Discovery and inspiration of large-and medium-sized glutenite-rich oil and gas fields in the eastern South China Sea:An example from Paleogene Enping Formation in Huizhou 26 subsag,Pearl River Mouth Basin

Based on the practice of oil and gas exploration in the Huizhou Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,the geochemical indexes of source rocks were measured,the reservoir development morphology was restored,the rocks and minerals were characterized microscopically,the measured trap sealing indexes were compared,the biomarker compounds of crude oil were extracted,the genesis of condensate gas was identified,and the reservoir-forming conditions were examined.On this basis,the Paleogene Enping Formation in the Huizhou 26 subsag was systematically analyzed for the potential of oil and gas resources,the development characteristics of large-scale high-quality conglomerate reservoirs,the trapping effectiveness of faults,the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation model,and the formation conditions and exploration targets of large-and medium-sized glutenite-rich oil and gas fields.The research results were obtained in four aspects.First,the Paleogene Wenchang Formation in the Huizhou 26 subsag develops extensive and thick high-quality source rocks of semi-deep to deep lacustrine subfacies,which have typical hydrocarbon expulsion characteristics of"great oil generation in the early stage and huge gas expulsion in the late stage",providing a sufficient material basis for hydrocarbon accumulation in the Enping Formation.Second,under the joint control of the steep slope zone and transition zone of the fault within the sag,the large-scale near-source glutenite reservoirs are highly heterogeneous,with the development scale dominated hierarchically by three factors(favorable facies zone,particle component,and microfracture).The(subaqueous)distributary channels near the fault system,with equal grains,a low mud content(<5%),and a high content of feldspar composition,are conducive to the development of sweet spot reservoirs.Third,the strike-slip pressurization trap covered by stable lake flooding mudstone is a necessary condition for oil and gas preservation,and the NE and nearly EW faults obliquely to the principal stress have the best control on traps.Fourth,the spatiotemporal configuration of high-quality source rocks,fault transport/sealing,and glutenite reservoirs controls the degree of hydrocarbon enrichment.From top to bottom,three hydrocarbon accumulation units,i.e.low-fill zone,transition zone,and high-fill zone,are recognized.The main area of the channel in the nearly pressurized source-connecting fault zone is favorable for large-scale hydrocarbon enrichment.The research results suggest a new direction for the exploration of large-scale glutenite-rich reservoirs in the Enping Formation of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,and present a major breakthrough in oil and gas exploration.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PALEOGEOTHERMAL TECTONIC HISTORY ON DONGPU DEPRESSION AND OIL/GAS FORMATION BY FISSION-TRACK METHOD

Dongpu depression is a fault basin at residual-mobility period of Diwa stage, it developed on the strata of the Mesozoie and Pre-Mesozoie. It is one of the important oil/gas- bearing basin during Cenozoie era along the East China. The strueture in Dongpu geodepression is very complex. There exists a strueture pattern with east- and west-depression belts and one central swell belt, it is divided into the southern- and northern-division by Gaopingji (orMeng Ju ) -Xieheng fault.

Features of Sandy Debris Flows of the Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin and Its Oil and Gas Exploration Significance

Sandy debris flow is a new genetic type of sand bodies,which has gained much attention in recent years and its corresponding theory is proved to be a significant improvement and even partial denial to the 'Bouma Sequence' and 'turbidite fan' deep-water sedimentary theories to some point. Oil exploration researchers are highly concerned with sandy debris flows for its key role in controlling oil and gas accumulation processes.In this article,by applying sandy debris flows theory and combining a lot work of core,outcrop observation and analysis plus seismic profile interpretation,we recognized three types of sedimentary gravity flows that are sandy debris flows,classic turbidites and slumping rocks in chang-6 member of Yanchang Formation in the deep-water area of central Ordos Basin.Among the three types,the sandy debris flows are the most prominent and possesses the best oil bearing conditions.On the contrary,the classic turbidites formed by turbidity currents are limited in distribution;therefore,previous Yanchang Formation deep-water sedimentary studies have exaggerated the importance of turbidite currents deposition.Further study showed that the area distribution of deep water gravity flow sand bodies in Yanchang Formation were controlled by the slope of the deep-water deposits and the flows had vast distribution,huge depth and prevalent advantages for oil forming,which make it one of the most favorable new areas for Ordos Basin prospecting.

Formation of Natural Bitumen and its Implication for Oil/gas Prospect in Dabashan Foreland

Natural bitumen is the evolutionary residue of hydrocarbon of sedimentary organic matter. Several kinds of bitumen with different occurrences, including bitumen in source rock, migration bitumen filled in fault, oil-bed bitumen and paleo-reservoir bitumen, are distributed widely in the Dabashan foreland. These kinds of bitumen represent the process of oil/gas formation, migration and accumulation in the region. Bitumen in source rock fiUed in fractures and stylolite and experienced deformation simultaneously together with source rock themselves. It indicated that oil/gas generation and expelling from source rock occurred under normal buried thermal conditions during prototype basin evolution stages prior to orogeny. Occurrences of bitumen in source rock indicated that paleo- reservoir formation conditions existed in the Dabashan foreland. Migration bitumen being widespread in the fault revealed that the fault was the main channel for oil/gas migration, which occurred synchronously with Jurassic foreland deformation. Oil-bed bitumen was the kind of pyrolysis bitumen that distributed in solution pores of reservoir rock in the Dabashan foreland depression, the northeastern Sichuan Basin. Geochemistry of oil-bed bitumen indicated that natural gas that accumulated in the Dabashan foreland depression formed from liquid hydrocarbon by pyrolysis process. However, paleo-reservior bitumen in the Dabashan forleland was the kind of degradation bitumen that formed from liquid hydrocarbon within the paleo-reservior by oxidation, alteration and other secondary changes due to paleo-reservior damage during tectonics in the Dabashan foreland. In combination with the tectonic evolution of the Dabashan foreland, it is proposed that the oil/gas generated, migrated and accumulated to form the paleo-reservoir during the Triassic Indosinian tectonic movement. Jurassic collision orogeny, the Yanshan tectonic movement, led to intracontinental orogeny of the Dabashan area accompanied by geofluid expelling and paleo-reservoir damage in the Dabashan foreland. The present work proposed that there is liquid hydrocarbon exploration potential in the Dabashan foreland, while there are prospects for the existence of natural gas in the Dabashan foreland depression.

The influence factors of gas-bearing and geological characteristics of Niutitang Formation shale in the southern margin of Xuefeng Mountain ancient uplift: A case of Well Huangdi 1

In order to evaluate the geological characteristics and gas-bearing factors of Niutitang Formation within the Lower Cambrian of northern Guizhou,the Huangping area located at the southern edge of the ancient uplift belt of Xuefeng Mountain was selected as the target area,and Well Huangdi 1 was drilled for the geological survey of shale gas.Through geological background analysis and well logging and laboratory analysis such as organic geochemical test,gas content analysis,isothermal adsorption,and specific surface area experiments on Well Huangdi 1,the results show that the Niutitang Formation is a deep-water shelf,trough-like folds and thrust fault.The thickness of black shale is 119.95 m,of which carbonaceous shale is 89.6 m.The average value of organic carbon content is 3.55%,kerogen vitrinite reflectance value is 2.37% and kerogen type is sapropel-type.The brittle mineral content is 51%(quartz 38%),clay mineral content is 38.3%.The value of porosity and permeability are 0.5%and 0.0014 mD,which the reservoir of the Niutitang Formation belongs to low permeability with characteristics of ultra-low porosity.The gas content is 0.09‒1.31 m^3/t with a high-value area and a second high-value area.By comparing with the geological parameters of adjacent wells in the adjacent area,the accumulation model of“sediment control zone,Ro control zone,structure controlling reservoir”in the study area is proposed.Therefore,deep-water shelf-slope facies,Ro is between high maturity-early stage of overmaturity and well-preserved zones in the Niutitang Formation in this area are favorable direction for the next step of shale gas exploration.

Key geological factors controlling the estimated ultimate recovery of shale oil and gas: A case study of the Eagle Ford shale, Gulf Coast Basin, USA

Based on 991 groups of analysis data of shale samples from the Lower Member of the Cretaceous Eagle Ford Formation of 1317 production wells and 72 systematic coring wells in the U.S. Gulf Basin, the estimated ultimate recovery(EUR) of shale oil and gas of the wells are predicted by using two classical EUR estimation models, and the average values predicted excluding the effect of engineering factors are taken as the final EUR. Key geological factors controlling EUR of shale oil and gas are fully investigated. The reservoir capacity, resources, flow capacity and fracability are the four key geological parameters controlling EUR. The storage capacity of shale oil and gas is directly controlled by total porosity and hydrocarbon-bearing porosity, and indirectly controlled by total organic carbon(TOC) and vitrinite reflectance(Ro). The resources of shale oil and gas are controlled by hydrocarbon-bearing porosity and effective shale thickness etc. The flow capacity of shale oil and gas is controlled by effective permeability, crude oil density, gas-oil ratio, condensate oil-gas ratio, formation pressure gradient, and Ro. The fracability of shale is directly controlled by brittleness index, and indirectly controlled by clay content in volume. EUR of shale oil and gas is controlled by six geological parameters: it is positively correlated with effective shale thickness, TOC and fracture porosity, negatively correlated with clay content in volume, and increases firstly and then decreases with the rise of Ro and formation pressure gradient. Under the present upper limit of horizontal well fracturing effective thickness of 65 m and the lower limit of EUR of 3×10^(4) m^(3), when TOC<2.3%, or Ro<0.85%, or clay content in volume larger than 25%, and fractures and micro-fractures aren’t developed, favorable areas of shale oil and gas hardly occur.

Sedimentology and Ichnology of Upper Montney Formation Tight Gas Reservoir, Northeastern British Columbia, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

Several decades of conventional oil and gas production in Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) have resulted in maturity of the basin, and attention is shifting to alternative hydrocarbon reservoir system, such as tight gas reservoir of the Montney Formation, which consists of siltstone with subordinate interlaminated very fine-grained sandstone. The Montney Formation resource play is one of Canada’s prime unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir, with reserve estimate in British Columbia (Natural Gas reserve = 271 TCF), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG = 12,647 million barrels), and oil reserve (29 million barrels). Based on sedimentological and ichnological criteria, five lithofacies associations were identified in the study interval: Lithofacies F-1 (organic rich, wavy to parallel laminated, black colored siltstone);Lithofacies F-2 (very fine-grained sandstone interbedded with siltstone);Lithofacies F-3A (bioturbated silty-sandstone attributed to the Skolithos ichnofacies);Lithofacies F-3B (bioturbated siltstone attributed to Cruziana ichnofacies);Lithofacies F-4 (dolomitic, very fine-grained sandstone);and Lithofacies F-5 (massive siltstone). The depositional environments interpreted for the Montney Formation in the study area are lower shoreface through proximal offshore to distal offshore settings. Rock-Eval data (hydrogen Index and Oxygen Index) shows that Montney sediments contains mostly gas prone Type III/IV with subordinate Type II kerogen, TOC ranges from 0.39 - 3.54 wt% with a rare spike of 10.9 wt% TOC along the Montney/Doig boundary. Vitrinite reflectance data and Tmax show that thermal maturity of the Montney Formation is in the realm of “peak gas” generation window. Despite the economic significance of the Montney unconventional “resource-play”, however, the location and predictability of the best reservoir interval remain conjectural in part because the lithologic variability of the optimum reservoir lithologies has not been adequately characterized. This study presents lithofacies and ichnofacies analyses of the Montney Formation coupled with Rock-Eval geochemistry to interpret the sedimentology, ichnology, and reservoir potential of the Montney Formation tight gas reservoir in Fort St. John study area (T86N, R23W and T74N, R13W), northeastern British Columbia, western Canada.

Effect of the Copper and Iron Concentration on Gum Formation in Gas Oil of Baiji Refinery

In this research, the affect of storage time and different metals concentration of copper and iron on gum formation in gas oil is investigated. A study of the affect of gum content on properties of sample is performed, where the gas oil derived from （Kirkuk crude oil） have boiling point range （266-420）℃. For this purpose, a gas oil sample has been doped with these two metals ions at concentration levels of 0.5, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 μg mL-1. Washed gum content tests have been carried out using ASTM D-381 on samples stored for 8, 16, 24 and 32 days. The experimental results show that an increase in storage time and metal concentration strongly increases the rate of gum formation for all metal investigations and this increase in gum concentration affects the viscosity of samples towards increasing of viscosity.

Nuclear magnetic resonance study of the formation and dissociation process of nature gas hydrate in sandstone

In this work,the authors monitored the formation and dissociation process of methane hydrate in four different rock core samples through nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)relaxation time(T_(2))and 2D imaging measurement.The result shows that the intensity of T_(2) spectra and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)signals gradually decreases in the hydrate formation process,and at the same time,the T_(2) spectra move toward the left domain as the growth of hydrate in the pores of the sample accelerates the decay rate.The hydrate grows and dissociates preferentially in the purer sandstone samples with larger pore size and higher porosity.Significantly,for the sample with lower porosity and higher argillaceous content,the intensity of the T_(2) spectra also shows a trend of a great decrease in the hydrate formation process,which means that high-saturation gas hydrate can also be formed in the sample with higher argillaceous content.The changes in MRI of the sample in the process show that the formation and dissociation of methane hydrate can reshape the distribution of water in the pores.

Conditions for the Formation of Oil and Gas Pools in Tertiary Volcanics in the Western Part of the Huimin Sag, Shandong and Their Distribution

Conditions for the Formation of oil and gas pools in Tertiary volcanics in the western part of the Huimin sag, Shandong and then (?)stribution have been studied based on the geological, seismic and well-logging information. In this paper, the types and lithofacies of the volcanic rocks in the western part of the Huimin sag are described; the relationship between rocks and electrical properties, the seismic reflection structures, the development and distribution of the volcanic rocks are expounded; and the fourfold role of the volcanic activities in the formation of the oil and gas pools is also dealt with. It is considered by the authors that the volcanic activities were not destructive to the formation of oil and gas pools but a factor favourable to the accumulation of organic matters and their conversion to hydrocarbon. The volcanic rocks might have served as reservoir rocks and cap rocks, or as a synsedimentary anticline. The prerequisites and important factors for the formation of oil and gas pools and their distribution are pointed out in the paper.

Test of the Relative Permeability Curve of a Gas and Oil Condensate System and its Effect on the Recovery of Oil and Gas

The relative permeability curve has been measured with simulation oil (refined oil) and gas (nitrogen or air) at room temperature and a lowpressure, both of which are very important parameters for depicting the flow of fluid through porous media in a hydrocarbon reservoir. This basic measurement is often applied in exploitation evaluation, but the underground conditions with high temperature and pressure, and the phase equilibrium of oil and gas, are not taken into consideration when the relative permeability curve is tested. There is an important theoretical and practical sense in testing the diphase relative permeability curve of the equilibrium of oil and gas under the conditions of high temperature and pressure. The test method for the relative permeability curve is proposed in this paper. The relative permeability of the equilibrium of oil and gas and the standard one are tested in two fluids, and the differences between these two methods are stated. The research results can be applied to the simulation and prediction of CVD in long cores and then the phenomenon can better explain that the recovery of condensate gas rich in condensate oil is higher than that of CVD test in PVT. Meanwhile, the research shows that the relative permeability curve of equilibrium oil and gas is sensitive to the rate of exploitation, and the viewpoint proves that an improved gas recovery rate can properly increase the recovery of condensate oil.

Geological characteristics of unconventional tight oil reservoir (10^(9) t): A case study of Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation, northern Songliao Basin, NE China

The Daqing exploration area in the northern Songliao Basin has great potential for unconventional oil and gas resources,among which the total resources of tight oil alone exceed 109 t and is regarded as an important resource base of Daqing oilfield.After years of exploration in the Qijia area,Songliao Basin,NE China,tight oil has been found in the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation.To work out tight oil’s geological characteristics,taking tight oil in Gaotaizi oil layers of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in northern Songliao Basin as an example,this paper systematically analyzed the geological characteristics of unconventional tight oil in Gao3 and Gao4 layers of the Qijia area,based on the data of the geological survey,well drilling journey,well logging,and test.It is that three sets of hydrocarbon source rocks(K2qn1,K2qn2+3,and K2n1)develop in the examined area,and exhibit excellent type I and II kerogens,high organic matter abundance,and moderate maturity.The reservoir is generally composed of thin-bedded mudstone,siltstone,and sandstone,and presents poor porosity(average 8.5 vol.%)and air permeability(average 4 mD).The main reservoir space primarily includes intergranular pores,secondary soluble pores,and intergranular soluble pores.Three types of orifice throats were identified,namely fine throat,extra-fine throat,and micro-fine throat.The siltstone is generally oil-bearing,the reservoirs with slime and calcium become worse oil-bearing,and the mudstone has no obvious oil-bearing characteristics.The brittleness indices of the sandstone in the tight oil reservoir range from 40%to 60%,and those of the mudstone range from 40%to 45%,indicating a better brittleness of the tight oil reservoir.Based on the study of typical core hole data,this paper gives a comprehensive evaluation of the properties of the tight oil and establishes a tight oil single well composite bar chart as well as the initial evaluation system with the core of properties in the tight oil reservoir.This study has theoretical guiding significance and practical application value for tight oil exploration and evaluation in the Qijia area.

Evaluation of the oil and gas preservation conditions, source rocks, and hydrocarbongenerating potential of the Qiangtang Basin: New evidence from the scientific drilling project

The Qiangtang Basin of the Tibetan Plateau,located in the eastern Tethys tectonic domain,is the largest new marine petroliferous region for exploration in China.The scientific drilling project consisting primarily of well QK-1 and its supporting shallow boreholes for geological surveys(also referred to as the Project)completed in recent years contributes to a series of new discoveries and insights into the oil and gas preservation conditions and source rock evaluation of the Qiangtang Basin.These findings differ from previous views that the Qiangtang Basin has poor oil and gas preservation conditions and lacks high-quality source rocks.As revealed by well QK-1 and its supporting shallow boreholes in the Project,the Qiangtang Basin hosts two sets of high-quality regional seals,namely an anhydrite layer in the Quemo Co Formation and the gypsum-bearing mudstones in the Xiali Formation.Moreover,the Qiangtang Basin has favorable oil and gas preservation conditions,as verified by the comprehensive study of the sealing capacity of seals,basin structure,tectonic uplift,magmatic activity,and groundwater motion.Furthermore,the shallow boreholes have also revealed that the Qiangtang Basin has high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks in the Upper Triassic Bagong Formation,which are thick and widely distributed according to the geological and geophysical data.In addition,the petroleum geological conditions,such as the type,abundance,and thermal evolution of organic matter,indicate that the Qiangtang Basin has great hydrocarbon-generating potential.

Formation damage mechanism and control strategy of the compound function of drilling fluid and fracturing fluid in shale reservoirs

For the analysis of the formation damage caused by the compound function of drilling fluid and fracturing fluid,the prediction method for dynamic invasion depth of drilling fluid is developed considering the fracture extension due to shale minerals erosion by oil-based drilling fluid.With the evaluation for the damage of natural and hydraulic fractures caused by mechanical properties weakening of shale fracture surface,fracture closure and rock powder blocking,the formation damage pattern is proposed with consideration of the compound effect of drilling fluid and fracturing fluid.The formation damage mechanism during drilling and completion process in shale reservoir is revealed,and the protection measures are raised.The drilling fluid can deeply invade into the shale formation through natural and induced fractures,erode shale minerals and weaken the mechanical properties of shale during the drilling process.In the process of hydraulic fracturing,the compound effect of drilling fluid and fracturing fluid further weakens the mechanical properties of shale,results in fracture closure and rock powder shedding,and thus induces stress-sensitive damage and solid blocking damage of natural/hydraulic fractures.The damage can yield significant conductivity decrease of fractures,and restrict the high and stable production of shale oil and gas wells.The measures of anti-collapse and anti-blocking to accelerate the drilling of reservoir section,forming chemical membrane to prevent the weakening of the mechanical properties of shale fracture surface,strengthening the plugging of shale fracture and reducing the invasion range of drilling fluid,optimizing fracturing fluid system to protect fracture conductivity are put forward for reservoir protection.

Re-recognition of “unconventional” in unconventional oil and gas

Taking the Wufeng–Longmaxi shale gas in the Sichuan Basin as a typical example,based on the new progress in exploration and development,this study re-examines the"unconventional"of unconventional oil and gas from two aspects:oil and gas formation and accumulation mechanisms,and main features of oil and gas layers.The oil and gas of continuous accumulation and distribution from integrated source and reservoir is unconventional oil and gas,and the study focusing on shale oil and gas in comparison with conventional oil and gas has made progress in five aspects:(1)Unconventional oil and gas have source-reservoir-in-one and in-situ accumulation;according to the theory of continuous oil and gas accumulation,the accumulation power of oil and gas is overpressure and diffusion;for conventional oil and gas,the source and reservoir are different formations,the trapping accumulation is its theoretical foundation,and the accumulation power is characterized by buoyancy and capillary force.(2)The unconventional oil and gas reservoirs are mainly formed in the low-energy oxygen-anaerobic environment,dominantly semi-deep to deep shelf facies and the semi-deep to deep lake facies,simple in lithology,rich in organic matter and clay minerals;conventional oil and gas mainly occur in coarse-grained sedimentary rocks formed in high-energy waters with complex lithology.(3)The unconventional oil and gas reservoirs have mainly nano-scale pores,of which organic matter pores take a considerable proportion;conventional oil and gas reservoirs mainly have micron-millimeter pores and no organic matter pores.(4)Unconventional shale oil and gas reservoirs have oil and gas in uniform distribution,high oil and gas saturation,low or no water content,and no obvious oil and gas water boundary;conventional oil and gas reservoirs have oil and gas of complex properties,moderate oil and gas saturation,slightly higher water content,and obvious oil,gas and water boundaries.(5)Organic-rich shale is the main target of unconventional oil and gas exploration;the sedimentary environment controls high organic matter abundance zone and organic matter content controls oil and gas abundance;positive structure and high porosity control the yields of shale wells;bedding and fracture development are important factors deciding high yield.

Analysis of the world oil and gas exploration situation in 2021

The global exploration investment, new oil and gas discoveries, exploration business adjustment strategies of oil companies in 2021, and future favorable exploration domains are systematically analyzed using commercial databases such as IHS and public information of oil companies. It has been found that the world oil and gas exploration situation in 2021 has continued the downturn since the outbreak of COVID-19. The investment and drilling workload decreased slightly, but the success rate of exploration wells, especially deepwater exploration wells, increased significantly, and the newly discovered reserves increased slightly compared with last year. Deep waters of the passive continental margin basins are still the leading sites for discovering conventional large and medium-sized oil and gas fields. The conventional oil and gas exploration in deep formations of onshore petroliferous basins has been keeping a good state, with tight/shale oil and gas discoveries made in Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other countries. While strengthening the exploration and development of local resources, national, international, and independent oil companies have been focusing on major overseas frontiers using their advantages, including risk exploration in deep waters and natural gas. Future favorable exploration directions in the three major frontiers, the global deep waters, deep onshore formations, and unconventional resources, have been clarified. Four suggestions are put forward for the global exploration business of Chinese oil companies: first, a farm in global deepwater frontier basins in advance through bidding at a low cost and adopt the “dual exploration model” after making large-scale discoveries;second, enter new blocks of emerging hot basins in the world through farm-in and other ways, to find large oil and gas fields quickly;third, cooperate with national oil companies of the resource host countries in the form of joint research and actively participate exploration of deep onshore formations of petroliferous basins;fourth, track tight/shale oil and gas cooperation opportunities in a few countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, and take advantage of mature domestic theories and technologies to farm in at an appropriate time.

Discussion of the Mode and Mechanism of Oil and Gas Accumulation in the Nanbaxian Pool in the North of the Qaidam Basin

Because of the difference ofoil and gas accumulation condition between the hanging wall and the footwall of a fault, there is a peculiar accumulation mechanism that oil and gas mainly exists in the hanging wall of the basement fault, but in the footwall of the shallow detachment fault in the Nanbaxian pool. The oil and gas of the Nanbaxian pool came from the mature Jurassic hydrocarbon source rock of the Yibei depression located at the south of the Nanbaxian pool. Firstly, the oil and gas accumulated in the traps of the hanging wall of the basement fault by way of the unconformity and the basement faults, and turned into some primary deep pools; and then, the shallow detachment fault that formed in the later tectonic movement broke into the deep primary pools, which caused the oil and gas migration upwards along the basement faults and the shallow detachment faults and the evolvement into some secondary oil and gas pools later. The history of the Nanbaxian oil and gas accumulation can be summarized successively as the syndepositional upheaval controlled by faults; single hydrocarbon source rock; unconformities and faults as migration channels; buoyancy, overpressure and tectonic stress as dynamic forces; multistage migration and accumulation of oil and gas; and finally an overlapped double-floor pattern of oil and gas accumulation. The most important explorative targets in the north of the Qaidam Basin are traps connected with the primary pools in the footwall by shallow detachment faults.

Experimental investigation of hydrate formation in water-dominated pipeline and its influential factors

Blockage in water-dominated flow pipelines due to hydrate reformation has been suggested as a potential safety issue during the hydrate production.In this work,flow velocity-dependent hydrate formation features are investigated in a fluid circulation system with a total length of 39 m.A 9-m section pipe is transparent consisted of two complete rectangular loops.By means of pressurization with gas-saturated water,the system can gradually reach the equilibrium conditions.The result shows that the hydrates are delayed to appear as floccules or thin films covering the methane bubbles.When the circulation velocity is below 750 rpm,hydrate is finally deposited as a“hydrate bed”at upmost of inner wall,narrowing the flow channel of the pipeline.Nevertheless,no plugging is observed during all the experimental runs.The five stages of hydrate deposition are proposed based on the experimental results.It is also revealed that a higher driving pressure is needed at a lower flow rate.The driving force of hydrate formation from gas and water obtained by melting hydrate is higher than that from fresh water with no previous hydrate history.The authors hope that this work will be beneficial for the flow assurance of the following oceanic field hydrate recovery trials.