PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Volume 47, Issue 1, February 2020

Online English edition of the Chinese language journal

Cite this article as: PETROL. EXPLOR. DEVELOP., 2020, 47(1): 30–45. RESEARCH PAPER

Tectonic relationship between the Kelameili range and the

Dajing depression: Insights into the Carboniferous
tectonic-sedimentary framework
ZHANG Lei, HE Dengfa*, YI Zejun, LI Di
Key Laboratory of Marine Reservoir Evolution and Hydrocarbon Accumulation Mechanism, Ministry of Education, China University of Geo-
sciences, Beijing 100083, China

Abstract: Based on comprehensive analysis of typical outcrops, latest deep wells drilled and high resolution seismic profiles in the
study area, we examined the geologic structure of the Kelameili range, and analyzed the structural relationship between the Kelameili
range and the Dajing depression, and discussed the tectonic-sedimentary framework in different periods of Carboniferous by using axial
surface analysis and balanced section techniques. Understandings in three aspects are achieved: (1) The study area experienced five stages
of compressional tectonic movements, the Early Carboniferous, the Late Carboniferous, the Middle-Late Permian, Late Cretaceous and
Paleogene, and three stages of extensional tectonic movements, the middle-late Early Carboniferous, the middle-late Late Carboniferous
and Early Permian. At the end of the Early Permian and the Mid-Late Cretaceous, the tectonic wedges moved southward respectively.
(2) The Kelameili range and Dajing depression had the first basin-range coupling during the early Early Carboniferous, basin-range de-
coupling in the following middle-late Early Carboniferous to the Early Permian, then basin-range strong recoupling in the Middle Per-
mian, and the basin-range coupling had been inherited in the subsequent Indosinian, Yanshanian and Himalayan movements. (3) During
the early Early Carboniferous, the study area was a foreland basin where the Dishuiquan Formation source rock developed; in mid-late
Early Carboniferous, a series of NW- and NWW-trending half-garben fault basins developed, where the Songkaersu Formation volcanic
reservoir formed. In late Early Carboniferous, the study area entered into depression basin stage after rifting, and the Shuangjingzi For-
mation source rock developed; in the mid-late Late Carboniferous, Batamayineishan fault basin emerged, and the Upper-Carboniferous
volcanic reservoir was formed, affected by the tectonic compression during late Carboniferous and Mid-Permian, the Batamayineishan
Formation suffered extensive erosion, and only partially remains in the piedmont depression zone.

Key words: Kelameili range; Dajing depression; basin-range coupling; Carboniferous tectonic-sedimentary framework; eastern Junggar Basin

Introduction developed in the late Early Carboniferous, covering above the

Kelameili range is located in the northeast margin of Jung-
gar Basin at the transition position between Alaty and Tian-
shan orogenic belts. It is a natural experimental site for study-
ing the formation and evolution of Junggar Basin[17]. For the
tectonic and sedimentary environment in the eastern Junngar
Basin, a series of studies have been carried out, but there are
still many controversies. For example, there are two opinions
on whether orogeny continued after the closure of the Ke-
lameili ocean: One viewpoint is believed that the Kelameili
ocean was closed at the early Early Carboniferous[3]. Instead
of immediate orogeny, a residual basin was formed between
the two continental blocks, and the Nanmingshui Formation
ophiolite unconformably[89]. The other opinion is that com-
pressional collision occurred after the closure of the ocean,
resulting in the uplift and orogeny of the Kelameili area and
the formation of the Piedmont foreland basin[1013]. Because
the Kelameili area has experienced many structural superim-
position and transformation, the structural characteristics are
very complex[1416]. Besides, the Carboniferous volcanic rocks
are developed, and the quality of deep seismic data is generally
poor, which leads to a great controversy about the geological
structure of the Kelameili range and Dajing depression.
Based on the systematic survey of the Kelameili outcrop,
previous studies believed that there were a large number of

Received date: 17 Apr. 2019; Revised date: 10 Dec. 2019.

* Corresponding author. E-mail: hedengfa282@263.net
Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41702110); China National Science and Technology Major Project
(2017ZX05001-001); National Key Research and Development Project (2017YFC0601405).
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1876-3804(20)60003-9
Copyright © 2020, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, PetroChina. Publishing Services provided by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Com-
munications Co., Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
northward dipping thrust faults in the south of Kelameili fault
zone, and two stages of strike slip thrust activities occurred in
the middle of Late Carboniferous and middle Permian respec-
tively[1718]. Based on interpretation of the seismic section in
front of the Kelameili range, it was concluded that large-scale
thrust structures developed in the Kelameili fault zone and its
south side, and controlled by the Kelameili deep fault, a fore-
land basin was formed in Dajing area in the Late Carbonifer-
ous[10, 12, 1920]. Some scholars believe that the current structure
is mainly controlled by the southward tectonic wedge[21]. For
the “basin”-“range” relationship, previous studies showed that
the Hercynian was a mainly strong coupling stage, and the
Mesozoic to early Cenozoic was a weak coupling and adjust-
ment stage[6]. However, the specific process of “basin” and
“range” relationship evolution and the characteristics of Car-
boniferous basins in the study area are still need to be further
studied.
Overall, the research level of the study area is relatively low.
In recent years, the Xinjiang oil field of PetroChina has drilled
many deep exploration wells in eastern Junggar Basin and
deployed many high-resolution 2D seismic lines, which can
clearly show inner structures and deformation characteristics
of the Carboniferous. Besides, there are some contradictions be-
tween the new data and the previous Carboniferous strati-
graphic framework. Therefore, we used a new Carboniferous
division scheme to analyze the newly collected seismic sec-
tions, and got some new understandings on the geological
Fig. 1. (a) Geotectonic location map of the Junggar Basin, (b) division of structural units in eastern Junggar Basin, (c) geological
structure outline of the study area.
 31 
structure and “basin” and “range” relationship of the study
area. In addition, the Carboniferous is an important explora-
tion layer in the northeastern Junggar Basin. In recent years, it
has also shown great potential of oil and gas exploration.
Therefore, the study of the deep geological structure of the
Carboniferous in the Dajing depression has great practical
significance for the oil and gas exploration in this area.
In this paper, four newly acquired 2D seismic lines in the
study area are finely interpreted, and the structural geometry
and kinematics analysis are carried out by using the fault-
related fold theory. According to the axial analysis and the
previous researches, the activity of different main faults and
tectonic wedges in Kelameili range are analyzed. Using the
balanced geological section technique, the formation-evo-
lution process of the Kelameili range and Dajing depression
are analyzed. Combined with the latest drilling and logging
data, the tectonic-sedimentary frameworks of the Carbonifer-
ous in the eastern Junggar Basin are discussed.
1. Geological background
The Junggar Basin is located in the southern part of the
Central Asian Orogenic Belt, and at the junction of the Ka-
zakhstan, Siberian, and the Tarim plates (Fig. 1a). Kelameili
range is located in the northeast margin of Junggar Basin (Fig.
1b), and is a Northwest trending linear orogenic belt[3]. It is
about 220 km long and 20 to 50 km wide (Fig. 1c). Kelameili
fault zone is the most important fault zone developed inside
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
the orogenic belt[3]. Some researchers believe that this fault
zone is a suture zone between the Kazakhstan and Siberian
ancient plates, while some other researchers believe that the
fault zone is a northward subduction zone of the ancient Sibe-
rian continental margin, rather than a suture zone between the
two ancient plates[1, 3, 22]. Based on the understanding of the
tectonic meaning of the fault zone, previous studies recon-
structed the Paleozoic tectonic environment and evolution in
the eastern Junggar Basin and even the entire Central Asia.
From Middle-Devonian to early Early Carboniferous, the
subduction of Kelameili oceanic plate to the northern Ye-
maquan arc resulted in the formation of the Kelameili oro-
genic belt[3] and the molasse formation of Lower Carbonifer-
ous Songkaersu Formation in Shuangjingzi area[11]. Zircon
dating shows the overlying Carboniferous Batamayineishan
Formation is volcanic rock of Early Carboniferous, which
defines the orogenic timing of the Kelameili range[23]. During
the Mid-Late Carboniferous, the eastern Junggar area was in a
post-collision extension environment with strong volcanic ac-
tivity, and collision orogeny happened again in the Late Car-
boniferous[2426]. After the Carboniferous, the Junggar Basin
mainly experienced tectonic movements in the Late Hercy-
nian, Indosinian, Yanshanian, and Himalayan stages[7, 15, 2728].
The multi-stage tectonic movements superimpose, giving rise
to the complex structural features of the Kelameili area.
The study area of this work includes the Kelameili range
and the Dajing depression. The Dajing depression includes the
Shishugou sag, the Huangcaohu high, the Shiqiantan sag, the
Heishan high and the Wutongwozi sag (Fig. 1c). The forma-
tions in Dajing depression are quite complete, including the
pre-Carboniferous, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic,
Cretaceous, Lower Cretaceous, Neogene, Pliocene and Qua-
ternary from the bottom to the top, while the Palaeogene and
Pleistocene are missing (Figs. 1c and 2). In contrast, only
Devonian and Carboniferous remain in the Kelameili range,
the overlying strata are eroded[3].
2. Division scheme and distribution of the
Carboniferous in the eastern Junggar Basin
2.1. Division scheme of the Carboniferous in the eastern
Junggar area
The stratigraphic division of the Carboniferous in the
Junggar Basin is still in debate (Fig. 3), bringing about trou-
bles to the study on Carboniferous. Therefore, it is necessary
to make clear the relationships between the formations. Ac-
cording to the scheme of litho-stratigraphy in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, the Junggar Basin belongs to the north-
ern Xinjiang stratigraphic region, and the study area corre-
sponds to the Kelameili stratigraphic region and Jiangjunmiao
stratigraphic region. In the 1:200000 geological mapping of
Shuangjingzi area, the Xinjiang Bureau of Geology and Min-
eral Resources divided the Carboniferous in the south of Ke-
lameili deep fault from the bottom to the top into: Lower
Carboniferous Songkersu Formation, Middle Carboniferous
 32 
Batamayineishan Formation and Middle Carboniferous
Shuangjingzi Formation (Fig. 4). The Songkersu Formation
(named after the geological map) about 887 m overlies the
upper Devonian unconformably. This formation is mainly
composed of conglomerate and sandstone, mixed with silt-
stone and carbonaceous shale. It is a set of coarse clastic rock
in the transition zone of marine and continent, with a large
number of plant fossils. This formation was deposited in late
Devonian or early Carboniferous. Batamayineishan Formation
is established (named after the geological map) based on the
Shuangjingzi outcrop (Figs. 1c and 5a). Here, in high-angle
unconformable contact with the underlying Songkersu Forma-
tion, this formation is a set of volcanic rock and pyroclastic
rock, mainly comprising olivine basalt porphyrite, basalt por-
phyrite, andesite porphyrite, felsite, rhyolite and tuff. It is
attributed to the Middle Carboniferous on the geological map.
Tan Jiayi et al.[23] dated a zircon sample from the volcanic rock
at the top of Batamayineishan Formation in this area (named
after the geological map), and the age was (350 ± 6.3) Ma, so
it was concluded that the Batamayineishan Formation be-
longed to the lower Carboniferous. Li Di[29] dated a series of
zircon samples from the volcanic rock of Batamayineishan
Formation (named after the geological map) in this area, and
the results showed the zircon samples aged from 351 to 335
Ma (Fig. 4), proving again that the volcanic rock of Bashan
Formation belonged to the Lower Carboniferous. In recent
years, many dating tests showed the Batamayineishan Forma-
tion in the Junggar Basin belonged to the Late Carboniferous,
for example, (313.3 ± 4.7) Ma[30] in Well Ludong 1, (300.4 ±
1.3) Ma[31] in Well Sancan 1, and (306.8 ± 4.7) Ma in Well
Shinan1[29], which indicates that the Batamayineishan Forma-
tion in the outcrop and in the basin are not the same set of
stratum, and their connotations are also different. This is one
of the main reasons causing the dispute on the stratigraphic
division of Carboniferous.
In the Wucaiwan area of the Junggar Basin, Well Caishen 1
encountered a large set of dark mudstone and carbonaceous
mudstone, which was named Dishuiquan Formation by the
Xinjiang Oilfield company. Wang Shufang et al.[11] argued that
the fine-grained sediment of the Dishuiquan Formation named
by the Xinjiang Oilfield company and the coarse clastic sedi-
ment of the Songkaersu Formation (named in the geological
map) in the Shuangjingzi area were contemporaneous sedi-
ment of different lithofacies in different positions of the for-
land system in the front of Kelameili range depositing in early
Carboniferous; near the orogenic belt is coarse clastic rock,
and the rock gradually turns finer towards the basin. We agree
with this viewpoint. But this unit was given two names, likely
to cause confusion.
In order to unify the nomenclature of the strata and their
meanings, this work takes the latest stratigraphic division of
the Carboniferous in the study area proposed by Li Di based
on the latest drilling and seismic profiles of the Junggar Basin,
combining outcrops, paleontological data, and latest chrono-
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45

Fig. 2. Tectonic movements, stratigraphic sequence and basin evolution of the study area (See Fig. 1 for the section location).

logical data, in which the Carboniferous is re-divided into 5
sets of structural layers: the Lower Carboniferous Dishuiquan
Formation, the Lower Carboniferous the Songkaersu Formation,
the Shuangjingzi Formation, the Upper Carboniferous Batama-
yineishan Formation and the Shiqiantan Formation (Fig. 2).
2.2. Well correlation
The structural-stratigraphic sequence characteristics of the
Carboniferous in the Kelameili range and Dajing depression
can be clearly seen from the North-South well-tie profile and
the chronological stratigraphic framework section in ba-
sin-mountain direction of this area (Figs. 2 and 4).
The Dishuiquan Formation is the first set of sedimentary
layer in the Junggar Basin, which is in angular unconformity
with the underlying Devonian. Widely distributed in the study
area, with sedimentary center at Shuangjingzi area, this for-
mation thins towards the Dajing depression to the South and
thickens towards the Wucaiwan sag to the northwest. It is a set

 33 
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45

of coarse clastic sediment dominated by multi-layered sandy

Fig. 3. Comparison of different stratigraphic division schemes
of Carboniferous in the Junggar Basin.
conglomerate on the side near Kelameili range. Whereas basin-
ward, it gradually turns into fine-grained clastic sediment made
up of muddy siltstone, mudstone, and shale (Figs. 2 and 4).
The Songkaersu Formation is characterized by fault de-
pression, with multiple sedimentary centers. The D1 and DJ1
wells in the Dajing depression are the fault depression centers,
and this formation thins towards Well MT1 to the north. The
Shuangjingzi area may also be the center of the fault depres-
sion, where the Songkaersu Formation (named Batamay-
ineishan Formation on the geological map) is up to 4 123 m
thick. Lithologically, this stratum is mainly composed of me-
dium-basic, acidic volcanic rocks, volcanic clastic rocks from
multiple eruptions, and a small amount of clastic rock (Fig. 4).
According to the two sets of large-scale sandy conglomerate,
the Songkaersu Formation can be roughly divided into three
large volcanic eruption cycles[23, 29].
The Shuangjingzi Formation was depression sediment after
the rifting. It was wide in distribution range originally, but
suffered large-scale erosion due to late tectonic activities (Fig.
4). But in the hinterland of Junggar Basin, such as the Luliang
Uplift and the Wucaiwan Sag, the Shuangjingzi Formation is
better preserved[32]. The Shuangjingzi Formation is mainly
composed of sandstone, carbonaceous shale and some shallow
marine biogenic limestone, and is a set of shallow marine

Fig. 4. N-S well-tie profile from the Kelameili range to the Dajing depression (Age data sources from reference [29]).
 34 
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
sediment, in which the paleontological fossils were commonly
seen in the Middle-Late Carboniferous. Due to strong tectonic
activities at the end of Carboniferous, most of the Batamay-
ineishan Formation and Shiqiantan Formation in the study
area were denuded, and the Upper Carboniferous is left only
in local parts.
3. Geological structure of the Kelameili range
and the Dajing depression
3.1. Unconformities
Unconformity is the direct evidence of tectonic activity.
Each unconformity can be regarded as the result of regional or
local tectonic movement[33]. Based on the analysis of the
seismic profiles of the Dajing depression and the outcrops of
the Kelameili range, there are 10 sets of obvious unconformi-
ties in the study area, including the bottoms of the Dishuiquan
Formation, Songkaersu Formation, Shuangjingzi Formation,
Jingou Formation, Pingdiquan Formation, Lower Triassic,
Xishanyao Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Upper Pliocene and
Pleistocene (Fig. 2).
This study focuses on the unconformities of the Carbonif-
erous and Permian. The Dishuiquan Formation has nearly
east-west folds, and severely twisted, forming sharp folds in
various directions. These folds are cut by the overlying Song-
kaersu Formation, forming a zigzag erosion surface (Fig. 5a).
Fig. 5. Unconformity characteristics of the Kelameili range and the Dajing depression (Locations of the study area and profiles are
shown in Fig. 1c).
 35 
The unconformity between the Songkaersu Formation and the
overlying Shuangjingzi Formation is smaller in angle, and is
basically parallel with the stratum, which is also consistent
with the rift and post-rift relationship of them (Fig. 5a).
The Shuangjingzi Formation is truncated by the overlying
Lower Permian at a high angle, indicating that a large-scale
tectonic movement happened before the Early Permian (Fig.
5b). On the seismic profile, it can be seen that the Jingou
Formation and Jiangjunmiao Formation are truncated by the
overlying Pingdiquan Formation at a high angle, with clear
truncation points (Fig. 5c and 5d). Truncation features can
also be recognized at the bottom of Lower Triassic and Mid-
dle Jurassic. Due to the strong tectonic activity in the late pe-
riod, the Cenozoic strata were denuded, and the unconformity
characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous, Upper Pliocene, and
Pleistocene bottoms are all obtained from the geological map
(Fig. 1c).
3.2. Seismic section interpretation
Based on the logging data of more than 10 wells in the
study area, synthetic seismograms were made to calibrate the
geological horizon of the seismic sections. Three N-S and one
E-W seismic sections were interpreted by horizon tracking
and closure and shallow geological constrains (Fig. 1c).
Through the axial surface analysis of the seismic section,
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45

multiple dip zones were identified in the Carboniferous near model interpreted previously. The overlying strata are obvi-
the Kelameili range (Fig. 6), indicating that there are multiple ously tilted close to the range, and the turning position corre-
thrust faults underlying, which is not consistent with the thrust sponds to the axial of the underlying strata (Figs. 7–9). So

Fig. 6. (a) Original seismic section, (b) interpretated section and (c) geological structure section of the equal dip zone in the front of the
Kelameili range (Location of the profile is shown in Fig. 1c).

Fig. 7. (a) Interpretated section and (b) geological structure section of AA (Location of the profile is shown in Fig. 1c).
 36 
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
Fig. 8. The multi-phase fault depressions in the Lower
Carboniferous of the Dajing depression (Location of the profile is
shown in Fig. 7).
geometrically, the features are more consistent with the char-
acteristics of structural wedge model. In addition, the pre-Car-
boniferous in the study area was in marine sedimentary envi-
ronment, when a large set of marine clastic rock deposited,
which provided the material basis for the development of
thrust wedge. Therefore, in this work, we chose the tectonic
wedge model for interpretation, and referred to the previous
interpretation scheme of the western part of the Kelameili
range[21].
The AA profile (Fig. 7) covers the southern part of the Ke-
lameili fault zone and the Shiqiantan sag. The profile shows
angular unconformities at the bottoms of the Jurassic, Triassic,
and Pingdiquan Formation. The Carboniferous strata and
above are thicker in the north of the Shiqiantan Sag and thin
towards the south. In the northern Shiqiantan sag, the Early
Carboniferous fault depression can be identified in the Song-
kaersu Formation. By tracing the reflections in the fault de-
pression in detail, two phases of fault depressions can be iden-
tified. The first episode of fault depression is smaller and the
second one is bigger in range (Fig. 8). The F1 boundary fault
dips northward, and together with multiple secondary faults
forms a half graben structure extending to the south end of the
Kelameili thrust belt. The boundary faults of the Early Car-
boniferous fault depression terminate at the bottom of the
Shuangjingzi Formation. The overlying Shuangjingzi Forma-
tion covers the fault depression of the Songkaersu Formation,
with a wider distribution, showing the characteristics of de-
pression (Fig. 8). Through axial surface analysis, at least 8 dip
 37 
zones were identified in the pre-Carboniferous below the fault
depression. Geometric analysis shows that at least two stages
of structural wedges developed here (Figs. 6 and 7). The
pop-in of the structural wedge southward led to the inclination
of overlying strata southward, and the closer to the range, the
greater the amplitude of the inclination. The turning position
of the overlying strata defines the extension range of the
structural wedge in the basin and the location of the wedge
end point (Fig. 7). From the intersection between the
two-stage tectonic wedges and fault depression and changes
of stratum dip angle, it can be seen that the tectonic wedges
developed after the fault depression, and the Early Carbonif-
erous fault depression was also tilted to a certain extent. Be-
sides, the second tectonic wedge was formed later than the
first wedge, and exhibits post-expanded tectonic deformation
features. Since the seismic section does not cover the Ke-
lameili range in the north, this study mainly constrained it by
shallow geology. Fig. 7 shows that mainly Devonian and
Carboniferous expose in the north. These strata have formed
steep closed steep folds, some of which have even inverted,
and have multiple breakthrough thrust faults developed. Pre-
vious studies also showed that the Kelameili fault (Fk) is
characterized by left strike slip and thrust[34], and a number of
thrust faults developed on both sides of this fault, forming
imbricate structure. In the south of the Shiqiantan Sag, the
Carboniferous and its overlying strata form fault propagation
folds, and the F2 fault goes down to the pre-Carboniferous
basement detachment layer.
The BB profile (Fig. 9a), parallel to the AA profile, shows
similar structural deformation characteristics. Early Carbonif-
erous fault depression can be seen in the Songkaersu Forma-
tion, but the dip angle of the F1 fault is steeper and the scale
of the fault depression is larger than that in the AA profile.
The F1 fault cuts through the overlying Shuangjingzi Forma-
tion, and the strata on the hanging wall of the fault slightly
uplift, showing the characteristics of “snakehead” anticline,
indicating that the fault has reversed at the end Carboniferous.
According to axial surface analysis, two structural wedges
were also recognized in the basin-range transition zone.
However, as the second structural wedge gets in less, the most
part of the piedmont monoclinic zone is smaller in inclination
angle than that in the AA section, and only turns steep
sharply at the end of the second structural wedge. Due to
strong activity of the Kelameili fault zone (Fk) after Carbon-
iferous, the back wing of the structural wedge is also broken
through by a series of thrust faults. In the south of Shiqiantan
sag, the fault propagation fold formed by F2 fault is larger in
amplitude than that in AA. The F2 fault and the secondary F3
and F4 faults constitute fault propagation folds. Overall, the
tectonic compression activity on the BB section is stronger
than that on the AA section.
The CC profile (Fig. 9c) crossing the south section of Ke-
lameili fault zone and Shishugou sag shows the geological
structure characteristics of the western section of Kelameili
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45

Fig. 9. (a) Interpretated section BB′, (b) interpreted section DD′, and (c) interpreted section CC′ (Location of the profile is shown in Fig. 1c).

range. The activity of the Kelameili orogenic belt is obviously
more intense on this section, and three tectonic wedges have
developed beneath the Permian. The structural wedge ① and
② caused erosion of the Lower Permian and Upper Carbon-
iferous, and the Jiangjunmiao Formation directly contacts
with the underlying Carboniferous. In the basin-range transi-
tion zone, the Middle Permian to Upper Triassic were re-
versed and faulted, and the analysis suggests that the paleo-
structure may be the first stage of fault propagation in the Late
Triassic-Early Jurassic. The activity of the late tectonic wedge
③ caused the Middle-Upper Permian and Mesozoic to tilt
southward, and the Late Triassic paleostructure was also re-
formed. The back wing of the tectonic wedge was breached by
the Kelameili fault, and the Devonian and Carboniferous were
thrust to the surface, forming a series of tight, high and steep
 38 
fault propagation folds.
DD profile (Fig. 9b) is a crossline running through the He-
ishan high, Shiqiantan sag, Huangcaohu high, Shishugou sag
and Shazhang fault and fold belt. This profile shows that af-
fected by the basement fault possibly, the Carboniferous and
the pre-Carboniferous raise from west to east. The front and
back wings of the anticline are located in the east slope of
Shishugou sag and the west slope of Shiqiantan sag respec-
tively. At the intersection with the BB section, the DD sec-
tion shows both the top and bottom faults of the first stage
structural wedge, while at the intersection with the AA sec-
tion, it only shows the bottom fault of the first stage structural
wedge. In east Heishan high and east of the Shazhang fault
and fold belt, a series of fault propagation folds occur under
the E-W compression since Triassic[15].
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
In conclusion, the above four seismic profiles reveal the
complex multi-stage superimposed deformation characteris-
tics of the Kelameili range and the Dajing depression. In the
Early Carboniferous, the Dajing depression developed a north
dipping Carboniferous fault depression, which was character-
ized by many episodes. The scale of the fault depression was
larger in the west and smaller in the east. The Early Carbonif-
erous fault depression structure was transformed by several
structural wedges developed in the pre-Carboniferous, which
showed that the structural deformation in the west was strong-
er than in the east. However, the transformation process of the
structural wedge to the early fault depression and the “basin
and range” coupling process still need to be further analyzed.
4. Tectonic evolution
Based on the balanced section of the N-S section (AA)
(Fig. 10), the evolution in the study area is divided into 10
stages, namely, the early Early Carboniferous, the middle-late
Early Carboniferous, the turn of Early and Late Carboniferous,
the early Permian, the Middle-Late Permian, the Triassic, the
Jurassic, the Late Cretaceous and from the Paleogene on (Fig. 2).
In the early stage of Early Carboniferous, the study area
was in the stage of compressional foreland basin. It can be
observed on the seismic section of Baijiahai uplift that this set
of structural layer was obviously folded and partially trun-
cated by the high angle overlying layer[35]. On the Shuang-
jingzi outcrop, it can be observed that the Dishuiquan Forma-
tion is a set of coarse clastic sedimentary assemblage domi-
nated by sandy conglomerate, and gradually turns into fine
clastic sediment towards the basin-ward depression (Figs. 2
and 4). In addition, the Dishuiquan Formation is wide in dis-
tribution range and large in scale.
In the middle and late Early Carboniferous, the basin was in
a regional extensional environment, and multiple arcs have
been identified in this area[29]. During this period, arc related
fault basin developed in this area. This period witnessed mas-
sive extension of about 13.1 km. A series of half grabens were
formed in Dajing depression, and a large amount of volcanic
rocks and pyroclastic rocks were developed in the half graben.
Between the Early Carboniferous and the Late Carbonifer-
ous, the basin entered the stage of depression, during which
tectonic compression movement also took place, causing the
Shuangjingzi Formation partially eroded in the north and
completely denuded in the south. By comparing with the cen-
ter of the Junggar Basin, it can be seen that there was also a
fault depression developed in the Late Carboniferous[32], but
the tectonic compression movement at the end of the Carbon-
iferous made the Carboniferous fault depression invert posi-
tively in general[15]. Since the Upper Carboniferous in the
study area has been basically denuded, this period of fault
depression is not discussed in this paper.
In the early Permian, the basin was in extensional environ-
ment again, with a large amount of volcanic rock developing
in the west slope and the Zhongguai high of Mahu depres-
sion[15]. At the end of Early Permian, the Shuangjingzi Forma-
 39 
tion, Batamayineishan Formation and lower Permian were
uplifted and eroded under regional compression. Although the
overall shortening was small, only about 0.9 km, this tectonic
compression movement made Kelameili range and Dajing
depression couple strongly (Fig. 10).
During the Middle-Late Permian, the Jiangjunmiao Forma-
tion expanded to a wider range and gradually overlapped to
the southern uplift. At the end of Jiangjunmiao period, due to
regional compression, the first stage structural wedge of Ke-
lameili range wedged southward, the Carboniferous fault de-
pression in the Piedmont was tilted and transformed, and the
middle and lower Permian near the range side was tilted and
denuded as a whole. The shortening of strata overlying the
structural wedge was 0.6 km. Since the tectonic wedge activ-
ity in the west was more intense, the Carboniferous fault de-
pression in the west has been reformed to a higher degree, and
the reverse characteristic of the fault depression is more sig-
nificant. After that, the basin entered the depositional stage of
the foreland depression, when Pingdiquan Formation and
Wutonggou Formation deposited.
In the Triassic, the basin was still in a compressional envi-
ronment. Small-scale unconformities can be found at the base
of the lower Triassic in the uplift (Figs. 2 and 5d). A set of allu-
vial fan sedimentary system developed at the bottom of the
Triassic, and the basin was further expanded during the Middle-
Late Triassic, forming a unified large depression lake basin[15].
In the Jurassic, the basin basically inherited the pattern in
Triassic, but was larger in sedimentary area, becoming a large
shallow water basin[34]. At the end of the Xishanyao period,
under the influence of compression and torsion of the basin
margin, a series of secondary uplifts were formed in Shiqian-
tan sag. The faults in Shazhang area and Heishan high were
reactivated, forming a west-to-east thrust fault, and a series of
northeast-oriented anticline structures such as Shaqiuhe, Hu-
oshaoshan, Zhangpenggou anticlines came up in the east part
of the study area[34].
In the Late Cretaceous, the second tectonic wedge began
active, causing the Paleozoic-Mesozoic in the piedmont to be
lifted and eroded again. The formation shortening in this pe-
riod was about 1.9 km.
In the Paleogene, the Kelameili range was strongly active
again, breaking through the back wing of the early structural
wedge, forming a series of NW-trending thrust faults [21]. Es-
timated with the fold vector of the outcrop, the structural
shortening was about 18.1 km in this period.
From the above analysis, it can be seen that AA profile
115.2 km long currently was 124.9 km long originally, with a
total shortening of 9.7 km. Clearly, the study area has short-
ened, with a shortening rate of 7.8%. The compressional pe-
riods mainly include the early Early Carboniferous, Late Car-
boniferous, middle Late Permian, Late Cretaceous and Paleo-
gene; while the extensional periods mainly include the mid-
dle-late Early Carboniferous, middle-late Late Carboniferous
and Early Permian. From the evolution profile, the tectonic
movement of Middle Permian made the Kelameili range and
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45

Dajing depression show a strong coupling relationship. How- “range” relationship between the Kelameili range and the
ever, the establishment and evolution process of “basin” and Dajing depression still need more comprehensive discussion.

Fig. 10. N-S trending structural evolution profile (AA’) of Kelameili range and Dajing depression (Location of the profile is shown in Fig. 1c).
 40 
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
5. Discussion
5.1. Coupling relationship between the Kelameili range
and the Dajing depression
The formation of the basin and the thickness, composition
and deformation of sedimentary materials in the basin are
closely related to the orogeny around the basin. The geologi-
cal structures formed during the migration of the basin-range
system are also recorded in the sediments inside the ba-
sin[3637]. For the study on “basin” and “range” coupling, it is
not only necessary to examine the deformation and interaction
of basin and related orogenic belt in time and space[3840], but
also to analyze the regional dynamic background and move-
ment process[4144].
Li Jinyi et al.[3] studied the outcrops on the south side of the
Kelameili fault zone and concluded that the exposed Devo-
nian Kalamaili Formation and Lower Carboniferous Ta-
mugang Formation (corresponding to Dishuiquan Formation
in this paper) are mainly a set of shallow marine terrigenous
source clastic sediment, in which the clast of sandstone is
mainly lithoclast with poor rounding and sorting, showing the
characteristics of near-source sediment. Wang Shufang et al.[11]
believed that the set of coarse clastic sedimentary assemblages
developed in the Lower Carboniferous Songkaersu Formation
in Shuangjingzi area was the product of foreland fold thrust
belt, and turned into fine-grained clastic sediment towards the
basin. On the 1:200000 geological map, it can be seen that the
Dishuiquan Formation has been severely distorted, forming
several sharp-edged folds in various directions. At the same
time, it can be seen that the Lower Carboniferous is folded on
the seismic section of Baijiahai uplift. These evidences show
that the study area was probably in the stage of compressional
foreland basin from Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous,
when a compresso-flextural basin formed in the Jiangjunmiao
area. The Kelameili ocean subducted northward since the Late
Devonian and closed at Early Carboniferous, leading to the
collision and welding of Junggar plate and Siberian plate[3, 45].
Therefore, based on the comprehensive analysis of many ge-
ological facts and regional dynamic background, it can be
inferred that the “basin” and “range” relationship in the study
area was first established in the late Devonian to the Early
Carboniferous.
Due to the regional extension in the middle-late Early Car-
boniferous, a series of fault depressions were developed in
Dajing depression. The Late Carboniferous and Early Permian
were also in the stage of fault depression, during which the
“basin” and “range” relationship experienced a certain degree
of weakening.
In the Middle Permian, a structural wedge developed in the
south side of the Kelameili range. The structural wedge
moved southward, causing strong coupling between Kelameili
range and Dajing depression and the Jiangjunmiao foreland
basin system also migrated towards the basin. In Triassic, the
basin inherited the features before. The unconformity between
 41 
the Triassic and the Jurassic can be observed on the AA profile,
and the paleo-structure of the Middle Permian and the Upper
Triassic reversely faulted can be seen on the CC profile (Fig.
9C), corresponding to the Indosinian movement. Although the
tectonic compression weakened on the whole, the “basin” and
“range” relationship in the Middle Permian remained.
Since most of the strata above Jurassic on the seismic pro-
file are denuded (Figs. 7-9), the time constrains of tectonic
activity after Jurassic needs to be determined in combination
with other analysis and methods. Li Li et al.[46] analyzed and
compared apatite fission track of exposed granite bodies
around the Kelameili range and Junggar Basin, and concluded
that the Kelameili range experienced four stages of uplift and
denudation, namely, Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (180210
Ma), Middle-Late Cretaceous (95115 Ma), Late Triassic to
Early Jurassic (180210 Ma) and Late Paleocene to Early
Eocene (5060 Ma). The tectonic movement in the Middle to
Late Cretaceous is in good agreement with the result of pre-
vious studies[4749], corresponding to the late Yanshanian
movement. This period was the time when the second phase
structural wedge developed and the “basin” and “range” rela-
tionship strengthened. The tectonic activity from late Paleo-
cene to early Eocene corresponds to the thrust and nappe
event in the northern margin of Junggar Basin in Paleogene[50].
During this period, the back wing of the tectonic wedge was
broken through by a large number of thrust faults, forming a
large number of tight folds; and the “basin” and “range” were
in strong coupling relationship.
To sum up, since the Kalamaili ocean closed in the early
Early Carboniferous, the “basin” and “range” relationship be-
tween Kelameili range and Dajing depression was established
for the first time, and then experienced a certain degree of
weakening from the middle- late Early Carboniferous to the
early Permian, and strong coupling again in the Middle Per-
mian. The following Indosinian, Yanshanian and Himalayan
movements all inherited this “basin” and “range” relationship.
5.2. Tectonic-sedimentary framework of the Carboniferous
in the eastern Junggar Basin
The main exploration objects of the Carboniferous in the
study area are the source rock-reservoir-in-one type combina-
tions. The distribution of oil and gas is controlled by the
source rock, while the distribution of effective source rock is
controlled by the Carboniferous tectonic-sedimentary frame-
work. Therefore, it is of great significance for the exploration
to study the Carbonifereous tectonic-sedimentary framework.
On the basis of previous studies on the sedimentary environ-
ment of Carboniferous in the outcrop area, the residual distri-
bution of Carboniferous fault depressions and depression was
delineated by tracing a large number of seismic lines, and the
structural sedimentary frameworks in different periods of
Carboniferous in the eastern Junggar Basin were discussed in
this study.
In the early stage of Late Paleozoic, the Kelameili area
gradually broke up into arc belts from early continental mar-
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45

ginal basin. The back-arc basin developed into Kalamaili lim-
ited ocean basin, with Lower Devonian ophiolite generally
exposed[3, 51]. From the Devonian, the Kelameili ocean sub-
ducted towards the Yemaquan island arc terrane in the north,
forming a large amount of arc volcanic rock[5253], which
eventually led to the closure of the Kelameili ocean in the
early Early Carboniferous[45]. Consequently, the Kelameili
volcanic arc was accreted to the southern margin of the Sibe-
rian continental plate[3]. In the background of regional com-
pression, a foreland basin was formed in the Jiangjunmiao
area south of Yemaquan arc[54]. In the early Early Carbonifer-
ous, the provenance came from Kelameili range in the north.
Thick layer of coarse clastic molasse formation was devel-
oped in the piedmont zone, and the clastic material became
thinner to the south (Fig. 11a). The Dishuiquan Formation is
the first set of Carboniferous source rocks, which is better in
the south of Dajing depression than in the north. Based on
previous analysis, the kerogen of the source rock is type
Ⅱ 2-Ⅲ, with high maturity[55], which could be an effective
source rock. Because the source rocks are buried very deep in
the basin, they are only drilled in Wucaiwan and Baijiahai
area.
From the middle to the late Early Carboniferous, the tec-
tonic stress in the study area changed from compressional to
extensional. Consequently, the early thrust faults had “nega-
tive reversal”, forming a series of NW-trending fault depres-
sions along the suture zone (Fig. 11b). In the Shuangjingzi
area, the Songkaersu Formation developed with a thickness of
4123 m, showing the characteristics of linear eruption. During
this period, a large number of volcanic activities occurred, and
the half graben was filled with volcanic rock and pyroclastic
rock erupted in multiple periods. This period corresponded to
the two episodes of fault depression identified on the seismic
profile (Fig. 8). By tracking a large number of seismic profiles,
at least three NW- and NWW-fault depressions have been
identified in the basin, with sedimentary centers located in
wellarea DJ1, the south of wellarea D1 and wellarea T3 re-
spectively. The volcanic rocks of the eruption and overflow

Fig. 11. Tectonic-sedimentary frameworks of the Carboniferous in the eastern Junggar Basin in different periods (Modified from reference
[56]).

 42 
 ZHANG Lei et al. / Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2020, 47(1): 30–45
facies were reformed by dissolution along unconformities in
multiple periods, forming high-quality reservoir with good
storage capacity and permeability, which constitutes the
Lower Carboniferous source-reservoir combination with the
underlying source rock of the Dishuiquan Formation.
Between the Early Carboniferous and the Late Carbonifer-
ous, the extension gradually weakened, and the area entered
the stage of depression. In the piedmont region of Kelameili
range, a continental clastic sedimentary system came up in an
extensive range, namely the Shuangjingzi Formation. The
Shuangjingzi formation cropping out in the Baijinggou out-
crop has about 400m thick carbonaceous shale interbedded
with coal seam, with a large number of Late Carboniferous
plant fossils. This set of strata encountered in Well DJ1 and
D5 of Dajing depression is composed of mainly sandstone,
carbonaceous mudstone and other clastic rocks. It is the main
effective Carboniferous source rock encountered in the basin,
with high TOC and low to high maturity[55]. Combined with
seismic interpretation, multiple sedimentary centers (hydro-
carbon generation centers) have been identified, including
areas of Well CS1, DJ1, south Jiangjunmiao and Well T1 (Fig.
11C). The provenance of the source rock might come from
island arc terranes on the north and south.
During the middle-late Late Carboniferous, the basin ex-
perienced a rifting and post-rifting cycle, and this set of vol-
canic and clastic sedimentary rocks was completely preserved
in the Luliang uplift[5657]. In the late Late Carboniferous, the
arcs in most parts of Junggar Basin have been consolidated
into a unified terrane[56]. Under this background, the Kelameili
range uplifted again, resulting in a large area of denudation of
the Upper Carboniferous, only some preserved in the northern
part of Dajing depression. In the eastern and central parts of
the study area, the Upper Carboniferous was basically de-
nuded (Fig. 11d). The residual Batamayineishan Formation
and the underlying Shuangjingzi Formation constitute the
upper Carboniferous source-reservoir combination.
6. Conclusions
According to the latest drilling and seismic data, combined
with outcrop, paleontology and chronology analysis, the Car-
boniferous in the study area is divided into Dishuiquan For-
mation, Songkaersu Formation, Shuangjingzi Formation, Ba-
tamayineishan Formation and Shiqiantan Formation. The
Songkaersu Formation in the Shuangjingzi outcrop (named in
the geological map) and the Dishuiquan Formation inside the
Junggar Basin (named by Xinjiang Oilfield company) are both
the Dianshuiquan Formation, which is contemporaneous
sediment of different lithofacies in different positions of the
foreland basin depositing in early Early Carboniferous.
There are 10 obvious unconformities in the study area,
namely the bottoms of the Dishuiquan Formation, Songkaersu
Formation, Shuangjingzi Formation, Jingou Formation, Ping-
diquan Formation, lower Triassic, Xishanyao Formation, low-
er Cretaceous, Pliocene and Pleistocene. Through seismic
interpretation, it is revealed that the Carboniferous in the basin
 43 
develops fault depression structure. The Songkaersu formation
is characterized by multi-episode rifting, and the Shuangjingzi
formation is characterized by post-rifting. In the Piedmont, a
number of complex structural wedges developed in the pre-Car-
boniferous and the wedging time was mainly in the Middle
Permian and late Cretaceous. The structural wedges caused
the Carboniferous fault depression and basin-range transition
zone to tilt and suffer reformation. From the late Paleocene to
the early Eocene, the back wings of the structural wedges
were broken through by a series of thrust faults, forming a
series of complex fault propagation folds and anticlines.
The coupling between the Kelameili range and Dajing de-
pression was first established in the early Early Carboniferous.
Due to regional extension, it weakened to some extent in the
middle-late Early Carboniferous and Early Permian, but streng-
thened again in the Middle Permian. Later Indosinian, Yan-
shanian and Himalayan movements inherited this relationship.
In the early Early Carboniferous, the Kelameili ocean was
closed in the study area, forming a foreland basin. The Dishui-
quan Formation is the first set of source rock of Carboniferous.
Arc related faulted basin developed in the middle and late Early
Carboniferous in the study area. Due to dissolution along multi-
stage unconformities, the volcanic rock of the Songkaersu
Formation could be reformed into high-quality reservoir with
good storage capacity and permeability. It constitutes the
Lower Carboniferous source-reservoir combination with the
Dishuiquan source rock. Between the Early and Late Carbo-
niferous, the extension weakened and the study area became a
depression basin, and the Shuangjingzi Formation deposited
extensively, which is the main source rock of the Carbonifer-
ous. At the end of Carboniferous, the study area uplifted and
suffered massive erosion, and part of the Upper Carboniferous
has been left in the piedmont depression only. The Upper Car-
boniferous and the underlying Shuangjingzi Formation make
up the Upper Carboniferous reservoir-source combination.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the Exploration and Development Research In-
stitute of Xinjiang Oilfield of PetroChina for providing seis-
mic, drilling, and logging data. During this study, Zhang Wei-
kang, Chen Jiajun, Deng Mingzhe, Liang Yusheng, Yin Shuz-
heng and Zhen Yu helped us a lot. We express our sincere
gratitude to them all.
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