Characteristics and main controlling factors of intra-platform shoal thin-layer dolomite reservoirs:A case study of Middle Permian Qixia Formation in Gaoshiti-Moxi area of Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on the study of the distribution of intra-platform shoals and the characteristics of dolomite reservoirs in the Middle Permian Qixia Formation in the Gaoshiti–Moxi area of the Sichuan Basin,SW China,the controlling factors of reservoir development were analyzed,and the formation model of“intra-platform shoal thin-layer dolomite reservoir”was established.The Qixia Formation is a regressive cycle from bottom to top,in which the first member(Qi1 Member)develops low-energy open sea microfacies,and the second member(Qi2 Member)evolves into intra-platform shoal and inter-shoal sea with decreases in sea level.The intra-platform shoal is mainly distributed near the top of two secondary shallowing cycles of the Qi2 Member.The most important reservoir rock of the Qixia Formation is thin-layer fractured-vuggy dolomite,followed by vuggy dolomite.The semi-filled saddle dolomite is common in fracture-vug,and intercrystalline pores and residual dissolution pores combined with fractures to form the effective pore-fracture network.Based on the coupling analysis of sedimentary and diagenesis characteristics,the reservoir formation model of“pre-depositional micro-paleogeomorphology controlling shoal,sedimentary shoal controlling dolomite,penecontemporaneous dolomite benefiting preservation of pores,and late hydrothermal action effectively improving reservoir quality”was systematically established.The“first-order high zone”micro-paleogeomorphology before the deposition of the Qixia Formation controlled the development of large area of intra-platform shoals in Gaoshiti area during the deposition of the Qi2 Member.Shoal facies is the basic condition of early dolomitization,and the distribution range of intra-platform shoal and dolomite reservoir is highly consistent.The grain limestone of shoal facies is transformed by two stages of dolomitization.The penecontemporaneous dolomitization is conducive to the preservation of primary pores and secondary dissolved pores.The burial hydrothermal fluid enters the early dolomite body along the fractures associated with the Emeishan basalt event,makes it recrystallized into medium–coarse crystal dolomite.With the intercrystalline pores and the residual vugs after the hydrothermal dissolution along the fractures,the high-quality intra-platform shoal-type thin-layer dolomite reservoirs are formed.The establishment of this reservoir formation model can provide important theoretical support for the sustainable development of Permian gas reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin.

Facies-controlled prediction of dolomite reservoirs in the Middle Permian Qixia Formation in Shuangyushi,northwestern Sichuan Basin

The Middle Permian Qixia Formation in the Shuangyushi area,northwestern Sichuan Basin,develops shoal-facies dolomite reservoirs.To pinpoint promising reservoirs in the Qixia Formation,deep thin shoal-facies dolomite reservoirs were predicted using the techniques of pre-stack Kirchhoff-Q compensation for absorption,inverse Q filtering,low-to high-frequency compensation,forward modeling,and facies-controlled seismic meme inversion.The results are obtained in six aspects.First,the dolomite reservoirs mainly exist in the middle and lower parts of the second member of Qixia Formation(Qi2 Member),which coincide with the zones shoal cores are developed.Second,the forward modeling shows that the trough energy at the top and bottom of shoal core increases with increasing shoal-core thickness,and weak peak reflections are associated in the middle of shoal core.Third,five types of seismic waveform are identified through waveform analysis of seismic facies.Type-I and Type-II waveforms correspond to promising facies(shoal core microfacies).Fourth,vertically,two packages of thin dolomite reservoirs turn up in the sedimentary cycle of intraplatform shoal in the Qi2 Member,and the lower package is superior to the upper package in dolomite thickness,scale and lateral connectivity.Fifth,in plane,significantly controlled by sedimentary facies,dolomite reservoirs laterally distribute with consistent thickness in shoal cores at topographical highs and extend toward the break.Sixth,the promising prospects are the zones with thick dolomite reservoirs and superimposition of horstegraben structural traps.

Fluid evolution and hydrocarbon accumulation model of ultra-deep gas reservoirs in Permian Qixia Formation of northwest Sichuan Basin,SW China

The fluid evolution and reservoir formation model of the ultra-deep gas reservoirs in the Permian Qixia Formation of the northwestern Sichuan Basin are investigated by using thin section,cathodoluminescence,inclusion temperature and U-Pb isotopic dating,combined with gas source identification plates and reservoir formation evolution profiles established based on burial history,thermal history,reservoir formation history and diagenetic evolution sequence.The fluid evolution of the marine ultra-deep gas reservoirs in the Qixia Formation has undergone two stages of dolomitization and one phase of hydrothermal action,two stages of oil and gas charging and two stages of associated burial dissolution.The diagenetic fluids include ancient seawater,atmospheric freshwater,deep hydrothermal fluid and hydrocarbon fluids.The two stages of hydrocarbon charging happened in the Late Triassic and Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous respectively,and the Middle to Late Cretaceous is the period when the crude oil cracked massively into gas.The gas reservoirs in deep marine Permian strata of northwest Sichuan feature multiple source rocks,composite transportation,differential accumulation and late finalization.The natural gas in the Permian is mainly cracked gas from Permian marine mixed hydrocarbon source rocks,with cracked gas from crude oil in the deeper Sinian strata in local parts.The scale development of paleo-hydrocarbon reservoirs and the stable and good preservation conditions are the keys to the forming large-scale gas reservoirs.

Origin of the penecontemporaneous sucrosic dolomite in the Permian Qixia Formation, northwestern Sichuan Basin, SW China

The characteristics,formation time,and origin of the sucrosic dolomite reservoirs in the Permian Qixia Formation of northwestern Sichuan Basin are analyzed.Core and outcrop description and microscopic analysis of the sucrosic dolomite samples are carried out.It is found that the dolomite has typical features different from other kinds of dolomites:(1)This dolomite is generally medium-coarse in crystal size,and often associated with very finely to finely crystalline dolomite and cave-filling dolomite.(2)Typical identification marks of eogenetic karstification are developed at the top of the upward-shallowing sequence.(3)The medium-coarse crystalline sucrosic dolomite is cut by the early diagenetic karst fabric,and is characterized by dolomite with dissolution edge,dolomite vadose silt in pores,and transgression clay filling between the medium-coarse dolomite crystals.The medium-coarse crystalline sucrosic dolomite was formed earlier than the eogenetic karstification.The sucrosic dolomite with occasional cloudy core and clear rim has bright cathodoluminescence,high inclusions temperature,significant negative skewness carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions,and rare-earth element(REE)pattern similar to seawater,indicating it experienced two periods of dolomitization,evaporative concentration reflux-infiltration and penecontemporaneous seawater circulation hydrothermal fluid dolomitization.The study results not only update the understanding on the dolomitization time of Qixia Formation,demonstrate that the sucrosic dolomite can be formed in the penecontemporaneous stage when seawater reflux superimposed with hydrothermal fluid effects,but also show that the taphorogenesis in the Dongwu period began in the Early Permian.Moreover,the dolomite controlled by the grain bank migration and terrain in the slope break appears in bands of large scale,this knowledge provides basis for expanding the exploration field of this type of reservoirs.

Episodic hydrothermal alteration on Middle Permian carbonate reservoirs and its geological significance in southwestern Sichuan Basin,SW China

To analyze the episodic alteration of Middle Permian carbonate reservoirs by complex hydrothermal fluid in southwestern Sichuan Basin,petrology,geochemistry,fluid inclusion and U-Pb dating researches are conducted.The fractures and vugs of Middle Permian Qixia–Maokou formations are filled with multi-stage medium-coarse saddle dolomites and associated hydrothermal minerals,which indicates that the early limestone/dolomite episodic alteration was caused by the large-scale,high-temperature,deep magnesium-rich brine along flowing channels such as basement faults or associated fractures under the tectonic compression and napping during the Indosinian.The time of magnesium-rich hydrothermal activity was from the Middle Triassic to the Late Triassic.The siliceous and calcite fillings were triggered by hydrothermal alteration in the Middle and Late Yanshanian Movement and Himalayan Movement.Hydrothermal dolomitization is controlled by fault,hydrothermal property,flowing channel and surrounding rock lithology,which occur as equilibrium effect of porosity and permeability.The thick massive grainstone/dolomites were mainly altered by modification such as hydrothermal dolomitization/recrystallization,brecciation and fracture-vugs filling.Early thin-medium packstones were mainly altered by dissolution and infilling of fracturing,bedding dolomitization,dissolution and associated mineral fillings.The dissolved vugs and fractures are the main reservoir space under hydrothermal conditions,and the connection of dissolved vugs and network fractures is favorable for forming high-quality dolomite reservoir.Hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs are developed within a range of 1 km near faults,with a thickness of 30–60 m.Hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs with local connected pore/vugs and fractures have exploration potential.