Formation,evolution,reconstruction of black shales and their influence on shale oil and gas resource

Black shales are important products of material cycling and energy exchange among the lithosphere,atmosphere,hydrosphere,and biosphere.They are widely distributed throughout geological history and provide essential energy and mineral resources for the development of human society.They also record the evolution process of the earth and improve the understanding of the earth.This review focuses on the diagenesis and formation mechanisms of black shales sedimentation,composition,evolution,and reconstruction,which have had a significant impact on the formation and enrichment of shale oil and gas.In terms of sedimentary environment,black shales can be classified into three types:Marine,terrestrial,and marine-terrestrial transitional facies.The formation processes include mechanisms such as eolian input,hypopycnal flow,gravity-driven and offshore bottom currents.From a geological perspective,the formation of black shales is often closely related to global or regional major geological events.The enrichment of organic matter is generally the result of the interaction and coupling of several factors such as primary productivity,water redox condition,and sedimentation rate.In terms of evolution,black shales have undergone diagenetic evolution of inorganic minerals,thermal evolution of organic matter and hydrocarbon generation,interactions between organic matter and inorganic minerals,and pore evolution.In terms of reconstruction,the effects of fold deformation,uplift and erosion,and fracturing have changed the stress state of black shale reservoirs,thereby having a significant impact on the pore structure.Fluid activity promotes the formation of veins,and have changed the material composition,stress structure,and reservoir properties of black shales.Regarding resource effects,the deposition of black shales is fundamental for shale oil and gas resources,the evolution of black shales promotes the shale oil and gas formation and storage,and the reconstruction of black shales would have caused the heterogeneous distribution of oil and gas in shales.Exploring the formation mechanisms and interactions of black shales at different scales is a key to in-depth research on shale formation and evolution,as well as the key to revealing the mechanism controlling shale oil and gas accumulation.The present records can reveal how these processes worked in geological history,and improve our understanding of the coupling mechanisms among regional geological events,black shales evolution,and shale oil and gas formation and enrichment.

The accumulation characteristics and exploration potential of oil and gas in the back-arc basin of Japan under the background of high heat flow

The Sea of Japan is located in the southeast margin of Eurasia, in the triangle area of the western Pacific Ocean. Due to the interaction of the Pacific plate, Eurasian plate and Philippine plate, its tectonic environment is complex, forming a typical trench-arc-basin system. At present, 148 oil and gas fields have been discovered in Japan, with an oil and gas resource of 255.78×10^(6) t, showing a good prospect for oil and gas exploration. Based on the previous research and the recently collected geological and geophysical data, the characteristics of tectonic-sedimentary evolution and geothermal field in the basins around the Sea of Japan are analyzed. The results show that the tectonic evolution of the basin is mainly controlled by plate subduction and back-arc oceanic crust expansion, and it mainly undergone four tectonic-sedimentary evolution stages: Subduction period, basin development period, subsidence period and compression deformation period. The overall heat flow value of Japan Sea is high, and it is distributed annularly along Yamato Ridge. The geothermal heat flow value is about 50–130 MW/m^(2), and the average heat flow is75.9±19.8 MW/m^(2), which has a typical “hot basin ”. The high heat flow background provides unique thermal evolution conditions for hydrocarbon generation, which leads to the high temperature and rapid evolution. The authors summarized as “early hydrocarbon generation, rapid maturity and shallow and narrow hydrocarbon generation window”. The type of oil and gas is mainly natural gas, and it mainly distributed in Neogene oil and gas reservoirs. The trap types are mainly structural traps, lithologic traps and composite traps. In addition, the pre-Neogene bedrock oil and gas reservoirs also show a good exploration prospect. The resource prospecting indicates that Niigata Basin, Ulleung Basin and kitakami Basin are the main target areas for future exploration and development.

Hydrocarbon accumulation and orderly distribution of whole petroleum system in marine carbonate rocks of Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on the situation and progress of marine oil/gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin,SW China,the whole petroleum system is divided for marine carbonate rocks of the basin according to the combinations of hydrocarbon accumulation elements,especially the source rock.The hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics of each whole petroleum system are analyzed,the patterns of integrated conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon accumulation are summarized,and the favorable exploration targets are proposed.Under the control of multiple extensional-convergent tectonic cycles,the marine carbonate rocks of the Sichuan Basin contain three sets of regional source rocks and three sets of regional cap rocks,and can be divided into the Cambrian,Silurian and Permian whole petroleum systems.These whole petroleum systems present mainly independent hydrocarbon accumulation,containing natural gas of affinity individually.Locally,large fault zones run through multiple whole petroleum systems,forming a fault-controlled complex whole petroleum system.The hydrocarbon accumulation sequence of continental shelf facies shale gas accumulation,marginal platform facies-controlled gas reservoirs,and intra-platform fault-and facies-controlled gas reservoirs is common in the whole petroleum system,with a stereoscopic accumulation and orderly distribution pattern.High-quality source rock is fundamental to the formation of large gas fields,and natural gas in a whole petroleum system is generally enriched near and within the source rocks.The development and maintenance of large-scale reservoirs are essential for natural gas enrichment,multiple sources,oil and gas transformation,and dynamic adjustment are the characteristics of marine petroleum accumulation,and good preservation conditions are critical to natural gas accumulation.Large-scale marginal-platform reef-bank facies zones,deep shale gas,and large-scale lithological complexes related to source-connected faults are future marine hydrocarbon exploration targets in the Sichuan Basin.

Origin and accumulation of high-maturity oil and gas in deep parts of the Baxian Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, China

Great quantities of light oil and gas are produced from deep buried hill reservoirs at depths of 5,641 m to 6,027 m and 190 ℃ to 201 ℃ in the Niudong-1 Well, representing the deepest and hottest commercial hydrocarbons discovered in the Bohai Bay Basin in eastern China. This discovery suggests favorable exploration prospects for the deep parts of the basin. However, the discovery raises questions regarding the genesis and accumulation of hydrocarbons in deep reservoirs. Based on the geochemical features of the hydrocarbons and characteristics of the source rocks as well as thermal simulation experiments of hydrocarbon generation, we conclude that the oil and gas were generated from the highly mature Sha-4 Member （Es4） source rocks instead of thermal cracking of crude oils in earlier accumulations. The source kitchen with abnormal pressures and karsted carbonate reservoirs control the formation of high-maturity hydrocarbon accumulations in the buried hills （i.e., Niudong-1） in conjunction with several structural-lithologic traps in the ES4 reservoirs since the deposition of the upper Minghuazhen Formation. This means the oil and gas exploration potential in the deep parts of the Baxian Depression is probably high.

The coupling of dynamics and permeability in the hydrocarbon accumulation period controls the oil-bearing potential of low permeability reservoirs:a case study of the low permeability turbidite reservoirs in the middle part of the third member of Shahejie

The relationships between permeability and dynamics in hydrocarbon accumulation determine oil- bearing potential （the potential oil charge） of low perme- ability reservoirs. The evolution of porosity and permeability of low permeability turbidite reservoirs of the middle part of the third member of the Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Sag has been investigated by detailed core descriptions, thin section analyses, fluid inclusion analyses, carbon and oxygen isotope analyses, mercury injection, porosity and permeability testing, and basin modeling. The cutoff values for the permeability of the reservoirs in the accumulation period were calculated after detailing the accumulation dynamics and reservoir pore structures, then the distribution pattern of the oil-bearing potential of reservoirs controlled by the matching relationship between dynamics and permeability during the accumulation period were summarized. On the basis of the observed diagenetic features and with regard to the paragenetic sequences, the reservoirs can be subdivided into four types of diagenetic facies. The reservoirs experienced two periods of hydro- carbon accumulation. In the early accumulation period, the reservoirs except for diagenetic facies A had middle to high permeability ranging from 10 × 10-3 gm2 to 4207 × 10-3 lain2. In the later accumulation period, the reservoirs except for diagenetic facies C had low permeability ranging from 0.015 × 10-3 gm2 to 62× 10-3 -3m2. In the early accumulation period, the fluid pressure increased by the hydrocarbon generation was 1.4-11.3 MPa with an average value of 5.1 MPa, and a surplus pressure of 1.8-12.6 MPa with an average value of 6.3 MPa. In the later accumulation period, the fluid pressure increased by the hydrocarbon generation process was 0.7-12.7 MPa with an average value of 5.36 MPa and a surplus pressure of 1.3-16.2 MPa with an average value of 6.5 MPa. Even though different types of reservoirs exist, all can form hydrocarbon accumulations in the early accumulation per- iod. Such types of reservoirs can form hydrocarbon accumulation with high accumulation dynamics; however, reservoirs with diagenetic facies A and diagenetic facies B do not develop accumulation conditions with low accumu- lation dynamics in the late accumulation period for very low permeability. At more than 3000 m burial depth, a larger proportion of turbidite reservoirs are oil charged due to the proximity to the source rock, Also at these depths, lenticular sand bodies can accumulate hydrocarbons. At shallower depths, only the reservoirs with oil-source fault development can accumulate hydrocarbons. For flat surfaces, hydrocarbons have always been accumulated in the reservoirs around the oil-source faults and areas near the center of subsags with high accumulation dynamics.

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.

Oil and gas source and accumulation of Zhongqiu 1 trap in Qiulitage structural belt, Tarim Basin, NW China

Well Zhongqiu 1 obtained highly productive oil-gas stream in the footwall of Zhongqiu structure, marking the strategic breakthrough of Qiulitag structural belt in the Tarim Basin. However, the oil and gas sources in Zhongqiu structural belt and the reservoir formation process in Zhongqiu 1 trap remain unclear, so study on these issues may provide important basis for the next step of oil and gas exploration and deployment in Qiulitage structural belt. In this study, a systematic correlation of oil and gas source in Well Zhongqiu 1 has been carried out. The oil in Well Zhongqiu 1 is derived from Triassic lacustrine mudstone, while the gas is a typical coal-derived gas and mainly from Jurassic coal measures. The oil charging in Well Zhongqiu 1 mainly took place during the sedimentary period from Jidike Formation to Kangcun Formation in Neogene, and the oil was mainly contributed by Triassic source rock;large-scale natural gas charging occurred in the sedimentary period of Kuqa Formation in Neogene, and the coal-derived gas generated in the late Jurassic caused large-scale gas invasion to the early Triassic crude oil reservoirs. The Zhongqiu 1 trap was formed earlier than or at the same period as the hydrocarbon generation and expulsion period of Triassic-Jurassic source rocks. Active faults provided paths for hydrocarbon migration. The source rocks-faults-traps matched well in time and space. Traps in the footwall of the Zhongqiu structural fault have similar reservoir-forming conditions with the Zhongqiu 1 trap, so they are favorable targets in the next step of exploration.

Theoretical Progress and Key Technologies of Onshore Ultra-Deep Oil/Gas Exploration

Oil/gas exploration around the world has extended into deep and ultra-deep strata because it is increasingly difficult to find new large-scale oil/gas reservoirs in shallow–middle buried strata. In recent years, China has made remarkable achievements in oil/gas exploration in ultra-deep areas including carbonate and clastic reservoirs. Some (ultra) large-scale oil and gas fields have been discovered. The oil/gas accumulation mechanisms and key technologies of oil/gas reservoir exploration and development are summarized in this study in order to share China’s experiences. Ultra-deep oil/gas originates from numerous sources of hydrocarbons and multiphase charging. Liquid hydrocarbons can form in ultradeep layers due to low geothermal gradients or overpressures, and the natural gas composition in ultra-deep areas is complicated by the reactions between deep hydrocarbons, water, and rock or by the addition of mantle- or crust-sourced gases. These oils/gases are mainly stored in the original highenergy reef/shoal complexes or in sand body sediments. They usually have high original porosity. Secondary pores are often developed by dissolution, dolomitization, and fracturing in the late stage. The early pores have been preserved by retentive diageneses such as the early charging of hydrocarbons. Oil/gas accumulation in ultra-deep areas generally has the characteristics of near-source accumulation and sustained preservation. The effective exploration and development of ultra-deep oil/gas reservoirs depend on the support of key technologies. Use of the latest technologies such as seismic signal acquisition and processing, low porosity and permeability zone prediction, and gas–water identification has enabled the discovery of ultra-deep oil/gas resources. In addition, advanced technologies for drilling, completion, and oil/gas testing have ensured the effective development of these fields.

Control Factors and Diversities of Phase State of Oil and Gas Pools in the Kuqa Petroleum System

Based on the analysis of the hydrocarbon geochemical characteristics in the Kuqa petroleum system of the Tarim Basin, this study discusses the causes and controlling factors of the phase diversities and their differences in geochemical features. According to the characteristics and differences in oil and gas phase, the petroleum system can be divided into five categories： oil reservoir, wet gas reservoir, condensate gas-rich reservoir, condensate gas-poor reservoir and dry gas reservoir. The causes for the diversities in oil and gas phases include diversities of the sources of parent material, maturity of natural gas and the process of hydrocarbon accumulation of different hydrocarbon phases. On the whole, the Jurassic and Triassic terrestrial source rocks are the main sources for the hydrocarbon in the Kuqa Depression. The small differences in parent material may cause diversities in oil and gas amount, but the impact is small. The differences in oil and gas phase are mainly affected by maturity and the accumulation process, which closely relates with each other. Oil and gas at different thermal evolution stage can be captured in different accumulation process.

Enrichment Mechanism and Prospects of Deep Oil and Gas

With the deepening of oil and gas exploration,the importance of depth is increasingly highlighted.The risk of preservation of storage space in deep reservoirs is greater than that in shallow and medium layers.Deep layers mean older strata,more complex structural evolution and more complex hydrocarbon accumulation processes,and even adjustment and transformation of oil and gas reservoirs.This paper systematically investigates the current status and research progress of deep oil and gas exploration around the world and looks forward to the future research focus of deep oil and gas.In the deep,especially the ultra-deep layers,carbonate reservoirs play a more important role than clastic rocks.Karst,fault-karst and dolomite reservoirs are the main types of deep and ultra-deep reservoirs.The common feature of most deep large and medium-sized oil and gas reservoirs is that they formed in the early with shallow depth.Fault activity and evolution of trap highs are the main ways to cause physical adjustment of oil and gas reservoirs.Crude oil cracking and thermochemical sulfate reduction(TSR)are the main chemical modification effects in the reservoir.Large-scale high-quality dolomite reservoirs is the main direction of deep oil and gas exploration.Accurate identification of oil and gas charging,adjustment and reformation processes is the key to understanding deep oil and gas distribution.High-precision detection technology and high-precision dating technology are an important guarantee for deep oil and gas research.

Key oil accumulation periods of ultra-deep fault-controlled oil reservoir in northern Tarim Basin, NW China

A giant fault-controlled oilfield has been found in the ultra-deep(greater than 6000 m) Ordovician carbonate strata in the northern Tarim Basin. It is of great significance for hydrocarbon accumulation study and oil exploitation to determine the key oil accumulation periods. Based on detailed petrographic analysis, fluid inclusion association(FIA) in calcite samples filling in fractures from 12 wells were analyzed, and key accumulation periods of the strike-slip fault-controlled oilfield was studied by combining oil generation periods of the source rocks, formation periods of the fault and traps, and the fluid inclusion data.(1) There are multiple types of FIA, among them, two types of oil inclusions, the type with yellow fluorescence from the depression area and the type with yellow-green fluorescence from the uplift area with different maturities indicate two oil charging stages.(2) The homogenization temperature of the brine inclusions in FIA is mostly affected by temperature rises, and the minimum temperature of brine inclusions symbiotic with oil inclusions is closer to the reservoir temperature during its forming period.(3) FIA with yellow fluorescence all have homogenization temperatures below 50 ℃, while the FIA with yellow-green fluorescence have homogenization temperatures of 70–90 ℃ tested, suggesting two oil accumulation stages in Middle-Late Caledonian and Late Hercynian.(4) The Middle-Late Ordovician is the key formation period of the strike-slip fault, fracture-cave reservoir and trap there.(5) The oil generation peak of the main source rock of the Lower Cambrian is in the Late Ordovician, and the oil accumulation stage is mainly the Late Ordovician in the depression area, but is mainly the Early Permian in the uplift area. The key oil accumulation period of the strike-slip fault-controlled reservoirs is the Late Caledonian, the depression area has preserved the primary oil reservoirs formed in the Caledonian, while the uplift area has secondary oil reservoirs adjusted from the depression area during the Late Hercynian. Oil reservoir preservation conditions are the key factor for oil enrichment in the strike-slip fault zone of northern Tarim, and the Aman transition zone in the depression is richer in oil and gas and has greater potential for exploration and development.

Migration and accumulation characteristics of natural gas hydrates in the uplifts and their slope zones in the Qiongdongnan Basin,China

Various factors controlling the accumulation of natural gas hydrates(NGHs)form various enrichment and accumulation modes through organic combination.This study mainly analyzes the geological and geophysical characteristics of the NGHs occurrence in the uplifts and their slope zones within the deep-water area in the Qiongdongnan(QDN)Basin(also referred to as the study area).Furthermore,it investigates the dominant governing factors and models of NGHs migration and accumulation in the study area.The results are as follows.(1)The uplifts and their slope zones in the study area lie in the dominant pressure-relief direction of fluids in central hydrocarbon-rich sags in the area,which provide sufficient gas sources for the NGHs accumulation and enrichment through pathways such as gas chimneys and faults.(2)The top and flanks of gas chimneys below the bottom simulating reflectors(BSRs)show high-amplitude seismic reflections and pronounced transverse charging of free gas,indicating the occurrence of a large amount of gas accumulation at the heights of the uplifts.(3)Chimneys,faults,and high-porosity and high-permeability strata,which connect the gas hydrate temperature-pressure stability zones(GHSZs)with thermogenic gas and biogenic gas,form the main hydrate migration system.(4)The reservoir system in the study area comprises sedimentary interlayers consisting of mass transport deposits(MTDs)and turbidites.In addition,the reservoir system has developed fissure-and pore-filling types of hydrates in the pathways.The above well-matched controlling factors of hydrate accumulation enable the uplifts and their slope zones in the study area to become the favorable targets of NGHs exploration.

Exploring the potential of oil and gas resources in Sichuan Basin with Super Basin Thinking

Based on the contemporary strategy of Petro China and the“Super Basin Thinking”initiative,we analyze the petroleum system,the remaining oil and gas resource distribution,and the Super Basin development scheme in the Sichuan Basin with the aim of unlocking its full resource potential.We conclude that,(1)The three-stage evolution of the Sichuan Basin has resulted in the stereoscopic distribution of hydrocarbon systems dominated by natural gas.The prospecting Nanhua-rift stage gas system is potentially to be found in the ultra-deep part of the basin.The marine-cratonic stage gas system is distributed in the Sinian to Mid-Triassic formations,mainly conventional gas and shale gas resources.The foreland-basin stage tight sand gas and shale oil resources are found in the Upper Triassic-Jurassic formations.Such resource base provides the foundation for the implementation of Super Basin paradigm in the Sichuan Basin.(2)To ensure larger scale hydrocarbon exploration and production,technologies regarding deep to ultra-deep carbonate reservoirs,tight-sand gas,and shale oil are necessarily to be advanced.(3)In order to achieve the full hydrocarbon potential of the Sichuan Basin,pertinent exploration strategies are expected to be proposed with regard to each hydrocarbon system respectively,government and policy supports ought to be strengthened,and new cooperative pattern should be established.Introducing the“Super Basin Thinking”provides references and guidelines for further deployment of hydrocarbon exploration and production in the Sichuan Basin and other developed basins.

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.

Formation conditions and exploration direction of large natural gas reservoirs in the oil-prone Bohai Bay Basin, East China

The Bohai Bay Basin is a typical oil-prone basin, in which natural gas geological reserves have a small proportion. In this basin, the gas source rock is largely medium-deep lake mudstone with oil-prone type Ⅱ2-Ⅱ1 kerogens, and natural gas preservation conditions are poor due to active late tectonic movements. The formation conditions of large natural gas fields in the Bohai Bay Basin have been elusive. Based on the exploration results of Bohai Bay Basin and comparison with large gas fields in China and abroad, the formation conditions of conventional large-scale natural gas reservoirs in the Bohai Bay Basin were examined from accumulation dynamics, structure and sedimentation. The results show that the formation conditions of conventional large natural gas reservoirs in Bohai Bay Basin mainly include one core element and two key elements. The core factor is the strong sealing of Paleogene "quilt-like" overpressure mudstone. The two key factors include the rapid maturation and high-intensity gas generation of source rock in the late stage and large scale reservoir. On this basis, large-scale nature gas accumulation models in the Bohai Bay Basin have been worked out, including regional overpressure mudstone enriching model, local overpressure mudstone depleting model, sand-rich sedimentary subsag depleting model and late strongly-developed fault depleting model. It is found that Bozhong sag, northern Liaozhong sag and Banqiao sag have favorable conditions for the formation of large-scale natural gas reservoirs, and are worth exploring. The study results have important guidance for exploration of large scale natural gas reservoirs in the Bohai Bay Basin.

Relationship between components of inclusion and hydrocarbon accumulation in the Yunlong Depression,Chuxiong Basin

The Yunlong Depression, Chuxiong Basin, Yunnan Province, southwest China is one of the least explored areas in China. A RAMANOR-U1000 laser Raman probe was used to investigate the gas phase and liquid phase components in 28 inclusions from outcrop and core in the Yunlong Depression. An investigation into hydrocarbon prospect and accumulation characteristics in the study area was performed by studying inclusion components. Oil and gas are the richest in the Devonian according to the organic inclusion content, which supports the prior research findings with conventional methods. Multitime accumulation of oil and gas in the study area was also recognized through analysis of inclusion components. This study could provide a reference for the exploration ofoil and gas in this area.

Fault-sand combination modes and hydrocarbon accumulation in Binhai fault nose of Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, East China

Based on seismic and logging data,taking the downthrow fault nose of Binhai fault in Qikou Sag as the object of study,we analyzed fault characteristics,sand body distribution,fault-sand combinations and hydrocarbon accumulation to reveal the hydrocarbon enrichment law in the fault-rich area of fault depression lake basin.The results show that the Binhai Cenozoic fault nose is characterized by east-west zoning,the main part of the western fault segment is simple in structure,whereas the broom-shaped faults in the eastern segment are complex in structure,including several groups of faults.The difference of fault evolution controls the spatial distribution of sand bodies.The sand bodies are in continuous large pieces in the downthrow fault trough belt along the Gangdong Fault in the middle segment of the fault nose,forming consequent fault-sand combination;whereas the fault activity period of the eastern part of the fault nose was later,and the sand bodies controlled by paleogeomorphology are distributed in multi-phase north-south finger-shaped pattern,forming vertical fault-sand combination pattern matching with the fault.The configuration between faults and sand bodies,and oil sources and caprocks determine the vertical conductivity,plane distribution and vertical distribution of oil and gas.Two oil and gas accumulation modes,i.e.single main fault hydrocarbon supply-fault sand consequent matching-oil accumulation in multi-layers stereoscopically and fault system transportation-fault sand vertical matching-oil accumulation in banded overlapping layers occur in the middle and eastern segments of the fault nose respectively,and they control the difference of oil and gas distribution and enrichment degree in the Binhai fault nose.

Differences and controlling factors of composite hydrocarbon accumulations in the Tazhong uplift, Tarim Basin, NW China

Based on three-dimensional seismic interpretation, structural and sedimentary feature analysis, and examination of fluid properties and production dynamics, the regularity and main controlling factors of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Tazhong uplift, Tarim Basin are investigated. The results show that the oil and gas in the Tazhong uplift has the characteristics of complex accumulation mainly controlled by faults, and more than 80% of the oil and gas reserves are enriched along fault zones. There are large thrust and strike-slip faults in the Tazhong uplift, and the coupling relationship between the formation and evolution of the faults and accumulation determine the difference in complex oil and gas accumulations. The active scale and stage of faults determine the fullness of the traps and the balance of the phase, that is, the blocking of the transport system, the insufficient filling of oil and gas, and the unsteady state of fluid accumulation are dependent on the faults. The multi-period tectonic sedimentary evolution controls the differences of trap conditions in the fault zones, and the multi-phase hydrocarbon migration and accumulation causes the differences of fluid distribution in the fault zones. The theory of differential oil and gas accumulation controlled by fault is the key to the overall evaluation, three-dimensional development and discovery of new reserves in the Tazhong uplift.

Prediction of Apparent Equivalent Thickness Using the Spontaneous Potential Method and Its Application to Oilfield Development

The upper spontaneous potential produced by oil and gas accumulation is of a stable potential field, and its intensity is directly proportional to the content of the source and inversely proportional to the radius apart from the source. Theoretical research and practical results show that anomalies of spontaneous potential can indicate oil-bearing sandstone bodies and locate the areas of oil and gas accumulation. In oil areas which have fewer reservoir beds, the petroleum reservoir thickness can be predicted by determining the linear relationship between potential intensity and apparent equivalent thickness. In the Weixing （卫星） oilfield, which is devoid of sufficient reservoir beds, its apparent equivalent thickness can be predicted by the linear equation h= -0.19x＋0.74. On the basis of geological research, we use the spontaneous potential method to predict the equivalent thickness, helping in the selection of the most appropriate drill sites to enhance the probability of successful well boring so as to serve the next round development of the oilfield.

A novel method for quantitatively identifying driving forces and evaluating their contributions to oil and gas accumulation

Different driving forces govern the formation of distinct types of oil and gas accumulation and yield diverse oil and gas distributions.Complex oil and gas reservoirs in basins are commonly formed by the combination of multiple forces.It is very difficult but essential to identify driving forces and evaluate their contributions in predicting the type and distribution of oil and gas reservoirs.In this study,a novel method is proposed to identify driving forces and evaluate their contribution based on the critical conditions of porosity and permeability corresponding to buoyancy-driven hydrocarbon accumulation depth(BHAD).The application of this method to the Nanpu Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin shows that all oil and gas accumulations in the reservoirs are jointly formed by four driving forces:buoyance(Ⅰ),non-buoyance(Ⅱ),tectonic stress(Ⅲ1)and geofluid activity(Ⅲ2).Their contributions to all proven reserves are approxi-mately 63.8%,16.2%,2.9%,and 17.0%,respectively.The contribution of the driving forces is related to the depth,distance to faults and unconformity surfaces.Buoyancy dominates the formation of conven-tional reservoirs above BHAD,non-buoyant dominate the formation of unconventional reservoirs below BHAD,tectonic stress dominates the formation of fractured reservoirs within 300 m of a fault,and geoflu-ids activity dominates the formation of vuggy reservoirs within 100 m of an unconformity surface.