Ordovician Carbonate Reservoir Bed Characteristics and Reservoir-Forming Conditions in the Lungudong Region of the Tarim Basin

Basic characteristics of Ordovician carbonate reservoir beds in the Lungudong region of northeastern part of the Tarim Basin are described in detail and the reservoir-forming conditions of oil and gas are preliminarily discussed in this paper by collecting and sorting out a large amount of data. The carbonate reservoir beds are mainly developed in open-platform and platform marginal facies; the reservoir beds have large changes in and low average values of physical property; the main type is fractured reservoir beds with the fracture-porous type second. The reservoir bed development is chiefly controlled by the distribution of sedimentary facies, tectonic activity and karstification. Whereas the accumulation and distribution of hydrocarbons in the region are controlled by an advantageous structural location, a good reservoir-caprock combination and a favorable transporting system, with the distribution characterized by zones horizontally and belts vertically, the oil and gas are mainly concentrated in areas with structural uplift, densely developed fractures, and surface karst, a vertical vadose zone, and a horizontal undercurrent belt of palaeokarst.

塔里木油田碳酸盐岩油藏产量预测方法

碳酸盐岩油藏非均质性强,初期产量递减快,常规产量预测方法不能满足生产需要。为此研究优化了传统预测方法,阐述了指数递减分类预测和扩展指数递减预测的基本模型和拟合方法。在找到影响产量变化的主要因素后,对已投产老井进行分类,利用指数递减分类模型拟合油井生产数据,可以较好地指导老井在规划期的产量预测。扩展指数递减模型适用于碳酸盐岩油藏此类投产后呈现较快递减趋势的油藏,借鉴相似类型油藏已有老井的扩展指数递减规律,可以预测新井在规划期的产量。2种预测方法相结合,可进一步提高碳酸盐岩油藏预测产量的可靠性,指导此类油藏在未来一段时间的生产实践。

Oil-source rock correlation and quantitative assessment of Ordovician mixed oils in the Tazhong Uplift, Tarim Basin

The origin of the marine oils in the Tarim Basin has long been a disputed topic. A total of 58 DST （drill stem test） crude oil and 8 rock samples were investigated using a comprehensive geochemical method to characterize and identify the origin of the Ordovician oils in the Tazhong Uplift, Tarim Basin, northwest China. Detailed oil–oil and oil–source rock correlations show that the majority of the oils have typical biomarker characteristics of the Middle-Upper Ordovician （O2＋3） source rock and the related crude oil. These characteristics include a distinct ＂V-shaped＂ relative abundance of C27, C28 and C29 regular steranes, low abundance of dinosterane, 24-norcholestanes, triaromatic dinosteroids and gammacerane. Only a few oils display typical biomarker characteristics indicating the Cambrian–Lower Ordovician （∈-O1） genetic affinity, such as linear or anti ＂L＂ shape distribution of C27, C28 and C29 regular sterane, with relatively high concentrations of dinosterane, 24-norcholestanes, triaromatic dinosteroids and gammacerane. It appears that most of the Ordovician oils in the Tazhong Uplift were derived from the O2＋3 intervals, as suggested by previous studies. However, the compound specific n-alkane stable carbon isotope data indicate that the Ordovician oils are mixtures from both the ∈-O1 and O2＋3 source rocks rather than from the O2＋3 strata alone. It was calculated that the proportion of the∈-O1 genetic affinity oils mixed is about 10.8%-74.1%, with an increasing trend with increasing burial depth. This new oil-mixing model is critical for understanding hydrocarbon generation and accumulation mechanisms in the region, and may have important implications for further hydrocarbon exploration in the Tarim Basin.

Origin of the Silurian Crude Oils and Reservoir Formation Characteristics in the Tazhong Uplift

The Silurian stratum in the Tazhong uplift is an important horizon for exploration because it preserves some features of the hydrocarbons produced from multi-stage tectonic evolution. For this reason, the study of the origin of the Silurian oils and their formation characteristics constitutes a major part in revealing the mechanisms for the composite hydrocarbon accumulation zone in the Tazhong area. Geochemical investigations indicate that the physical properties of the Silurian oils in Tazhong vary with belts and blocks, i.e., heavy oils are distributed in the TZ47-15 well-block in the North Slope while normal and light oils in the No. I fault belt and the TZ16 well-block, which means that the oil properties are controlled by structural patterns. Most biomarkers in the Silurian oils are similar to that of the Mid-Upper Ordovician source rocks, suggesting a good genetic relationship. However, the compound specific isotope of n-alkanes in the oils and the chemical components of the hydrocarbons in fluid inclusions indicate that these oils are mixed oils derived from both the Mid- Upper Ordovician and the Cambrian-Lower Ordovician source rocks. Most Silurian oils have a record of secondary alterations like earlier biodegradation, including the occurrence of ＂UCM＂ humps in the total ion current （TIC） chromatogram of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons and 25-norhopane in saturated hydrocarbons of the crude oils, and regular changes in the abundances of light and heavy components from the structural low to the structural high. The fact that the Silurian oils are enriched in chain alkanes, e.g., n-alkanes and 25-norhopane, suggests that they were mixed oils of the earlier degraded oils with the later normal oils. It is suggested that the Silurian oils experienced at least three episodes of petroleum charging according to the composition and distribution as well as the maturity of reservoir crude oils and the oils in fluid inclusions. The migration and accumulation models of these oils in the TZ47-15 well-blocks, the No. I fault belt and the TZ16 well-block are different from but related to each other. The investigation of the origin of the mixed oils and the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation mechanisms in different charging periods is of great significance to petroleum exploration in this area.

Hydrocarbon enrichment characteristics and difference analysis in the TZ1-TZ4 well block of the Tarim Basin

The reservoirs in the TZ1-TZ4 well block of the Tarim Basin are complex, and the hydrocarbon enrichment shows differences. The three Carboniferous oil layers are characterized by ＂oil in the upper and lower layers and gas in the middle＂ in profile and ＂oil in the west and gas in the east＂ in plane view. In order to discuss the complex reservoir accumulation mechanisms, based on the petroleum geology and reservoir distribution, we studied the generation history of source rocks, the fault evolution and sealing, the accumulation periods and gas washing, and reconstructed the accumulation process of the TZ1-TZ4 well block. It is concluded that the hydrocarbon enrichment differences of oil layers CIII, CII and CI were caused by multiple sources and multi-period hydrocarbon charging and adjustment. The CII was closely related to CIII, but CI was formed by reservoir adjustment during the Yanshan period and was not affected by gas washing after it was formed. During the Himalayan period, different degrees of gas washing in the east and west led to hydrocarbon enrichment differences on the plane. The Carboniferous accumulation process of two-stage charging and one-stage adjustment is summarized： oil charging during the late Hercynian period is the first accumulation period of CIII and CII; oil reservoirs were adjusted into CI in the Yanshan period; finally gas washing in the Himalayan period is the second accumulation period of CIII and CII, but CI was not affected by gas washing. This complex accumulation process leads to the hydrocarbon enrichment differences in the TZ1-TZ4 well block.

Origin of Crude Oil in the Lunnan Region,Tarim Basin

The oil source of the Tarim Basin has been controversial over a long time. This study characterizes the crude oil and investigates the oil sources in the Lunnan region, Tarim Basin by adopting compound specific isotopes of n-alkanes and biomarkers approaches. Although the crude oil has a good correlation with the Middle-Upper Ordovician （02＋3） source rocks and a poor correlation with the Cambrian-Lower Ordovician （C-O1） based on biomarkers, the ~3C data of n-alkanes of the Lunnan oils show an intermediate value between C-O1 and 02＋3 genetic affinity oils, which suggests that the Lunnan oils are actually of an extensively mixed source. A quantification of oil mixing was performed and the results show that the contribution of the Cambrian-Lower Ordovician source rocks ranges from 11% to 70% （averaging 36%）, slightly less than that of the Tazhong uplift. It is suggested that the inconsistency between the biomarkers and od3C in determining the oil sources in the Lunnan Region results from multiple petroleum charge episodes with different chemical components in one or more episode（s） and different sources. The widespread marine mixed-source oil in the basin indicates that significant petroleum potential in deep horizons is possible. To unravel hydrocarbons accumulation mechanisms for the Lunnan oils is crucial to further petroleum exploration and exploitation in the region.