rich, oil‐rich, oily and oil‐poor depressions. In general, the enormously oil‐rich and oil‐rich depressions are distributed in the eastern part of the basin along the Tan–Lu and Lan–Liao faults, whereas depressions in the western part of the basin are poor in hydrocarbons. Moreover, the vertical distribution of hydrocarbons is also highly heterogeneous, with Pre‐Paleogene strata rich in hydrocarbons in the northern and western depressions, Paleogene strata rich in hydrocarbons in the entire basin, and Neogene strata rich in hydrocarbons in the off‐shore areas of the Bohai Bay Basin. From early depressions in onshore areas to the late depressions in offshore areas of the Bohai Bay Basin, the source rocks and source‐reservoir‐cap rock assemblages gradually become younger and shallower, and the hydrocarbon resource abundance gradually increases. Hydrocarbon supplying condition is the key factor constraining the hydrocarbon enrichment for different depressions, while the main source‐reservoir‐cap rock assemblage, sufficient hydrocarbons and the transportation capacity of faults control the vertical distribution of hydrocarbons. The main factors controlling hydrocarbon enrichment are different for different layers. The hydrocarbon supplying condition of source rocks is the key controlling factor, whereas the source‐reservoir configuration, the main source‐reservoir‐cap rock assemblages, and the fault transportation are the main factors of hydrocarbon enrichment in the Paleogene, Paleogene and Neogene, respectively.