Influences of burial process on diagenesis and high-quality reservoir development of deep-ultra-deep clastic rocks:A case study of Lower Cretaceous Qingshuihe Formation in southern margin of Junggar Basin,NW China

Taking the Lower Cretaceous Qingshuihe Formation in the southern margin of Junggar Basin as an example,the influences of the burial process in a foreland basin on the diagenesis and the development of high-quality reservoirs of deep and ultra-deep clastic rocks were investigated using thin section,scanning electron microscope,electron probe,stable isotopic composition and fluid inclusion data.The Qingshuihe Formation went through four burial stages of slow shallow burial,tectonic uplift,progressive deep burial and rapid deep burial successively.The stages of slow shallow burial and tectonic uplift not only can alleviate the mechanical compaction of grains,but also can maintain an open diagenetic system in the reservoirs for a long time,which promotes the dissolution of soluble components by meteoric freshwater and inhibits the precipitation of dissolution products in the reservoirs.The late rapid deep burial process contributed to the development of fluid overpressure,which effectively inhibits the destruction of primary pores by compaction and cementation.The fluid overpressure promotes the development of microfractures in the reservoir,which enhances the dissolution effect of organic acids.Based on the quantitative reconstruction of porosity evolution history,it is found that the long-term slow shallow burial and tectonic uplift processes make the greatest contribution to the development of deep-ultra-deep high-quality clastic rock reservoirs,followed by the late rapid deep burial process,and the progressive deep burial process has little contribution.

Action mechanisms of abnormal fluid pressure on physical properties of deep reservoirs: A case study on Jurassic Toutunhe Formation in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China

Considering the action mechanisms of overpressure on physical changes in skeleton particles of deep reservoir rocks and the differences in physical changes of skeleton particles under overpressure and hydrostatic pressure, the sandstone of the Jurassic Toutunhe Formation in the southern margin of Junggar Basin was taken as an example for physical modeling experiment to analyze the action mechanisms of overpressure on the physical properties of deep reservoirs. (1) In the simulated ultra-deep layer with a burial depth of 6000-8000 m, the mechanical compaction under overpressure reduces the remaining primary pores by about a half that under hydrostatic pressure. Overpressure can effectively suppress the mechanical compaction to allow the preservation of intergranular primary pores. (2) The linear contact length ratio under overpressure is always smaller than the linear contact length ratio under hydrostatic pressure at the same depth. In deep reservoirs, the difference between the mechanical compaction degree under overpressure and hydrostatic pressure shows a decreasing trend, the effect of abnormally high pressure to resist the increase of effective stress is weakened, and the degree of mechanical compaction is gradually close to that under hydrostatic pressure. (3) The microfractures in skeleton particles of deep reservoirs under overpressure are thin and long, while the microfractures in skeleton particles of deep reservoirs under hydrostatic pressure are short and wide. This difference is attributed to the probable presence of tension fractures in the rocks containing abnormally high pressure fluid. (4) The microfractures in skeleton particles under overpressure were mainly formed later than that under hydrostatic pressure, and the development degree and length of microfractures both extend deeper. (5) The development stages of microfractures under overpressure are mainly controlled by the development stages of abnormally high pressure and the magnitude of effective stress acting on the skeleton particles. Moreover, the development stages of microfractures in skeleton particles are more than those under hydrostatic pressure in deep reservoir. The multi-stage abnormally high pressure plays an important role in improving the physical properties of deep reservoirs.

Lithofacies paleogeography restoration and its significance of Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous in southern margin of Junggar Basin,NW China

In view of the difficulties in the study of lithofacies paleogeography and the low reliability of the distribution range of sedimentary sand bodies in the prototype basin caused by less deep drilling, complex seismic imaging and low degree of exploration in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China. A new method based on the source to sink idea was used to restore lithofacies paleogeography and predict glutenite distribution. In the restoration, apatite fission track age was used to define range and uplift time of macro-provenance;the range of provenance area and the migration process of lake shoreline were restored based on the quantitative relationship between gravel diameter and transportation distance, tectonic shortening and other geological parameters;drilling cores and field outcrop sedimentary structures were analyzed, and a series of maps of lithofacies paleogeographic evolution and distribution range of glutenite bodies were compiled. It is concluded that from Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, the provenance area gradually expanded from south to north, the lake basin expanded, shrunk and expanded, and the paleoclimate changed from humid to drought to humid. The western section always had proximal fan delta deposits from the southern ancient Tianshan provenance developed, and in the middle and eastern sections, the provenance areas evolved from far source to near source, mainly river-delta, braided delta, fan delta and other sediments developed. The boundary between provenance areas of the western and middle sections is speculated to be Hongche fault zone. In an angle open to the northwest with the current basin edge line, the restored ancient lake shoreline controlled the heterogeneity of reservoirs in the delta plain belt and delta front belt on its both sides. The ancient lake shoreline, current stratigraphic denudation line and current basin margin line limit the types and scope of favorable reservoirs.This understanding provides an important geological basis for oil and gas exploration in the deep lower source-reservoir assemblage at the southern margin of Junggar Basin.

Formation mechanism of condensates, waxy and heavy oils in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China

It is a challenge to determine the source and genetic relationship of condensate, waxy and heavy oils in one given complicated petroliferous area, where developed multiple sets of source rocks with different maturity and various chemical features.The central part of southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China is such an example where there are condensates, light oils, normal density oils, heavy crude oils and natural gases. The formation mechanism of condensates has been seriously debated for long time;however, no study has integrated it with genetic types of waxy and heavy oils. Taking the central part of southern margin of Junggar Basin as a case, this study employs geological and geochemical methods to determine the formation mechanism of condensates,waxy and heavy oils in a complicated petroliferous area, and reveals the causes and geochemical processes of the co-occurrence of different types of crude oils in this region. Based on detailed geochemical analyses of more than 40 normal crude oils, light oils,condensates and heavy oils, it is found that the condensates are dominated by low carbon number n-alkanes and enriched in light naphthenics and aromatic hydrocarbons. Heptane values of these condensates range from 19% to 21%, isoheptane values from1.9 to 2.1, and toluene/n-heptane ratios from 1.5 to 2.0. The distribution of n-alkanes in the condensates presents a mirror image with high density waxy crude oils and heavy oils. Combined with the oil and gas-source correlations of the crude oils, condensates and natural gas, it is found that the condensates are product of evaporative fractionation and/or phase-controlled fractionation of reservoir crude oils which were derived from mature Cretaceous lacustrine source rocks in the relatively early stage. The waxy oils are the intermediate products of evaporative fractionation and/or phase-controlled fractionation of reservoir crude oils, while the heavy oils are in-situ residuals. Therefore, evaporative fractionation and/or phase-controlled fractionation would account for the formation of the condensate, light oil, waxy oil and heavy oil in the central part of southern margin of Junggar Basin, resulting in a great change of the content in terms of light alkanes, naphthenics and aromatics in condensates, followed by great uncertainties of toluene/n-heptane ratios due to migration and re-accumulation. The results suggest that the origin of the condensate cannot be simply concluded by its ratios of toluene/n-heptane and n-heptane/methylcyclohexane on the Thompson's cross-plot, it should be comprehensively determined by the aspects of geological background, thermal history of source rocks and petroleum generation,physical and chemical features of various crude oils and natural gas, vertical and lateral distribution of various crude oils in the study area.