Microscopic architectures of the Zhujiang deep-water fan systems in the South China Sea

The microscopic architectures of the deep-water fan systems are explored for the first time with the aid of 2-D seismic data. A variety of incised valley, canyon and channel of varying origins have been distinguished in several successions of strata (especially the shallow strata) in the Zhujiang deep-water fan systems in the South China Sea. The representative microscopic architectures include the mounds, sheets, channelized deposits and lobes that may indicate some particular sedimentary environments and constitute potential excellent reservoirs of deep-water oil and gas traps. Since the microscopic architectures of the deep-water fan systems recognizable only with the aid of 2-D seismic data are rather limited and difficult to be traced in space, the regional tectonic and sedimentary data must be referenced in using seismic reflection configurations to interpret the microscopic architectures of the deep-water fan systems and further improve our knowledge of deep-water oil and gas exploration.