Types and microstructures of pores in shales of the Ordovician Wulalike Formation at the western margin of the Ordos Basin, China

Shale samples from the Ordovician Wulalike Formation at the western margin of the Ordos Basin are studied to define the types, microstructures and connectivity of pores as well as the relationships between the pore structures and gas content of the samples by using experimental techniques such as high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP), low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LTNA), CO_(2) adsorption, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). The results show that the shale has 10 different lithofacies, typical mixed sedimentary characteristics, and poorly developed pores. The reservoir space mainly consists of intercrystalline pores, dissolution pores, intergranular pores, and micro-fissures, with organic pores occasionally visible. The pore size is mostly within 0.4–250 nm range but dominated by micropores and mesopores less than 20 nm, with pore numbers peaking at pore sizes of 0.5 nm, 0.6 nm, 0.82 nm, 3 nm, and 10 nm, respectively. The pores are poorly connected and macropores are rarely seen, which may explain the low porosity and low permeability of the samples. Samples with high content of organic matter and felsic minerals are potential reservoirs for oil and gas with their favorable physical properties and high connectivity. The pores less than 5 nm contribute significantly to the specific surface area and serve as important storage space for adsorbed gas.

Modeling Tracer Flow Characteristics in Different Types of Pores: Visualization and Mathematical Modeling

Structure of porous media and fluid distribution in rocks can significantly affect the transport characteristics during the process of microscale tracer flow.To clarify the effect of micro heterogeneity on aqueous tracer transport,this paper demonstrates microscopic experiments at pore level and proposes an improved mathematical model for tracer transport.The visualization results show a faster tracer movement into movable water than it into bound water,and quicker occupancy in flowing pores than in storage pores caused by the difference of tracer velocity.Moreover,the proposed mathematical model includes the effects of bound water and flowing porosity by applying interstitial flow velocity expression.The new model also distinguishes flowing and storage pores,accounting for different tracer transport mechanisms(dispersion,diffusion and adsorption)in different types of pores.The resulting analytical solution better matches with tracer production data than the standard model.The residual sum of squares(RSS)from the new model is 0.0005,which is 100 times smaller than the RSS from the standard model.The sensitivity analysis indicates that the dispersion coefficient and flowing porosity shows a negative correlation with the tracer breakthrough time and the increasing slope,whereas the superficial velocity and bound water saturation show a positive correlation.

Impact of rock type on the pore structures and physical properties within a tight sandstone reservoir in the Ordos Basin, NW China

The pore-throat systems and physical properties of tight sandstone reservoirs are complex,and deposition is thought to be a fundamental control for them.In this study,the impacts of the full ranges of rock types(from pebbly coarse sandstone to fine sandstone) on the pore structures and physical properties of the Permian tight sandstone reservoir in the eastern Ordos Basin were investigated comprehensively through a series of experiments including conventional physical testing,thin-section analysis,scanning electron microscopy,nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and high-pressure mercury injection tests.The results showed that the coarser-grained sandstones tend to have higher feldspar content and lower percentage of cements,leading to strong dissolution,weak cementation and improved porosity and permeability.The medium sandstone has the highest level of quartz and the lowest average content of feldspar,resulting in strong heterogeneity of physical properties.Only those medium sandstone reservoirs with relatively high content of feldspars have better physical properties.Additionally,the coarser-grained sandstones contain relatively large dissolution pores(nearly 200 μm),whereas the finer-grained sandstones have more intercrystalline pores with a relatively more homogeneous pore structure.The pebbly coarse sandstone and coarse sandstone reservoirs are favorable targets with best physical properties.

A two-step method to apply Xu–Payne multi-porosity model to estimate pore type from seismic data for carbonate reservoirs

Carbonate reservoirs exhibit strong heterogeneity in the distribution of pore types that can be quantitatively characterized by applying Xu–Payne multi-porosity model.However,there are some prerequisites to this model the porosity and saturation need to be provided.In general,these application conditions are difficult to satisfy for seismic data.In order to overcome this problem,we present a two-step method to estimate the porosity and saturation and pore type of carbonate reservoirs from seismic data.In step one,the pore space of the carbonate reservoir is equivalent to a single-porosity system with an effective pore aspect ratio;then,a 3D rock-physics template(RPT)is established through the Gassmann’s equations and effective medium models;and then,the effective aspect ratio of pore,porosity and fluid saturation are simultaneously estimated from the seismic data based on 3D RPT.In step two,the pore space of the carbonate reservoir is equivalent to a triple-porosity system.Combined with the inverted porosity and saturation in the first step,the porosities of three pore types can be inverted from the seismic elastic properties.The application results indicate that our method can obtain accurate physical properties consistent with logging data and ensure the reliability of characterization of pore type.

Lithofacies and pore features of marine-continental transitional shale and gas enrichment conditions of favorable lithofacies:A case study of Permian Longtan Formation in the Lintanchang area,southeast of Sichuan Basin,SW China

In this work,the Permian Longtan marine-continental transitional shale in the southeast of Sichuan Basin was taken as study object.Through petrology and geochemical analysis,lithofacies types of the marine-continental transitional shale were classified,key controlling factors of physical properties and gas content of the different shale lithofacies were analyzed.The research results show that the Longtan Formation marine-continental transitional shale in the study area has four types of lithofacies,namely,organic-lean calcareous shale,organic-lean mixed shale,organic-lean argillaceous shale,and organic-rich argillaceous shale,among which the organic-rich argillaceous shale is the most favorable lithofacies of the study area.The pore types of different lithofacies vary significantly and the clay mineral-related pore is the dominant type of the pore system in the study area.The main controlling factor of the physical properties is clay mineral content,and the most important factor affecting gas content is TOC content.Compared with marine shale,the marine-continental transitional shale has low average values,wide distribution range,and strong heterogeneity in TOC content,porosity,and pore structure parameters,but still contains some favorable layers with high physical properties and gas contents.The organic-rich clay shale deposited in tidal flat-lagoon system is most likely to form shale gas sweet spots,so it should be paid more attention in shale gas exploration.

Classification and control factors of pore-throat systems in hybrid sedimentary rocks of Jimusar Sag, Junggar Basin, NW China

Aiming at the complicated problem of the genesis of high-quality hybrid sedimentary rocks,the pore-throat systems,controlling factors and fluid mobility of hybrid sedimentary rocks in the Permian Lucaogou Formation in Jimusar Sag were examined.The results show that the hybrid sedimentary rocks contain 5 types of pore-throat system,intergranular(Type A),mixed intergranular-dissolved-intercrystalline(Type B),dissolved(Type C),mixed dissolved-intercrystalline(Type D)and intercrystalline(Type E)ones.The pore-throat systems are controlled by 3 major factors,the component content and arrangement(CCA)of hybrid sedimentary rocks,sedimentary environment and diagenesis.CCA controls the matrix support mode of hybrid sedimentary rocks,and therefore controls the types and changes of pore-throat system.The sedimentary environment mainly controls the macroscopic distribution of pore-throat system,i.e.,hybrid sedimentary rocks deposited in the near source and high-energy environment are characterized by high content of coarse-grained component,granular/interbedded-support mode,and development of Type A and Type B pore-throat systems.Hybrid sedimentary rocks deposited in the medium-energy environment far from source are characterized by dolomitic/mud support mode and Type C and Type D pore-throat systems.Hybrid sedimentary rocks deposited in low-energy environment far from source have mainly Type E and Type D pore-throat systems.Diagenetic processes such as compaction and calcite cementation make the proportions of Type A and Type C pore-throat systems decrease further.In the hybrid sedimentary process of sandy-mud,pore-throat system types show a change of"A→B→C→D",in that of dolomite-sand,pore-throat system types show a change of"A→C→D→E"or"B→D→E",and in that of dolomite-mud,pore-throat system types show a change of"D→E",which are affected in details by the contents of coarse-grain component,feldspar and dolomite.The reservoir with Type A pore-throats has the best physical properties and fluid mobility,and the reservoirs with Type D and Type E pore-throats have the poorest.The movable fluid distribution is related to the matrix support mode,and the larger pores in hybrid sedimentary rocks of dolomite/mud support mode have no obvious advantage in fluid mobility.The findings of this study provide a geological basis for evaluating and building reasonable interpretation model of hybrid sedimentary rocks sweet spot.

Pore-throat Structure of Tight Sandstone in Yanchang Formation of Huangling Mining Area Based on Scanning Electron Microscopy and Mercury Porosimmetry

Based on scanning electron microscopy and mercury porosimmetry,a large number of experimental data of pores and pore throats of tight sandstone reservoirs are obtained,and the characteristics of pore types,capillary pressure curves and quantitative parameters of pore throats of Yanchang Formation in Huangling mining area are studied.The results show that the main reservoir space types of Yanchang Formation sandstone are primary intergranular pores and feldspar dissolution pores.The pore-throat structure is medium-small pore and thin-small throat type,and the sorting is good to medium.The mercury porosimmetry curve shows a slightly coarse-thin skew.Combining the morphological characteristics of the mercury porosimmetry capillary pressure curve and the quantitative parameter characteristics of pore throats,the Yanchang Formation s micro pore structure is divided into types I,II,III,and IV.Tight oil reservoirs with type I and II pore structure characteristics are favorable.This study has reference significance for the later evaluation of tight sandstone reservoirs in Huangling mining area.

Occurrence state and oil content evaluation of Permian Fengcheng Formation in the Hashan area as constrained by NMR and multistage Rock-Eval

The Hashan area,neighboring the Mahu Sag that is rich in the shale oil resources,showed commercial oil flow in the corresponding lacustrine shales of the Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation(P)with reserve scale approximately 789 million tons,presenting great potential for oil exploration.Despite their geographical proximity,the hydrocarbon occurrence and oil-bearing capacity of shale in the Hashan area and Mahu Sag greatly differ owing to the complex tectonic evolution.Therefore,understanding the occurrence state and oil content of the Pif in the Hashan area is crucial for ongoing shale oil exploration activities and the development of the northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin.In this study,an in-tegrated investigation,including petrological observations,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)obser-vation,analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)Ti-T2 spectra,and conventional and multistage Rock-Eval pyrolysis methods were conducted to evaluate the occurrence state and oil content of the Pif shale in the Hashan area.The results indicate that plagioclase(average 30.7%)and quartz(24.1%)dominate the mineral compositions of the Pf shale samples.A method involving quartz-plagioclase-carbonate minerals is proposed to conduct lithofacies classification.In the Hashan area,the organic matter abundance in the Pf shale is scaled in fair to good range,the thermal maturity ranges from immature to early mature stage,and the primary organic matter types are Types I and Ilj.Intergranular and dissolution pores are the two most common pore types.The free oil is mostly found in the pores and microfractures of the mineral matrix,whereas the adsorbed oil is mostly adsorbed on the surfaces of kerogen and clay minerals.The high organic matter abundance,quartz content,and porosity account for substantial increase in the oil content,the area rich in shale oil resources coincides with that rich in free oil.The most favorable lithofacies in the Hashan area is the calcareous mudstone/shale,which hosts the highest free oil content(average 2.49 mg),total oil content(15.02 mg/g),organic matter abundance CTOC:1.88% and S_(1)+S_(2)=20.54mg/g and orositv(5.97%)

Modes of multi-mechanistic gas diffusion in shale matrix at varied effective stresses:Observations and analysis

Gas diffusion in the shale matrix has a dominant effect on late-stage production from shale gas reservoirs.However,adequate research on the mechanisms and contributions of gas diffusion for varied pore size populations in shale matrix under recreated in situ stress is lacking.We report gas-diffusion measurements under constant in situ stress but variable gas pressures for contrasting non-adsorbent(helium(He))and adsorbed(methane(CH_(4)))gases to investigate the impact of effective stress on the evolution of dominant mechanisms of diffusion.An intact sample replicates true pore-network topology and diffusion paths.An integrated diffusion model is proposed that combines the effects of slip flow,Knudsen flow,and surface diffusion to constrain the evolution of these flow regimes and their respective contributions to the observational data.Finally,a probability density function(PDF)is employed to separate the gas content distributions of macropores and micropores from the total gas content and to investigate gas contributions in various pores.The results reveal that the diffusion coefficients of both He and CH_(4) in macropores and micropores increase with gas pressure but decrease with increasing effective stress.The diffusion coefficients of He and CH_(4) are different in macropores but remain nearly the same in micropores.The diffusion coefficients of slip flow and surface diffusion increase with decreasing effective stress except for CH_(4) diffusion in the micropores,while the evolution of Knudsen diffusion shows the opposite trend.Slip flow plays a dominant role in He and CH_(4) diffusion within macropores(pore size 45 nm).Knudsen diffusion gradually becomes significant for He diffusion in the micropores(pore size 4 nm),conversely,for CH_(4) diffusion in the micropores,surface diffusion becomes significant.Related to gas production from reservoirs,the contributions of the micropores will increase gradually with the duration of gas recovery,indicating the significant role of gas diffusion in micropores to steady supply during latestage production.

Shale oil enrichment evaluation and production law in Gulong Sag,Songliao Basin,NE China

Based on the results of drilling,tests and simulation experiments,the shales of the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Gulong Sag of the Songliao Basin are discussed with respect to hydrocarbon generation evolution,shale oil occurrence,and pore/fracture evolution mechanism.In conjunction with a substantial amount of oil testing and production data,the Gulong shale oil enrichment layers are evaluated and the production behaviors and decline law are analyzed.The results are drawn in four aspects.First,the Gulong shales are in the stage of extensive hydrocarbon expulsion when R_(0) is 1.0%-1.2%,with the peak hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of 49.5%approximately.In the low-medium maturity stage,shale oil migrates from kerogen to rocks and organic pores/fractures.In the medium-high maturity stage,shale oil transforms from adsorbed state to free state.Second,the clay mineral intergranular pores/fractures,dissolution pores,and organic pores make up the majority of the pore structure.During the transformation,clay minerals undergo significant intergranular pore/fracture development between the minerals such as illite and illite/smectite mixed layer.A network of pores/fractures is formed by organic matter cracking.Third,free hydrocarbon content,effective porosity,total porosity,and brittle mineral content are the core indicators for the evaluation of shale oil enrichment layers.Class-I layers are defined as free hydrocarbon content equal or greater than 6.0 mg/g,effective porosity equal or greater than 3.5%,total porosity equal or greater than 8.0%,and brittle mineral content equal or greater than 50%.It is believed that the favourable oil layers are Q2-Q3 and Q8-Q9.Fourth,the horizontal wells in the core area of the light oil zone exhibit a high cumulative production in the first year,and present a hyperbolic production decline pattern,with the decline index of 0.85-0.95,the first-year decline rate of 14.5%-26.5%,and the single-well estimated ultimate recovery(EUR)greater than 2.0×10^(4)t.In practical exploration and production,more efforts will be devoted to the clarification of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion mechanisms,accurate testing of porosity and hydrocarbon content/phase of shale under formation conditions,precise delineation of the boundary of enrichment area,relationship between mechanical properties and stimulated reservoir volume,and enhanced oil recovery,in order to improve the EUR and achieve a large-scale,efficient development of shale oil.

A Study of Sedimentary Environment and Reservoir Quality of the Carboniferous Donghe Sandstonein the Tarim Basin

Very thick, fine-grained quartzose sandstone of the Lower Carboniferous (called the Donghe sandstone) was discovered in Donghe-1 well in the Tarim basin. Highly-productive commercial oil and gas flows were obtained when a well completion test was conducted. This important discovery proved that the quartzose sandstone is a prospecting target with good prospects. After that, other two paying oil and gas flows were found in the Lower Carboniferous in the Tazhong-4 and Tazhong-10 structures (Tazhong means central Tarim), equivalent to the Donghe sandstone. The Tazhong-4 structural oil field is the biggest oil field ever discovered. Therefore it is of guiding importance in oil and gas exploration to deepen the study of sedimentary and reservoir features and the sedimentary environment of the Donghe sandstone and to build a sedimentary model in order to understand the reservoir distribution pattern.

Water-sensitive characterization and its controlling factors in clastic reservoir:A case study of Jurassic Ahe Formation in Northern tectonic zone of Kuqa depression

Water-sensitivity is a factor that must be paid attention to in the reservoir development stage of oil and gas fields.As a clastic reservoir,the water effect of Ahe formation in the northern structural belt of Kuqa is strong as a whole,but the mechanism analysis of medium and strong water-sensitivity effect is restricted by the evaluation method with permeability damage rate as the main parameter.Taking the shape of water-sensitivity test curve as the starting point,combined with the analysis of microscopic pore throat and clay minerals,the difference of permeability change rate measured by samples is characterized.The strong to medium water-sensitivity effects in the study layer are divided into three types:The permeability gradually decreases in the early stage-the rapid decrease in the late stage,the continuous decrease in the permeability,and the rapid decrease in the early stage-the slow decrease in the later stage.As awidely developed reservoir space in the study section,the micropore not only has the characteristics of fine pore size and easy blockage,but also serves as the occurrence space of the main water-sensitive mineral illite-smectite mixed layer.Therefore,the change types of the above different water sensitivity test curves are mainly controlled by the difference of micropore content.When the micropore content is low,the permeability decreases slowly in the early stage and decreases rapidly in the later stage(type Ⅰ),while when the micropore content is high,the permeability decreases rapidly in the early stage and slowly decreases in the later stage(type Ⅱ),while when the micropore content is medium,the permeability decreases continuously,and there is no obvious rate change(type Ⅲ)before and after the micropore content.The results show that the structural characteristics and relative content differences of micropores in the samples are the internal mechanism of the difference of water sensitivity effect types.