Research on thermal insulation materials properties under HTHP conditions for deep oil and gas reservoir rock ITP-Coring

Deep oil and gas reservoirs are under high-temperature conditions,but traditional coring methods do not consider temperature-preserved measures and ignore the influence of temperature on rock porosity and permeability,resulting in distorted resource assessments.The development of in situ temperaturepreserved coring(ITP-Coring)technology for deep reservoir rock is urgent,and thermal insulation materials are key.Therefore,hollow glass microsphere/epoxy resin thermal insulation materials(HGM/EP materials)were proposed as thermal insulation materials.The materials properties under coupled hightemperature and high-pressure(HTHP)conditions were tested.The results indicated that high pressures led to HGM destruction and that the materials water absorption significantly increased;additionally,increasing temperature accelerated the process.High temperatures directly caused the thermal conductivity of the materials to increase;additionally,the thermal conduction and convection of water caused by high pressures led to an exponential increase in the thermal conductivity.High temperatures weakened the matrix,and high pressures destroyed the HGM,which resulted in a decrease in the tensile mechanical properties of the materials.The materials entered the high elastic state at 150℃,and the mechanical properties were weakened more obviously,while the pressure led to a significant effect when the water absorption was above 10%.Meanwhile,the tensile strength/strain were 13.62 MPa/1.3%and 6.09 MPa/0.86%at 100℃ and 100 MPa,respectively,which meet the application requirements of the self-designed coring device.Finally,K46-f40 and K46-f50 HGM/EP materials were proven to be suitable for ITP-Coring under coupled conditions below 100℃ and 100 MPa.To further improve the materials properties,the interface layer and EP matrix should be optimized.The results can provide references for the optimization and engineering application of materials and thus technical support for deep oil and gas resource development.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF LONGITUDINAL SUBMERGED ARC WELDED STEEL PIPES USED FOR GAS PIPELINE OF OFFSHORE OIL

Since the development of offshore oil and gas, increased submarine oil and gas pipelines were installed. All the early steel pipes of submarine pipelines depended on importing because of the strict requirements of comprehensive properties, such as, anti-corrosion, resistance to pressure and so on. To research and develop domes- tic steel pipes used for the submarine pipeline, the Longitudinal-seam Submerged Arc Welded （LSAW） pipes were made of steel plates cut from leveled hot rolled coils by both the JCOE and UOE （the forming process in which the plate like the letter “J”, “C”, “0” or “U” shape, then expansion） forming processes. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the pipe base metal and weld metal were tested, and the results were in accordance with the corresponding pipe specification API SPEC 5L or DNV- OS-FI01, which showed that domestic LSAW pipes could be used for submarine oil and gas pipelines.

Effect of Cassava Starch and Sodium Carbonate on the Properties of Local Drilling Mud: Beneficiation to Improve the Rheological and Flow Properties of Locally Formulated Mud

Drilling mud is a key component in drilling operations and in accessing oil and gas reservoirs. Bentonite is applied as a viscosifier, fluid loss control agent, and as a weighting material in water-based drilling mud. The type of bentonite used in drilling mud formulation is sodium bentonite due to its high dispersion properties and high swelling capacity. Nigeria has a huge bentonite clay deposit resources which can be evaluated and enhanced in order to be utilized as drilling mud. However, bentonite clay from different parts of Nigeria was investigated and found to be calcium bentonite which is not suitable for drilling mud, because it has low swelling capacity and poor rheological properties. In this study, local bentonite obtained from Afuze, Edo state was used to formulate different samples of drilling mud with each treated using thermo-chemical beneficiation process with sodium carbonate and cassava starch, and then undergo characterization to identify the changes in physical properties and finally, draw comparison with API values for standard drilling mud. The results obtained from this study indicates that, the flow and rheological properties of the beneficiated drilling mud developed through thermo-chemical treatment, showed significant improvement compared to the untreated mud. Therefore, pure calcium bentonite from natural deposits in Nigeria can be modified to sodium bentonite and sufficiently used in drilling mud formulation.

Geological conditions of coal and gas(oil)-bearingbasins in China

There are various types of coal basins in China. Indosinian movement can be re- garded as their evolutionary limit, and the basins can be divided into two developmental stages, three structural patterns and two sedimentary environments. However, only those coal measure strata that have been deeply buried in the earth are possible to be converted into coal and gas (oil)-bearing basins. Among which, only part of the coal measures possess the essential geo- logical conditions to the formation of commercial humic oil. However, humic gas will be the major exploration target for natural gas in China. Among various coal basins, foreland basins have the best prospect for humic gas. Rift (faulted) basins accumulate the most abundance of humic gas, and are most favorable to generate humic oil. Craton basins have relatively low abundance of humic gas, but the evolution is rather great. The three kinds of coal basins mentioned above constitute China’s three primary accumulation areas of humic gas: western, central and offshore areas. The major basins for humic gas field exploration include Tarim, Ordos, Sichuan, East China Sea and Yingqiong basins.

Low resistivity oil(gas)-bearing reservoir conductive model——Dual water clay matrix conductive model in the north area of Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China

Shaly sands reservoir is one of the most distributive types of the oil(gas)-bearing reservoirs discovered in China, and low resistivity oil(gas)-bearing reservoirs are mostly shaly sands reservoirs. Therefore, shaly sands reservoir conductive model is the key to evaluate low resistivity oil(gas)-bearing reservoirs using logging information. Some defects were found when we studied the clay distribution type conductive model, dual-water conductive model, conductive rock matrix model, etc. Some models could not distinguish the conductive path and nature of microporosity water and clay water and some models did not consider the clay distribution type and the mount of clay volume. So, we utilize the merits,overcome the defects of the above models, and put forward a new shaly sands conductive model-dual water clay matrix conductive model (DWCMCM) in which dual water is the free water and the microporosity water in shaly sands and the clay matrix(wet clay) is the clay grain containing water. DWCMCM is presented here, the advantages of which can tell the nature and conductive path from different water (microporosity water and freewater), in consid-eration of the clay distribution type and the mount of clay volume in shaly sands. So, the results of logging interpretation in the oil(gas)-bearing reservoirs in the north of Tarim Basin area, China with DWCMCM are better than those interpreted by the above models.

Synthesis and characterization of poppy seed oil methyl esters

Response surface methodology(RSM) was used to determine the optimum conditions of the methanolysis of crude poppy seed oil using Na OCH3 as catalyst. The experiments were run according to five levels, four variable central composite rotatable design(CCRD) using RSM. The reaction variables, i.e., molar ratio of methanol/oil(3:1–9:1), catalyst concentration(0.5 wt%–1.25 wt% Na OCH3), reaction temperature(25–65 °C), and reaction time(20–90 min) were studied. We demonstrated that the molar ratio of methanol/oil, catalyst concentration,and reaction temperature were the significant parameters affecting the yield of poppy seed oil methyl esters(PSOMEs). The optimum transesterification reaction conditions, established using the RSM, which offered a89.35% PSOME yield, were found to be 7.5:1 molar ratio of methanol/oil, 0.75% catalyst concentration, 45 °C reaction temperature, and 90 min reaction time. The proposed process provided an average biodiesel yield of more than 85%. A linear correlation was constructed between the observed and predicted values of the yield.The gas chromatography(GC) analyses have shown that PSOMEs contain linoleic-, oleic-, palmitic-, and stearic-acids as main fatty acids. The FTIR spectrum of the PSOMEs was also analyzed to confirm the completion of the transesterification reaction. The fuel properties of the PSOMEs were discussed in light of biodiesel standards(ASTM D 6751 and EN 14214).

Formation mechanism,experimental method,and property characterization of graindisplacing methane hydrates in marine sediment:A review

Grain-displacing hydrate deposits exist at many marine sites,which constitute an important part of methane hydrate resources worldwide.Attributed to the difficulties in acquiring field data and synthesizing experimental samples,the formation and property characterization of grain-displacing hydrate remains less understood and characterized than the pore-filling hydrate in current literature.This study reviews the formation mechanisms of grain-displacing hydrate from the perspective of geological accumulation and microscale sedimentary property.The experimental methods of synthesizing grain-displacing hydrate in the laboratory and the current knowledge on the property of grain-displacing hydrate sediment are also introduced.Shortcomings in current theories and suggestions for future study are proposed.The work is hoped to provide valuable insights for the research into the hydrate accumulation,geophysics,and hydrate exploitation targeted at the grain-displacing hydrate in the marine sediments.

Nanoscale mechanical property variations concerning mineral composition and contact of marine shale

Mechanical properties of shales are key parameters influencing hydrocarbon production – impacting borehole stability, hydraulic fracture extension and microscale variations in in situ stress. We use Ordovician shale(Sichuan Basin, China) as a type-example to characterize variations in mineral particle properties at microscale including particle morphology, form of contact and spatial distribution via mineral liberation analysis(MLA) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Deformation-based constitutive models are then built using finite element methods to define the impact of various architectures of fracture and mineral distributions at nanometer scale on the deformation characteristics at macroscale.Relative compositions of siliceous, calcareous and clay mineral particles are shown to be the key factors influencing brittleness. Shales with similar mineral composition show a spectrum of equivalent medium mechanical properties due to differing particle morphology and mineral heterogeneity. The predominance of small particles and/or point-point contacts are conducive to brittle failure, in general, and especially so when quartz-rich. Fracture morphology, length and extent of filling all influence shale deformability. High aspect-ratio fractures concentrate stress at fracture tips and are conducive to extension, as when part-filled by carbonate minerals. As fracture spacing increases, stress transfer between adjacent fractures weakens, stress concentrations are amplified and fracture extension is favored. The higher the fractal dimension of the fracture and heterogeneity of the host the more pervasive the fractures. Moreover, when fractures extend, their potential for intersection and interconnection contributes to a reduction in strength and the promotion of brittle failure. Thus, these results provide important theoretical insights into the role of heterogeneity on the deformability and strength of shale reservoirs with practical implications for their stimulation and in the recovery of hydrocarbons from them.

A new heuristic model for estimating the oil formation volume factor

The necessity of oil formation volume factor(Bo)determination does not need to be greatly emphasized.Different types of reservoir oil have specific conditions which impart the hydrocarbon's major properties,among which is the oil formation volume factor.Therefore,it seems imperative to construct a model capable of estimating the value of oil formation volume factor.Previous studies have resulted in a number of correlations for oil formation volume factor estimation;however,a large portion of them do not provide an acceptable accuracy(at least in some range of data)and cause a huge error at these points.Some others are not flexible enough to be tuned for a specific type of reservoir oil and a comprehensive piece of work does not exist as well in order to compare the applicability of the new models for estimating the oil formation volume factor.In this research,a model based on simulated annealing(SA)has been built in terms of temperature,solution gas-oil ratio,and gravity of oil and gas to predict the oil formation volume factor.This model is compared with the models proposed in the most recent studies,which shows the greater performance of the new method.In addition,in this paper the models of the recent years were compared with each other and their applicability were discussed.Aiming to compare the models,420 data points were selected and the estimated values of each model for oil formation volume factor were compared with their experimental ones.