The Relationship Between Deep Structures and Prediction of Favorable Explorations in the Pearl River Mouth Basin

Summary The Pearl River Mouth Basin, located in the northern South China Sea, possesses abundant oil and gas resources due to its complex geological tectonic movements. Given the limited previous research on the relationship between deep structural features and hydrocarbon-rich sags in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, this study utilizes satellite altimetry gravity and magnetic anomaly data to recalculate the crustal thickness, lithospheric thickness, and magnetic layer thickness of the basin. Furthermore, it semi-quantitatively analyzes the relationship between these deep structures and the hydrocarbon-bearing sags within the basin. The results indicate that the crustal thickness in the Pearl River Mouth Basin ranges from 12 to 35 km, the lithospheric thickness ranges from 47 to 83 km, and the magnetic layer thickness ranges from 11 to 27 km. Based on these quantified indicators, the CRITIC method is employed to predict the Liwan Sag, Lufeng Sag, and Shunde Sag as favorable exploration areas.