Theory,technology and practice of shale gas three-dimensional development:A case study of Fuling shale gas field in Sichuan Basin,SW China

In the Jiaoshiba block of the Fuling shale gas field,the employed reserves and recovery factor by primary well pattern are low,no obvious barrier is found in the development layer series,and layered development is difficult.Based on the understanding of the main factors controlling shale gas enrichment and high production,the theory and technology of shale gas three-dimensional development,such as fine description and modeling of shale gas reservoir,optimization of three-dimensional development strategy,highly efficient drilling with dense well pattern,precision fracturing and real-time control,are discussed.Three-dimensional development refers to the application of optimal and fast drilling and volume fracturing technologies,depending upon the sedimentary characteristics,reservoir characteristics and sweet spot distribution of shale gas,to form"artificial gas reservoir"in a multidimensional space,so as to maximize the employed reserves,recovery factor and yield rate of shale gas development.In the research on shale gas three-dimensional development,the geological+engineering sweet spot description is fundamental,the collaborative optimization of natural fractures and artificial fractures is critical,and the improvement of speed and efficiency in drilling and fracturing engineering is the guarantee.Through the implementation of three-dimensional development,the overall recovery factor in the Jiaoshiba block has increased from 12.6%to 23.3%,providing an important support for the continuous and stable production of the Fuling shale gas field.

An overview of the geology and production of the Fuling shale gas field,Sichuan Basin,China

The Fuling shale gas field in China is the largest shale gas field as well as the largest of its type discovered in any Lower Paleozoic formation.In this study,the geology and production of the upper and lower gas layers in the Fuling shale gas field are evaluated in terms of structure,shale quality,fault,initial production,and estimated ultimate recovery(EUR).The shale in the lower gas layer of the Jiaoshiba anticline is a high-quality reservoir,where the space is dominated by organic pores in kerogen,and the gas content is high.The shale gas wells reveal relatively high initial production and EUR.However,the shale in the upper gas layer of the Jiaoshiba anticline has reservoir space mainly composed of clay mineral pores and organic pores within bitumen,and the gas content is low.In terms of structure,primary gas migration may occur in the upper gas layer,resulting in free gas accumulation in the structural high,where the development effects are generally better than those in the structural low.The lower gas layer in the Pingqiao anticline,is the main interval for shale gas accumulation and development due to the high-quality shale.Under the influence of faults,the efficiency of exploration wells emplaced on top of the anticline is much lower a compared with those in the flanks.The residual synclines close to the Sichuan Basin,including the Baima and Baitao anticlines,are characterized by more recent uplifts,larger area,greater distance from the deep and large faults,and early fracture closure.Therefore,we recommend that the shale gas exploration and development should be carried out preferentially in areas close to the center of the residual synclines,featuring relatively high-pressure coefficient and moderate burial depth.

Technologies in Discovery and Exploration of Fuling Shale Gas Field, China

Marine shale gas in South China is widely distributed and demonstrates an enriched resource. Compared with the North American commercial shale gas field, the shale formation in South China is featured by old age, multiple stages tectonic movements, and high thermal evolution degree and complex reservoir forming conditions. As a result, the existing theories and technical methods of exploration in North America cannot be simply applied to South China. Since 2007, based on the in-depth study on a large quantity of analytical test data, we have conducted the theory and technology research for the southern marine shale gas, found Wufeng-Longmaxi Group deep water shelf high-quality shale gas critical parameters coupling laws, proposed the “Binary Enrichment” theory for highly evolved marine shale gas in southern complex tectonic zone, and established a zone selection and evaluation criteria, which are based on the quality of shale, for the key of preservation condition, and for the purpose of economy. Taking this as a guide, we selected Longmaxi formation Lower Silurian of Fuling area in southeastern Sichuan Province as the preferred breakthrough field for the shale gas exploration. The Jiaoye 1 well has the daily gas production of 20.3 × 104 m3, which embarked the found of China’s first large-scale business development gas field, the Fuling shale gas field. And we submit the first domestic shale gas proven reserves of 1067.5 × 108 m3. The Fuling shale gas reservoirs are deep water shelf marine high-quality shale, with favorable thickness and even distribution, without dissection in the middle. They are typical self-generation and self-storage shale gas reservoirs. The gas fields have high production gas well;high pressure gas reservoir, good gas components and good exploit results, and there for the Fuling shale gas field is characterized by mid-depth, high pressure, high reservoir pressure, and high quality gas accumulation. Up to March 24, 2014, all of the 101 fracture-gas testing wells have obtained middle and upper shale airflow, with the average single well test production of 32.6 × 104 m3/d. In the exploration and development process, technology series in geological evaluation, horizontal well, drilling, well completion, piecewise fracturing techniques have been gradually formed. It is of great importance to commercially develop the domestic shale gas and promote the restructuring of China’s energy structure.