K.O. Sobornov
Salt-bearing fold-and-thrust belts of Northern and Central Eurasia: structure and petroleum potential
DOI 10.47148/0016-7894-2024-5-45-66
Key words: Salt-bearing fold-and-thrust belts; salt diapirs; stratification of sedimentary cover; karst; symbiosis of salt structures and reefs; duplex thrusts; petroleum potential.
For citation: Sobornov K.O. Salt-bearing fold-and-thrust belts of Northern and Central Eurasia: structure and petroleum potential. Geologiya nefti i gaza. 2024;(5):45–66. DOI: 10.47148/0016-7894-2024-5-45-66. In Russ.
Comparative study of the structure of fold-and-thrust zones shows a great peculiarity of those of them, which involve salt-bearing layers. The typical feature of these zones is the development of compressional deformations over wide areas. This is due to the ability of ductile salts to serve as a detachment surface in the sedimentary cover and to far-field transfer of tectonic stress from the sources of deformation. Style of deformations is shaped by fault trajectories. Large areas of mildly deformed sedimentary fill are often developed above layer-parallel flat detachments in salt layers. The widespread development of blind thrusts and duplex structures resulting in disharmonious folding are typical in zones of ramp thrusting. An important feature of salt-bearing fold-and-thrust zones is the development of salt structures that preceded the onset of collisional folding. Under conditions of collisional compression they were transformed into squeezed diapirs and salt-floored thrust plates. Typical of the salt-bearing fold-and-thrust belts are zones of dolomitisation and karstification of carbonates and evaporites. Symbiosis of long-lasting salt structures in the continental margin setting and reefs in overlying sediments is observed. The combination of characteristic features of the structure of saline fold-thrust zones and sealing properties of salt layers create prerequisites for the formation of large oil and gas deposits.
Konstantin O. Sobornov ORCiD
Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences,
Chief researcher
All-Russian Research
Geological Oil institute,
36, sh. Entuziastov, Moscow, 105118, Russia
e-mail: Sobornov@vnigni.ru
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