Recent natural gas discoveries indicate that non-karstification-dominated reservoirs exist in the intracratonic Ordos Basin. This study examines the sedimentological and geochemical characteristics needed to clarify the depositional model and diagenetic evolution process of this newly discovered reservoir type. The depositional environment of the dolomite reservoir can be characterized as a tidal flat that grew from the Central Paleo-uplift to the eastern depression by cyclic progradation on an epeiric platform. A tidal flat sequence can extend laterally as a progradational wedge in each cycle of sea level fluctuation. The sheet-shaped peritidal shoal facies associations patched on the wedge represent potential dolomite reservoirs and can be recognized by the presence of doloarenite that has been altered into a vaguely relict grained-texture by diagenesis. Although continuing destructive diagenesis has led to reservoir densification, burial dolomitization and burial dissolution with facies selectivity have tended to occur in peritidal shoal facies associations, thus improving the quality of the dolomite reservoirs. These models provide new insights for targeting deep dolomite hydrocarbon reservoirs in intracratonic basins.

We present updated U–Pb ages and Hf isotopic compositions of detrital zircons and whole-rock geochemical data to investigate the provenance and tectonic setting of late Neoproterozoic and early Cambrian sandstones from the Cathaysia Block, in order to offer new constraints on its tectonic evolution and its palaeo-position within the supercontinent. The source rocks for the studied sandstones were dominated by felsic–intermediate materials with moderate weathering history. U–Pb dating results show major populations atc. 2500 Ma, 1000–900 Ma and 870–716 Ma with subordinate peaks at 655–532 Ma, consistent with the global Neoarchean continental crust growth, assembly and break-up of Rodinia, and Pan-African Event associated with the formation of Gondwana. Zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotopic data suggest that most derived from exotic terranes once connected to the Cathaysia Block. Using whole-rock geochemical analysis, it was determined that the studied sedimentary rocks were deposited in a passive continental margin and the Cathaysia and Yangtze blocks were part of the same continent; no Cambrian ocean existed between them. Compiling a detrital zircon dataset from Qiangtang, northern India, the Lhasa Terrane and Western Australia, the Cathaysia Block seems to be more similar to the Qiangtang and western part of the northern India margin, instead of having a direct connection with the Lhasa Terrane and Western Australia in the Gondwana reconstruction during the late Neoproterozoic and Cambrian eons.

The Guanwushan Formation (GWSF) of Devonian dolomite are extensively developed in the northwest of Sichuan Basin in the Upper Yangtze region, but the properties of dolomitization fluid and the geneses are still unclear. Three types of dolomites can be divided by petrological characteristics: the fine-microcrystalline dolomites (FMD), the fine crystalline dolomites (FCD) and the medium crystalline dolomites (MCD). The order degree of these three types of dolomites increased in turn, and they all showed dark cathodoluminescence (CL) luminescence. The total amount of Rare Earth Elements (∑REE) of the dolomite was low, while the dolomite enriched with light REE and lacking heavy REE presented a distribution pattern consistent with that of limestone. The weak negative anomalies of the Ce and Eu indicated that the dolomites were formed in a weak redox environment with relatively low temperature. The dolomitization fluids were inherited from the original seawater. The respective δ¹³C_PDB values of the three types of dolomites varied a little, indicating that they were not affected by the biological effects. Specifically, the δ¹⁸O_PDB values of the FMD and FCD dolomites were higher than that of the limestone, indicating that the dolomitization fluid was influenced by evaporation at the penecontemporaneous stage. The interpretations were also supported by the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, as the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of FMD comparable to the Middle Devonian seawater. The δ¹⁸O_PDB value of the MCD dolomite was lower than that of the limestone. It also showed poor automorphic extent, which clarified that the dolomite experienced more intense dolomitization in greater burial depth and at higher temperatures.