Accumulation Mechanisms and Evolution History of the Giant Puguang Gas Field,Sichuan Basin,China

Solid bitumens were found throughout the carbonate reservoirs in the Puguang gas field, the largest gas field so far found in marine carbonates in China, confirming that the Puguang gas field evolved from a paleo-oil reservoir. The fluid conduit system at the time of intensive oil accumulation in the field was reconstructed, and petroleum migration pathways were modeled using a 3-D model and traced by geochemical parameters. The forward modeling and inversion tracing coincided with each other and both indicated that oils accumulated in the Puguang-Dongyuezhai structure originated from a generative kitchen to the northwest of the Puguang gas field. The deposition of organic-rich Upper Permian source rocks dominated by sapropelic organic matter in the Northeast Sichuan Basin, the development of fluid conduit system that was vertically near-source rock and laterally near-generative kitchen, and the focusing of oils originated from a large area of the generative kitchen, were the three requirements for the formation of the giant paleo-oil reservoir from which the giant Puguang gas field evolved. The Puguang gas field had experienced a three-stage evolution. The post-accumulation processes, especially the organic-inorganic interaction in the hydrocarbon-water-rock system, had not only profoundly altered the composition and characteristics of the petroleum fluids, but also obviously changed the physicochemical conditions in the reservoir and resulted in complicated precipitation and solution of carbonate minerals.

Structure and Fluid Transportation Performance of Faults in the Changxing-Feixianguan Formation, Xuanhan County, Northeastern Sichuan Basin

On the basis of field observations, microscopic thin-sections and laboratory data analysis of ten faults in Xuanhan County area, northeastern Sichuan Basin, central China, the internal and megascopic structures and tectonite development characteristics are mainly controlled by the geomechanical quality in brittle formation of the Changxing-Feixianguan Formation. The fluid transportation performance difference between the faults formed by different geomechanics or different structural parts of the same fault are controlled by the mcgascopic structure and tectonite development characteristics. For instance, the extension fault structure consists of a tectonite breccia zone and an extension fracture zone. Good fluid transportation performance zones are the extension fracture zone adjacent to the tectonite breccia zone and the breccia zone formed at the early evolutionary stage. The typical compression fault structure consists of a boulder-clay zone or zones of grinding gravel rock, compression foliation, tectonite lens, and dense fracture development. The dense fracture development zone is the best fluid transporting area at a certain scale of the compression fault, and then the lens, grinding gravel rock zone and compression foliation zones are the worst areas for hydrocarbon migration. The typical tensor-shear fault with a certain scale can be divided into boulder-clay or grinding gravel rock zones of the fault, as well as a pinnate fractures zone and a derivative fractures zone. The grinding gravel rock zone is the worst one for fluid transportation. Because of the fracture mesh connectivity and better penetration ability, the pinnate fractures zone provides the dominant pathway for hydrocarbon vertical migration along the tensor-shear fault.

Diagenesis and Restructuring Mechanism of Oil and Gas Reservoir in the Marine Carbonate Formation,Northeastern Sichuan:A Case Study of the Puguang Gas Reservoir

Based on the technology of balanced cross-section and physical simulation experiments associated with natural gas geochemical characteristic analyses, core and thin section observations, it has been proven that the Puguang gas reservoir has experienced two periods of diagenesis and restructuring since the Late Indo-Chinese epoch. One is the fluid transfer controlled by the tectonic movement and the other is geochemical reconstruction controlled by thermochemical sulfate reduction （TSR）. The middle Yanshan epoch was the main period that the Puguang gas reservoir experienced the geochemical reaction of TSR. TSR can recreate the fluid in the gas reservoir, which makes the gas drying index higher and carbon isotope heavier because C2＋ （ethane and heavy hydrocarbon） and 12C （carbon 12 isotope） is first consumed relative to CH4 and 13C （carbon 13 isotope）. However, the reciprocity between fluid regarding TSR （hydrocarbon, sulfureted hydrogen （H2S）, and water） and reservoir rock results in reservoir rock erosion and anhydrite alteration, which increases porosity in reservoir, thereby improving the petrophysical properties. Superimposed by later tectonic movement, the fluid in Puguang reservoir has twice experienced adjustment, one in the late Yanshan epoch to the early Himalayan epoch and the other time in late Himalayan epoch, after which Puguang gas reservoir is finally developed.

Process and mechanism for oil and gas accumulation, adjustment and reconstruction in Puguang Gas Field, Northeast Sichuan Basin, China

With the discoveries of a series of large gas fields in the northeast of Sichuan Basin, such as Puguang and Longgang gas fields, the formation mechanism of the gas reservoir containing high H2S in the ancient marine carbonate formation in superposition-basin becomes a hot topic in the field of petroleum geology. Based on the structure inversion, numerical simulation, and geochemical research, we show at least two intervals of fluid transfer in Puguang paleo-oil reservoir, one in the forepart of late Indo-Chinese epoch to early Yanshan epoch and the other in the metaphase of early Yanshan epoch. Oil and gas accumulation occurred at Puguang structure through Puguang-Dongyuezhai faults and dolomite beds in reef and shoal facies in Changxing Formation (P2ch) - Feixianguan Formation (T1f) in the northwest and southwest directions along three main migration pathways, to form Puguang paleo-oil reservoir. Since crude oil is pyrolysised in the early stage of middle Yanshan epoch, Puguang gas reservoir has experienced fluid adjusting process controlled by tectonic movement and geochemical reconstruction process controlled by thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). Middle Yan-shan epoch is the main period during which the Puguang gas reservoir experienced the geochemical reaction of TSR. On one hand, TSR can recreate the fluid in gas reservoir, which makes the gas drying index larger and carbon isotope heavier. On the other hand, the reciprocity between fluid regarding TSR (hydrocarbon, H2S, and water) and reservoir rock induces erosion of the reservoir rocks and anhydrite alteration, which improves reservoir petrophysical properties. Superimposed by later tectonic movement, the fluid in Puguang reservoir has twice experienced adjustment, one in the late Yanshan epoch to the early Himalayan epoch and the other time in late Himalayan epoch, after which Puguang gas reservoir is finally developed.