Evaluation of sweet spots and horizontal-well-design technology for shale gas in the basin-margin transition zone of southeastern Chongqing,SW China

The shale gas accumulation conditions in the basin-margin transition zone of southeastern Chongqing in SW China are complex.In order to improve single-well productivity in this area,the geologic characteristics,major factors controlling the occurrence of sweet spots,and drilling/fracturing optimization were investigated in this study.The sweet spot evaluation system and criteria were established,and the horizontal-well-design technology was developed.The following three conclusions were drawn.First,the accumulation and high-productivity-oriented approaches for sweet spot evaluation are proposed and the criteria are established based on screened key indicators.Second,the horizontal well was designed based on:(1)the“six-map”method,to identify both the geology and engineering sweet spots for well locations;and(2)seismic attributes,to predict the development of fractures and cavities,and thus,avoid mud loss and improve the drilling efficiency.The target window,well-azimuth optimization,and the curvature were forecasted to improve the fracturing performances.Third,the Pingqiao anticline,Dongsheng anticline,Jinfo slope,and Wulong syncline were selected as Type I sweet spots.Currently,shale gas has been successfully discovered in the basin-margin transition zone and is being commercially developed.