Restoration of paleokarst landform and its geological significance: A case from Middle Permian Maokou Formation in Northwestern Sichuan Basin

Based on the analysis of deposition and tectonism, “residual thickness method” is used to restore the paleokarst landform of Middle Permian Maokou Formation in northwestern Sichuan Basin. With the feature of plain with karst hilllock, the paleokarst landform in this area can be classified into three secondary geomorphic units: karst platform, karst slope and karst groove, in which the karst hillocks and monadnocks on karst platform and karst slope are the favorable zones for the development of karst reservoirs, and favorable exploration zones in the next step. Furthermore, in the karst grooves, the Maokou Formation are often denuded into Members Mao 3 or Mao 2, and the seismic profiles show the top of Maokou Formation in karst groove is missing due to erosion. Members Mao 4 and Mao 3 are generally preserved in the karst platform. The seismic profiles across the karst platform and karst groove show that the NE and NW striking erosion grooves were the result of differential uplift and erosion caused by basement faulting at the end of Middle Permian, which then successively developed and formed the NW striking Guangyuan-Wangcang and the NE striking Jiangyou-Guangyuan troughs in Changxing Period. It is suggested to pay more attention to the geological research and exploration of the shallow carbonate platform areas adjacent to the syneclise and trough in fairly deep water.