Development characteristics and controlling factors of fractures in lacustrine shale and their geological significance for evaluating shale oil sweet spots in the third member of the Shahejie Formation in the Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin

Natural fractures are critical for shale oil and gas enrichment and development. Due to the extremely high heterogeneity of shale, the factors controlling the formation of internal fractures, especially horizontal fractures, remain controversial. In this study, we integrate thin section analysis and microcomputed tomography(CT) data from several lacustrine shale samples from the third member(Es3) of the Shahejie Formation, Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, to assess the fractures in detail. The goal is to reveal the development characteristics, controlling factors, and geological significance for evaluating sweet spots in a shale oil play. The fractures in the Es3contain high-angle structural and horizontal bed-parallel fractures that are mostly shear and extensional. Various factors influence fracture development,including lithofacies, mineral composition, organic matter content, and the number of laminae. Structural fractures occur predominantly in siltstone, whereas bed-parallel fractures are abundant in laminated shale and layered mudstone. A higher quartz content results in higher shale brittleness, causing fractures, whereas the transformation between clay minerals contributes to the development of bedparallel fractures. Excess pore pressure due to hydrocarbon generation and expulsion during thermal advance can cause the formation of bed-parallel fractures. The density of the bed-parallel and structural fractures increases with the lamina density, and the bed-parallel fractures are more sensitive to the number of laminae. The fractures are critical storage spaces and flow conduits and are indicative of sweet spots. The laminated shale in the Es3with a high organic matter content contains natural fractures and is an organic-rich, liquid-rich, self-sourced shale play. Conversely, the siltstone, massive mudstone, and argillaceous carbonate lithofacies contain lower amounts of organic matter and do not have bed-parallel fractures. However, good reservoirs can form in these areas when structural fractures are present and the source, and storage spaces are separated.

Quantitative and Comprehensive Prediction of Shale Oil Sweet Spots in Qingshankou Formation, Songliao Basin

The mud shale of Qingshankou Formation in Songliao Basin is the main rock source and contains rich shale oil resources. The successful development of shale oil depends on evaluating and optimizing the “sweet spots”. To accurately identify and optimize the favorable sweet spots of shale oil in Qingshankou Formation, Songliao Basin, the original logging data were preprocessed in this paper. Then the thin mud shale interlayer of Qingshankou Formation was identified effectively by using the processed logging data. Based on the artificial neural network method, the mineral content of mud shale in Qingshankou Formation was predicted. The lithofacies were identified according to the mineral and TOC content. Finally, a three-dimensional (3-D) model of total organic carbon (TOC), vitrinite reflectance (Ro), mineral content, and rock of Qingshankou Formation in Songliao Basin was established to evaluate and predict the favorable sweet spots of shale oil in the study area. The results show that there are a lot of calcareous and siliceous thin interlayers in Qingshankou Formation, and TOC content is generally between 2% and 3%. Ro is the highest in Gulong sag, followed by Sanzhao sag. The lithofacies mainly consists of felsic shale and mixed shale, mainly in the first member of Qingshankou Formation. Comprehensive analysis shows that shale oil development potential is enormous in the eastern part of Sanzhao Sag and the northern part of Gulong Sag.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Geological and Engineering Sweet Spots of Shale Gas Reservoir: A Case Study of the Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin

There is a huge amount of marine shale gas resources in the southern Sichuan Basin in China, and most of the resources are at the buried depth of 3500 - 4500 meters. At present, deep shale gas is in the early stage of exploration and development. In order to achieve large-scale efficient development, in addition to optimizing favorable blocks, it is also to identify the optimal target in the vertical direction combine geology, drilling, and fracturing. Therefore, Taking the Longmaxi formation shale in the Luzhou block as the research object, based on drilling, logging, and core experiment data, through single well and 3D geomechanical modeling methods, analyze the characteristics of organic matter abundance, porosity, pore pressure, collapse pressure, mineral composition and in-situ stress of different layers of shale in Longmaxi formation. Systematically summarized the main controlling factors of the “sweet spot” of deep shale gas and establish the comprehensive evaluation system of deep shale gas “sweet spots”, to clarify the optimal “sweet spots” of geology, drilling, and fracturing in the Longmaxi reservoir. Results show that the total organic carbon content, porosity, and gas saturation of the long111 layer are higher than other layers. The Long111 layer has a low collapse pressure and a high compressive strength, the risk of wellbore instability is relatively low. The stress difference coefficient of All layers is less than 0.3, and the brittleness index of the Long111 layer is 62.35%. A complex fracture network is easier to form after fracturing. The conclusion shows that the Long111 layer is the optimal reservoir section of the Longmaxi Formation. Ensure the drilled rate of the Long111 layer and maximize the length of the horizontal section can obtain higher production.

Sweet spot prediction in tight sandstone reservoir based on well-bore rock physical simulation

To establish the relationship among reservoir characteristics and rock physical parameters,we construct the well-bore rock physical models firstly,considering the influence factors,such as mineral composition,shale content,porosity,fluid type and saturation.Then with analyzing the change rules of elastic parameters along with the above influence factors and the cross-plots among elastic parameters,the sensitive elastic parameters of tight sandstone reservoir are determined,and the rock physics template of sweet spot is constructed to guide pre-stack seismic inversion.The results show that velocity ratio and Poisson impedance are the most sensitive elastic parameters to indicate the lithologic and gas-bearing properties of sweet spot in tight sandstone reservoir.The high-quality sweet spot is characterized by the lower velocity ratio and Poisson impedance.Finally,the actual seismic data are selected to predict the sweet spots in tight sandstone gas reservoirs,so as to verify the validity of the rock physical simulation results.The significant consistency between the relative logging curves and inversion results in different wells implies that the utilization of well-bore rock physical simulation can guide the prediction of sweet spot in tight sandstone gas reservoirs.

Intelligent prediction and integral analysis of shale oil and gas sweet spots

Shale reservoirs are characterized by low porosity and strong anisotropy. Conventional geophysical methods are far from perfect when it comes to the prediction of shale sweet spot locations, and even less reliable when attempting to delineate unconventional features of shale oil and gas. Based on some mathematical algorithms such as fuzzy mathematics, machine learning and multiple regression analysis, an effective workflow is proposed to allow intelligent prediction of sweet spots and comprehensive quantitative characterization of shale oil and gas reservoirs. This workflow can effectively combine multi-scale and multi-disciplinary data such as geology, well drilling, logging and seismic data. Following the maximum subordination and attribute optimization principle, we establish a machine learning model by adopting the support vector machine method to arrive at multi-attribute prediction of reservoir sweet spot location. Additionally, multiple regression analysis technology is applied to quantitatively predict a number of sweet spot attributes. The practical application of these methods to areas of interest shows high accuracy of sweet spot prediction, indicating that it is a good approach for describing the distribution of high-quality regions within shale reservoirs. Based on these sweet spot attributes, quantitative characterization of unconventional reservoirs can provide a reliable evaluation of shale reservoir potential.

Application of Pore Evolution and Fracture Development Coupled Models in the Prediction of Reservoir "Sweet Spots" in Tight Sandstones

The Chang-63 reservoir in the Huaqing area has widely developed tight sandstone ＂thick sand layers, but not reservoirs characterized by rich in oil＂, and it is thus necessary to further study its oil and gas enrichment law. This study builds porosity and fracture development and evolution models in different deposition environments, through core observation, casting thin section, SEM, porosity and permeability analysis, burial history analysis, and ＂four-property-relationships＂ analysis.

Evaluation of sweet spots and horizontal-well-design technology for shale gas in the basin-margin transition zone of southeastern Chongqing,SW China

The shale gas accumulation conditions in the basin-margin transition zone of southeastern Chongqing in SW China are complex.In order to improve single-well productivity in this area,the geologic characteristics,major factors controlling the occurrence of sweet spots,and drilling/fracturing optimization were investigated in this study.The sweet spot evaluation system and criteria were established,and the horizontal-well-design technology was developed.The following three conclusions were drawn.First,the accumulation and high-productivity-oriented approaches for sweet spot evaluation are proposed and the criteria are established based on screened key indicators.Second,the horizontal well was designed based on:(1)the“six-map”method,to identify both the geology and engineering sweet spots for well locations;and(2)seismic attributes,to predict the development of fractures and cavities,and thus,avoid mud loss and improve the drilling efficiency.The target window,well-azimuth optimization,and the curvature were forecasted to improve the fracturing performances.Third,the Pingqiao anticline,Dongsheng anticline,Jinfo slope,and Wulong syncline were selected as Type I sweet spots.Currently,shale gas has been successfully discovered in the basin-margin transition zone and is being commercially developed.

Sweet spot evaluation and exploration practice of lacustrine shale oil of the second member of Kongdian Formation in Cangdong sag, Bohai Bay Basin

Based on core,thin section,X-ray diffraction,rock pyrolysis,CT scanning,nuclear magnetic resonance and oil testing data,the macro and micro components,sedimentary structure characteristics,of Paleogene Kong 2 Member in Cangdong sag of Huanghua depression and evaluation standard and method of shale oil reservoir were studied to sort out the best shale sections for shale oil horizontal wells.According to the dominant rock type,rhythmic structure and logging curve characteristics,four types of shale lithofacies were identified,namely,thin-layered dolomitic shale,lamellar mixed shale,lamellar felsic shale,and bedded dolomitic shale,and the Kong 21 sub-member was divided into four quasi-sequences,PS1 to PS4.The PS1 shale has a porosity higher than 6%,clay content of less than 20%,and S1 of less than 4 mg/g;the PS2 shale has well-developed laminar structure,larger pore and throat size,better connectivity of pores and throats,high contents of TOC and movable hydrocarbon,S1 of over 4 mg/g,clay content of less than 20%,and porosity of more than 4%;PS3 shale has S1 value higher than 6 mg/g and clay content of 20%-30%,and porosity of less than 4%;and PS4 shale has lower TOC content and low oil content.Shale oil reservoir classification criterion based on five parameters,free hydrocarbon content S1,shale rhythmic structure,clay content,TOC and porosity,was established.The evaluation method of shale oil sweet spot by using the weighted five parameters,and the evaluation index EI were proposed.Through comprehensive analysis,it is concluded that PS2 is best in quality and thus the dual geological and engineering sweet spot of shale oil,PS3 and PS1 come next,the former is more geologic sweet spot,the latter more engineering sweet spot,and PS4 is the poorest.Several vertical and horizontal wells drilled in the PS2 and PS3 sweet spots obtained high oil production.Among them,Well 1701 H has produced stably for 623 days,with cumulative production of over 10000 tons,showing bright exploration prospects of Kong 2 Member shale oil.

Multi-source genesis of continental carbonate-rich fine-grained sedimentary rocks and hydrocarbon sweet spots

This paper systematically discusses the multiple source characteristics and formation mechanisms of carbonate-rich fine-grained sedimentary rocks through the analysis of material source and rock formation.The hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics of carbonate-rich fine-grained sedimentary rocks are also summarized.The results show that the main reason for the enrichment of fine-grained carbonate materials in rift lake basins was the supply of multiple material sources,including terrestrial material input,formation of intrabasinal authigenic carbonate,volcanic-hydrothermal material feeding and mixed source.The development of carbonate bedrock in the provenance area controlled the filling scale of carbonate materials in rift lake basins.The volcanic-hydrothermal activity might provide an alkaline fluid to the lake basins to strengthen the material supply for the formation of carbonate crystals.Authigenic carbonate crystals induced by biological processes were the main source of long-term accumulation of fine-grained carbonate materials in the lake basins.Carbonate-rich fine-grained sedimentary rocks with multiple features were formed through the interaction of physical,biochemical and chemical processes during the deposition and post-deposition stages.The source and sedimentary origin of the fine-grained carbonate rock controlled the hydrocarbon accumulation in it.In the multi-source system,the types of"sweet spots"of continental shale oil and gas include endogenous type,terrigenous type,volcanic-hydrothermal type and mixed source type.

Types and genesis of sweet spots in the tight sandstone gas reservoirs:Insights from the Xujiahe Formation,northern Sichuan Basin,China

Through comprehensively applying geological and geophysical data,as well as core and thin section observation,the characteristics of reservoirs and fractures in the second member of the Xujiahe Formation(hereinafter referred to as Xu2 Member)in the Yuanba area,northern Sichuan Basin,were studied.Combined with the analysis of the main controlling factors of production capacity,the types and characteristics of the sweet spots in the tight sandstone gas reservoir were determined.The evaluation standards and geological models of the sweet spots were established.The results are as follows:(1)There are bedding-parallel fracture-,fault-induced fracture-,and pore-dominated sweet spots in the tight sandstone gas reservoirs of the Xu2 Member.(2)The bedding parallel fracture-dominated sweet spots have developed in quartz sandstones with well-developed horizontal fractures and micro-fractures.They are characterized by high permeability and high gas output during production tests.This kind of sweet spots is thin and shows a limited distribution.Their logging responses show extremely low gamma-ray(GR)values and medium-high AC values.Moreover,the bedding parallel fracture-dominated sweet spots can be mapped using seismic methods.(3)The fault-induced fracture-dominated sweet spots have welldeveloped medium-and high-angle shear fractures.Their logging responses show an increase in peaks of AC values and total hydrocarbon content and a decrease in resistivity.Seismically,the areas with welldeveloped fault-induced fracture-dominated sweet spots can be effectively mapped using the properties such as seismic entropy and maximum likelihood.(4)The pore-dominated sweet spots are developed in medium-grained feldspathic litharenites with good reservoir properties.They are thick and widely distributed.(5)These three types of sweet spots are mainly determined by sedimentation,diagenesis,and tectonism.The bedding parallel fracture-dominated sweet spots are distributed in beachbar quartz sandstones on the top of the 1st sand layer group in the Xu2 Member,which develops in a shore-shallow lake environment.The fault-induced fracture-dominated sweet spots mainly occur near faults.They are increasingly developed in areas closer to faults.The pore-dominated sweet spots are primarily distributed in the 2nd and 3rd sand layer groups,which lie in the development areas of distributary channels near provenances at western Yuanba area.Based on the geological and seismic data,a comprehensive evaluation standard for these three types of sweet spots of the tight sandstone reservoirs in the Xu2 Member has been established,which,on the one hand,lays the foundation for the development and evaluation of the gas reservoir,and on the other hand,deepens the understanding of sweet spot in the tight sandstone gas reservoirs.

Analysis of tight oil accumulation conditions and prediction of sweet spots in Ordos Basin: A case study

Tight sandstone reservoirs are widely developed in the Mesozoic Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin,China.There is a lack of understanding on the sedimentary setting,source-reservoir relationship and oil accumulation conditions in this area.In this study,through the comprehensive analysis of the distri-bution of tight oil,we evaluated the properties and petrological features of reservoir,geochemical characteristics of source rocks,the source-reservoir relationship,as well as the trapping,preservation and accumulation conditions of tight oil in the Chang 7 Member,and predicted the sweet spots of tight oil in the study area.The results show that the Chang 7 Member is a typical low-porosity and ultra-low permeability reservoir with great tightness,small pore throat and high capillary pressure,and must have been of near-source accumulation.The source rocks are mainly developed in the Chang 7_(3) submember,and the reservoirs mainly occur in the Chang 7_(1) and Chang 7_(2) submembers,forming a combination mode of“lower source rock and upper reservoir”.Sandbodies with good connectivity and fractures being well developed in local areas are the main hydrocarbon transport systems.The abnormal high pressure caused by hydrocarbon generation and pressurization is the main driving force of tight oil accumulation.The mode of hydrocarbon transportation is dominated by the vertical or lateral migration from under-lying source rocks or adjacent source rocks to reservoirs within a short distance.Following the integrated evaluation of lithology,physical properties and oil saturation of reservoirs and geochemical character-istics of source rocks,we grouped the sweet spots of Chang 7 Member into three types:Type I,Type II and Type III.Among others,the Type I sweet spots are the best in terms of porosity,permeability and source rock thickness and hydrocarbon enrichment which should be the focus of oilfield development.This study lays an important foundation for the economic and efficient development of tight oil in the Chang 7 Member of Heshui area,and has important implications on tight sandstone reservoirs in other regions of Ordos Basin in China.

Characteristics of Shale Reservoir and Sweet Spot Identification of the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation in Northwestern Hunan Province, China

The accumulation and productivity of shale gas are mainly controlled by the characteristics of shale reservoirs;study of these characteristics forms the basis for the shale gas exploitation of the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation(Fm),Southern China.In this study,core observation and lithology study were conducted along with X-ray diffraction(XRD)and electronic scanning microscopy(SEM)examinations and liquid nitrogen(N2)adsorption/desorption and CH4 isothermal adsorption experiments for several exploration wells in northwestern Hunan Province,China.The results show that one or two intervals with high-quality source rocks(TOC>2 wt%)were deposited in the deep-shelf facies.The source rocks,which were mainly composed of carbonaceous shales and siliceous shales,had high quartz contents(>40 wt%)and low clay mineral(<30 wt%,mainly illites)and carbonate mineral(<20 wt%)contents.The SEM observations and liquid nitrogen(N2)adsorption/desorption experiments showed that the shale is tight,and nanoscale pores and microscale fractures are well developed.BJH volume(VBJH)of shale ranged from 2.144×10^-3 to 20.07×10^-3 cm^3/g,with an average of 11.752×10^-3 cm3/g.Pores mainly consisted of opened and interconnected mesopores(2–50 nm in diameter)or macropores(>50 nm in diameter).The shale reservoir has strong adsorption capacity for CH4.The Langmuir volume(VL)varied from 1.63 to 7.39 cm^3/g,with an average of 3.95 cm^3/g.The characteristics of shale reservoir are controlled by several factors:(1)A deep muddy continental shelf is the most favorable environment for the development of shale reservoirs,which is controlled by the development of basic materials.(2)The storage capacity of the shale reservoir is positively related to the TOC contents and plastic minerals and negatively related to cement minerals.(3)High maturity or overmaturity leads to the growth of organic pores and microfractures,thereby improving the reservoir storage capacity.It can be deduced that the high percentage of residual gas in Niutitang Fm results from the strong reservoir storage capacity of adsorbed gas.Two layers of sweet spots with strong storage capacity of free gas,and they are characterized by the relatively high TOC contents ranging from 4 wt%to 8 wt%.

Quantitative prediction of shale gas sweet spots based on seismic data in Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation,Weiyuan area,Sichuan Basin,SW China

Sweet spots in the shale reservoirs of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Weiyuan 201 Block of Sichuan Basin were predicted quantitatively using seismic data and fuzzy optimization method. First, based on seismic and rock physics analysis, the rock physics characteristics of the reservoirs were determined, and elastic parameters sensitive to shale reservoirs with high gas content were selected. Second, data volumes with high precision of the elastic parameters were obtained from pre-stack simultaneous inversion. The horizontal distribution of key parameters for shale gas evaluation were calculated based on the results of rock physics analysis. Then, the fuzzy evaluation equation was established by fuzzy optimization method with test and logging data of horizontal wells with similar operation conditions. key parameters affecting the productivity of horizontal wells were sorted out and the weights of them in the sweet spots quantitative prediction were worked out by fuzzy optimization to set up a sweet spots evaluation system. Three classes of shale gas reservoirs which including two kinds of sweet spots were predicted with the above procedure, and the sweet spots have been predicted quantitatively by combining the above prediction results with the testing production. The testing results of 7 verification wells proved the reliability of the prediction results.

Diagenesis-porosity evolution and“sweet spot”distribution of low permeability reservoirs:A case study from Oligocene Zhuhai Formation in Wenchang A sag,Pear River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

The characteristics of low permeability reservoirs and distribution of sweet spots in the Oligocene Zhuhai Formation of Wenchang A sag, Pearl River Basin were investigated by core observation and thin section analysis. The study results show that there develop the fine, medium and coarse sandstone reservoirs of tidal flat–fan delta facies, which are of mostly low permeability and locally medium permeability. There are two kinds of pore evolution patterns: oil charging first and densification later, the reservoirs featuring this pattern are mainly in the third member of Zhuhai Formation between the south fault zone and the sixth fault zone, and the pattern of densification first and gas charging later is widespread across the study area. Strong compaction and local calcium cementation are the key factors causing low permeability of the reservoirs in the Zhuhai Formation. Thick and coarse grain sand sedimentary body is the precondition to form "sweet spot" reservoirs. Weak compaction and cementation, dissolution, early hydrocarbon filling and authigenic chlorite coating are the main factors controlling formation of "sweet spot" reservoir. It is predicted that there develop between the south fault and sixth fault zones the Class Ⅰ "sweet spot" in medium compaction zone, Class Ⅱ "sweet spot" in nearly strong compaction zone, Class Ⅲ "sweet spot" reservoir in the nearly strong to strong compaction zone with oil charging at early stage, and Class IV "sweet spot" reservoir in the strong compaction and authigenic chlorite coating protection zone in the sixth fault zone.

Dynamical Model with Application to the Analysis of the Sweet Spot on a Baseball Bat

In this paper, we analyze the effect on the ball-bat model of corking the bat, and investigate the relationship between the sweet spot and different materials. First and foremost, we develop a simple but effective theoretical model to give a rough estimate for the sweet spot of the bat. Second, we give a simplified abstract form of bat which facilitates the description and modeling study. Last but not least, according to different material caused rotary inertia and different recovery coefficient, researches on the different material hitting effect were made.

Identification of sweet spots in shale-type and siltstone-type“shale oil systems”:A case study of the Chang 7 Member in Ordos Basin

Mid-high maturity shale oil is the most realistic field for the scale breakthrough of terrestrial shale oil production in China.Generally,three deficiencies hinder shale oil development in China:heavy oil density,small sweet spot areas,and poor distribution continuity.Thus,identifying the“sweet spots”in shale oil reservoirs is critical for the efficient exploration and development of terrestrial shale oil.This study targets the siltstone type(Class-Ⅱshale oil)and pure shale type(Class-Ⅲshale oil)of the Chang 7 Member in the Ordos Basin,and identifies three stratigraphic units,namely the hydrocarbon accumulation unit,hydrocarbon generation unit,and hydrocarbon retention unit,which together constitute the in-source“shale oil system”.The hydrocarbon accumulation unit is mainly siltstone,where the hydrocarbons are migrated from shales.It has favorable porethroat network connectivity with a pore connectivity ratio of 32–57%,being the siltstone-type sweet spots.The hydrocarbon generation unit is mainly composed of high-TOC mudstone/shale and is the main contributor to in-source hydrocarbon generation and expulsion.This unit has high three-dimensional connectivity(28–30%),as shown by the pore-throat network model,associated with vertical paths for hydrocarbon expulsion.The hydrocarbon retention unit is mainly composed of low-TOC mudstone/shale retaining self-generated and migrated hydrocarbons.The pore connectivity rate is 17–42%,and the pore-throat network connectivity direction is uneven.Light and low-carbon-number hydrocarbons are preferentially trapped or even sealed in small pores of the retention unit,forming the typical mudstone/shale-type sweet spots.In the process called shale oil intrasource migration,the oil migrates in source rocks causing component fractionation,which allows more shale oil to enrich in the hydrocarbon accumulation and retention units to form sweet spots,compared with the hydrocarbon generation unit.The migration paths include the one from mudstone/shale to siltstone interlayers and that from the high-TOC mudstone/shale intervals to the low-TOC intervals.The in-source accumulation of shale oil shows the differentiated enrichment model featuring“high-TOC mudstone/shale generating hydrocarbons,low-TOC mudstone/shale retaining hydrocarbons,siltstone accumulating hydrocarbons and multiple intra-source migration paths”.In the Ordos Basin,the organic-lean(TOC 1–3%)mudstone/shale intervals appear to be the sweet spots of shale oil,where there are abundant medium-short-chain hydrocarbons retained with high flowability.After fracturing stimulation,their production conditions may be even superior to those of siltstones.This proposed idea changes the previous strategy to look for sweet spots in high-TOC intervals derived from the shale gas industry.

Statistical distribution of geomechanical properties and‘Sweet Spots’identification in part of the upper Bakken

Completions and Reservoir Quality are two key attributes that are used to characterize nonconventional hydrocarbon assets.This is because,for optimum exploitation of these unconventional assets,horizontal wells need to be drilled in“Sweet Spots”(i.e.,regions where Completions and Reservoir Quality are both superior).One way to quantify these qualities is to use reservoir and geomechanical properties.These properties can be estimated on a location basis from well logs,and then mapped over terrain using geostatistical modeling.This study presents a‘Sweet Spots’identification workflow based on three performance indexes(Storage Potential Index,Brittleness Index,and Horizontal Stress Index)that can be used to quantify CQ and RQ.The performance indexes are computed from petrophysical property volumes(of Young's Modulus,Bulk Modulus,Shear Modulus,Poisson's Ratio,Minimum Horizontal Stress,Volume of Shale,Total Organic Carbon,Thickness,and Porosity)which are in turn computed from well logs and geostatistical simulation.In the end,the study offers a method to compare the predicted“Sweet Spots”against available production data via their correlation coefficient.The resulting reasonable formation property maps,the successful identification of‘Sweet Spots’,and a correlation coefficient of 0.88(between the predicted“Sweet Spots”and well production data)point to the potential of the proposed effort.

Geological characteristics and key exploration technologies of continental shale oil sweet spots: A case study of Member 2 of Kongdian Formation in the Cangdong sag in the Huanghua depression, Bohai Bay Basin

Under the general trend of stepping-up oil and gas exploration and development in China,the unconventional oil and gas resources such as shale oil and gas have become an important alternative.Abundant continental shale oil resources are developed in Member 2 of Kongdian Formation(Ek2)of the Cangdong sag in the Huanghua depression of the Bohai Bay Basin which has complex structure,strong heterogeneity,and large buried depth,thus,the geological characteristic of shale oil accumulation and key exploration technologies are investigated on base of the system coring of 635.8 m,centimeter-level fine description and analysis of over ten thousand samples,therefore,the“four accurate”technologies have been developed,including the accurate selection of sweet spot areas,accurate drilling of sweet spot layers,accurate fracturing of sweet spot layers and accurate measure of fracture-rich sections.The results show that the continental shale strata in Member 2 of Kongdian Formation can be divided into three types:felsic shale,limy dolomitic shale and mixed shale.The Member 2 of Kongdian Formation is characterized by diverse mineral components,abundant laminae,good source rocks and medium thermal evolution degree,tight reservoir with rich micropore and microfractures,high oil saturation and brittle mineral content,indicating good prospect of shale oil exploration.Through sedimentological study,TOC and Ro evaluation,brittle mineral calculation,and seismic fusion inversion,a total of 126 km^(2) of Class I sweet spots in Member 2 of Kongdian Formation was delineated comprehensively,which guides horizontal well deployment(Well GD1701H and Well GD1702H).The drilling rate of sweet spot of these two horizontal wells is up to 96%by tracing thin layer through fine calibration,locating compartment through fine inversion,ensuring window entry through precise positioning,and tracking sweet spot through adjustment.The “one-excellent and five-highs”criterion is used to select perforation points to realize differential designs of fracturing intervals and clusters.Micro-seismic and potentiometry monitoring show that the artificial fractures formed by volumetric fracturing are 300e400 m long and 120 m high,and control a volume of about 0.07 km^(3).The maximum daily oil production of two horizontal wells is 48 t and 66 t respectively to realize the economic exploitation of shale oil reserves controlled by fractures.The shale oil exploration in Member 2 of Kongdian Formation shows that the continental shale oil has great potential of exploration and development,and the above technologies are critical and effective for shale oil efficient recovery.

Probabilistic Fisher discriminant analysis based on Gaussian mixture model for estimating shale oil sweet spots

The delineation of shale oil sweet spots is a crucial step in the exploration of shale oil reservoirs.A single attribute such as total organic carbon(TOC)is conventionally used to evaluate the sweet spots of shale oil.This study proposes a probabilistic Fisher discriminant approach for estimating shale oil sweet spots,in which the probabilistic method and Gaussian mixture model are incorporated.Statistical features of shale oil facies are obtained based on the well log interpretation of the samples.Several key parameters of shale oil are projected to data sets with low dimensions in each shale oil facies.Furthermore,the posterior distribution of different shale oil facies is built based on the classification of each shale oil facies.Various key physical parameters of shale oil facies are inversed by the Bayesian method,and important elastic properties are extracted from the elastic impedance inversion(EVA-DSVD method).The method proposed in this paper has been successfully used to delineate the sweet spots of shale oil reservoirs with multiple attributes from the real pre-stack seismic data sets and is validated by the well log data.

Production characteristics and sweet-spots mapping of the Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Bakken Formation tight oil in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada

A workflow that helps identify potential production sweet spots in the Middle Bakken tight oil play is proposed based on analysis of large amounts of production data. The proposed approach is a multivariate statistical model that extracts relevant information from a training dataset of production wells to facilitate geological similarity comparison between economic and sub-economic production wells. The model is applied to the Middle Bakken tight oil play in southeastern Saskatchewan. Data screening for diagnostic geological indicators for sweet spots reveals that several geological factors indicative for conventional oil reservoirs seem to work for the Middle Bakken tight oil play as well. These factors include: a) the NE Torqunay-Rocanville Trend serving as a preferred regional migration path for connecting mature source rock in southern Williston Basin and the Middle Bakken tight reservoir in southeastern Saskatchewan; b) the oils in the Bakken tight reservoirs along the U.S. and Canada border are more likely from local matured Bakken source rocks; c) subtle structural components enhancing the convergence of dispersed hydrocarbons over a large area; d) top seal and lateral barrier improving preservation, thus favouring oil productivity; e) orientation of maximum horizontal stress coincident with the direction of the variogram spatial continuity in ultimate recoverable reserves, so the direction of horizontal well has a significant impact on the oil productivity.