The pore-fracture system properties of coalbed methane reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline,Guizhou,China

The Panguan Syncline contains abundant coal resources, which may be a potential source of coalbed methane. In order to evaluate the coalbed methane production potential in this area, we investi- gated the pore-fracture system of coalbed methane reservoirs, and analyzed the gas sorption and seepage capacities by using various analytical methods, including scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, optical microscopy, mercury-injection test, low-temperature N2 isotherm adsorption/desorption analyses, low- field nuclear magnetic resonance and methane isothermal adsorption measurements. The results show that the samples of the coal reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline have moderate gas sorption capacity. However, the coals in the study area have favorable seepage capacities, and are conductive for the coalbed methane production. The physical properties of the coalbed methane reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline are gener- ally controlled by coal metamorphism： the low rank coal usually has low methane sorption capacity and its pore and microfractures are poorly developed; while the medium rank coal has better methane sorption capacity, and its seepage pores and microfractures are well developed, which are sufficient for the coalbed methane＇s gathering and exploration. Therefore, the medium rank coals in the Panguan Syncline are the most prospective targets for the coalbed methane exploration and production.

Discovery of nano organo-clay complex pore-fractures in shale and its scientific significance:A case study of Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation shale,Songliao Basin,NE China

A new pore type,nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fracture was first discovered based on argon ion polishing-field emission scanning electron microscopy,energy dispersive spectroscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction by focused ion-scanning electron in combination with analysis of TOC,R_(o)values,X-ray diffraction etc.in the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation shale in the Songliao Basin,NE China.Such pore characteristics and evolution study show that:(1)Organo-clay complex pore-fractures are developed in the shale matrix and in the form of spongy and reticular aggregates.Different from circular or oval organic pores discovered in other shales,a single organo-clay complex pore is square,rectangular,rhombic or slaty,with the pore diameter generally less than 200 nm.(2)With thermal maturity increasing,the elements(C,Si,Al,O,Mg,Fe,etc.)in organo-clay complex change accordingly,showing that organic matter shrinkage due to hydrocarbon generation and clay mineral transformation both affect organo-clay complex pore-fracture formation.(3)At high thermal maturity,the Qingshankou Formation shale is dominated by nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fractures with the percentage reaching more than 70%of total pore space.The spatial connectivity of organo-clay complex pore-fractures is significantly better than that of organic pores.It is suggested that organo-complex pore-fractures are the main pore space of laminar shale at high thermal maturity and are the main oil and gas accumulation space in the core area of continental shale oil.The discovery of nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fractures changes the conventional view that inorganic pores are the main reservoir space and has scientific significance for the study of shale oil formation and accumulation laws.

In-situ observation and modeling approach to evolution of pore-fracture structure in coal

The characterisation of the pore-fracture structure(PFS)and its evolution in coal during mining are essential for preventing gas outbursts and improving gas extraction efficiency.In this study,the evolution of the PFS in coal samples under the condition of mining stress was directly captured in situ by combination of the mechanical testing system with high-precision visualisation nuclear magnetic resonance equipment.A fractional derivative model was established to describe the relationship between stress and porosity based on experimental results of the PFS under different stress states.The results showed that with an increase in the deviatoric stress,the adsorption pore content increases rapidly initially and then increases slowly or remains unchanged;the seepage pore and fracture(SPF)content decreases initially and then increases.The SPF compressibility coefficient decreases with an increase in the deviatoric stress.The fractional derivative model can accurately describe the stress sensitivity of the SPFs at the pre-peak stage,thus providing a new approach for accurately characterising the seepage characteristics of coal reservoirs.

Microscopic pore-fracture configuration and gas-filled mechanism of shale reservoirs in the western Chongqing area,Sichuan Basin,China

Taking the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation to Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale reservoirs in western Chongqing area as the study target,the argon ion polishing scanning electron microscope and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)experiments of different saturated wetting media were carried out.Based on the image processing technology and the results of gas desorption,the pore-fracture configuration of the shale reservoirs and its influence on gas-filled mechanism were analyzed.(1)The reservoir space includes organic pores,inorganic pores and micro-fractures and there are obvious differences between wells in the development characteristics of micro-fractures;the organic pores adjacent to the micro-fractures are poorly developed,while the inorganic pores are well preserved.(2)According to the type,development degree and contact relationship of organic pore and micro-fracture,the pore-fracture configuration of the shale reservoir is divided into four types.(3)Based on the differences in NMR T_(2) spectra of shale samples saturated with oil and water,an evaluation parameter of pore-fracture configuration was constructed and calculated.The smaller the parameter,the better the pore-fracture configuration is.(4)The shale reservoir with good pore-fracture configuration has well-developed organic pores,high porosity,high permeability and high gas content,while the shale reservoir with poor pore-fracture configuration has micro-fractures developed,which improves the natural gas conductivity and leads to low porosity and gas content of the reservoir.(5)Based on pore-fracture configuration,from the perspective of organic matter generating hydrocarbon,micro-fracture providing migration channel,three types of micro gas-filled models of shale gas were established.

Pore-pressure and stress-coupled creep behavior in deep coal:Insights from real-time NMR analysis

Understanding the variations in microscopic pore-fracture structures(MPFS) during coal creep under pore pressure and stress coupling is crucial for coal mining and effective gas treatment. In this manuscript, a triaxial creep test on deep coal at various pore pressures using a test system that combines in-situ mechanical loading with real-time nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) detection was conducted.Full-scale quantitative characterization, online real-time detection, and visualization of MPFS during coal creep influenced by pore pressure and stress coupling were performed using NMR and NMR imaging(NMRI) techniques. The results revealed that seepage pores and microfractures(SPM) undergo the most significant changes during coal creep, with creep failure gradually expanding from dense primary pore fractures. Pore pressure presence promotes MPFS development primarily by inhibiting SPM compression and encouraging adsorption pores(AP) to evolve into SPM. Coal enters the accelerated creep stage earlier at lower stress levels, resulting in more pronounced creep deformation. The connection between the micro and macro values was established, demonstrating that increased porosity at different pore pressures leads to a negative exponential decay of the viscosity coefficient. The Newton dashpot in the ideal viscoplastic body and the Burgers model was improved using NMR experimental results, and a creep model that considers pore pressure and stress coupling using variable-order fractional operators was developed. The model’s reasonableness was confirmed using creep experimental data. The damagestate adjustment factors ω and β were identified through a parameter sensitivity analysis to characterize the effect of pore pressure and stress coupling on the creep damage characteristics(size and degree of difficulty) of coal.

Study on seepage and deformation characteristics of coal microstructure by 3D reconstruction of CT images at high temperatures

To study the seepage and deformation characteristics of coal at high temperatures,coal samples from six different regions were selected and subjected to computed tomography(CT)scanning studies.In conjunction with ANSYS software,3 D reconstruction of CT images was used for the establishment of fluidsolid conjugate heat transfer model and coal thermal deformation model based on the microstructures of coal.In addition,the structure of coal was studied in 2 D and 3 D perspectives,followed by the analysis of seepage and deformation characteristics of coal at high temperatures.The results of this study indicated that porosity positively correlated with the fractal dimension,and the connectivity and seepage performances were roughly identical from 2 D and 3 D perspectives.As the porosity increased,the fractal dimension of coal samples became larger and the pore-fracture structures became more complex.As a result,the permeability of coal samples decreased.In the meantime,fluid was fully heated,generating high-temperature water at outlet.However,when the porosity was low,the outlet temperature was very high.The average deformation of coal skeleton with different pore-fracture structures at high temperatures showed a trend of initial increase and subsequent decrease with the increase of porosity and fractal dimension.The maximum deformation of coal skeleton positively correlated with connectivity but negatively correlated with the fractal dimension.

3D numerical simulation of boreholes for gas drainage based on the pore–fracture dual media

A gas migration controlling equation was formulated based on the characteristics of the dual pore–fracture media of coal mass and in consideration of the matrix exchange between pores and fractures.A model of permeability dynamic evolution was established by analyzing the variation in effective stress during gas drainage and the action mechanism of the effect of coal matrix desorption on porosity and fracture in the coal body.A coupling model can then be obtained to characterize gas compressibility and coal deformability under the gas–solid coupling of loading coal.In addition,a 3D model of boreholes was established and solved for gas drainage based on the relevant physical parameters of real mines.The comparison and analysis results for the law of gas migration and the evolution of coal body permeability around the boreholes before and after gas extraction between the dual media and the single-seepage field models can provide a theoretical basis for further research on the action mechanism of gas drainage.

Evolution features of in-situ permeability of low-maturity shale with the increasing temperature,Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation,northern Songliao Basin,NE China

Temperature-triaxial pressure permeability testing at the axial pressure of 8 MPa and confining pressure of 10 MPa,closed shale system pyrolysis experiment by electrical heating and scanning electron microscopy analysis are used to study the evolution mechanism of in-situ permeability in the direction parallel to bedding of low-maturity shale from Member 2(K_(2)n_(2))of Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation in northern Songliao Basin with mainly Type I kerogen under the effect of temperature.With the increasing temperature,the in-situ permeability presents a peak-valley-peak tendency.The lowest value of in-situ permeability occurs at 375℃.Under the same temperature,the in-situ permeability decreases with the increase of pore pressure.The in-situ permeability evolution of low-maturity shale can be divided into 5 stages:(1)From 25℃to 300℃,thermal cracking and dehydration of clay minerals improve the permeability.However,the value of permeability is less than 0.01×10^(-3)μm^(2).(2)From 300℃to 350℃,organic matter pyrolysis and hydrocarbon expulsion result in mineral intergranular pores and micron pore-fractures,these pores and fractures form an interconnected pore network at limited scale,improving the permeability.But the liquid hydrocarbon,with high content of viscous asphaltene,is more difficult to move under stress and more likely to retain in pores,causing slow rise of the permeability.(3)From 350℃to 375℃,pores are formed by organic matter pyrolysis,but the adsorption swelling of liquid hydrocarbon and additional expansion thermal stress constrained by surrounding stress compress the pore-fracture space,making liquid hydrocarbon difficult to expel and permeability reduce rapidly.(4)From 375℃to 450℃,the interconnected pore network between different mineral particles after organic matter conversion,enlarged pores and transformation of clay minerals promote the permeability to increase constantly even under stress constraints.(5)From 450℃to 500℃,the stable pore system and crossed fracture system in different bedding directions significantly enhance the permeability.The organic matter pyrolysis,pore-fracture structure and surrounding stress in the different stages are the key factors affecting the evolution of in-situ permeability.

A novel pore-fracture dual network modeling method considering dynamic cracking and its applications

Unconventional reservoirs are normally characterized by dual porous media, which has both multi-scalepore and fracture structures, such as low permeability or tight oil reservoirs. The seepage characteristicsof such reservoirs is mainly determined by micro-fractures, but conventional laboratory experimentalmethods are difficult to measure it, which is attribute to the dynamic cracking of these micro-fractures.The emerging digital core technology in recent years can solve this problem by developing an accuratepore network model and a rational simulation approach. In this study, a novel pore-fracture dualnetwork model was established based on percolation theory. Fluid flow in the pore of two scales, microfracture and matrix pore, were considered, also with the impact of micro-fracture opening and closingduring flow. Some seepage characteristic parameters, such as fluid saturations, capillary pressure, relative permeabilities, displacement efficiency in different flow stage, can be predicted by proposedcalculating method. Through these work, seepage characteristics of dual porous media can be achieved.

Study on fracture characteristics in coal and shale for coal-measure gas reservoir based on 3D CT reconstruction and fractal features

Pores and fractures are important components of flow channels in coal-measure gas reservoirs.While considerable studies have been conducted on pore structure evolution,very few studies have investigated the fracture distribution and self-similarity characteristics.To reveal the characteristics of fracture distribution in coal and shale reservoirs,computed tomography studies were performed on 15 coal and shale samples from the Shanxi and Taiyuan formations.The results show that the fracture distribution of samples of the same lithology differs significantly,and the fracture distribution heterogeneity of shale samples is much higher than that of coal samples.In shale,the heterogeneity of fracture distribution is mainly caused by pores and fractures smaller than 2μm in the z-direction,with relatively little contributions from pores and fractures in the x and y directions.However,the heterogeneity of fracture distribution in coal is mainly controlled by pores and fractures larger than 2μm in all directions,and the difference between the three directions is minor.It was shown that a great number of microscopic pores and fractures contribute to the highest fractions of porosity in different lithological samples.This method is useful for determining the fracture distribution characteristics in shale and coal-measure gas reservoir.

Petrophysics characteristics of coalbed methane reservoir: a comprehensive review

Petrophysics of coals directly affects the development of coalbed methane(CBM).Based on the analysis of the representative academic works at home and abroad,the recent progress on petrophysics characteristics was reviewed from the aspects of the scale-span porefracture structure,permeability,reservoir heterogeneity,and its controlling factors.The results showed that the characterization of pore-fracture has gone through three stages:qualitative and semiquantitative evaluation of porefracture by various techniques,quantitatively refined characterization of pore-fracture by integrating multiple methods including nuclear magnetic resonance analysis,liquid nitrogen,and mercury intrusion,and advanced quantitative characterization methods of pore-fracture by high-precision experimental instruments(focused-ion beam-scanning electron microscopy,small-angle neutron scattering and computed tomography scanner)and testing methods(m-CT scanning and X-ray diffraction).The effects of acoustic field can promote the diffusion of CBM and generally increase the permeability of coal reservoirs by more than 10%.For the controlling factors of reservoir petrophysics,tectonic stress is the most crucial factor in determining permeability,while the heterogeneity of CBM reservoirs increases with the enhancement of the tectonic deformation and stress field.The study on lithology heterogeneity of deep and high-dip coal measures,the spatial storage-seepage characteristics with deep CBM reservoirs,and the optimizing production between coal measures should be the leading research directions.

Enrichment factors and sweep spot evaluation of Jurassic tight oil in central Sichuan Basin,SW China

The secondary migration mechanism,enrichment factors of Jurassic tight oil in central Sichuan Basin were well investigated through physical simulation experiment of reservoir formation,casting and fluorescent thin sections,field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM)and environment scanning electron microscope(ESEM).The results show that migration of Jurassic tight oil in central Sichuan Basin is a low-velocity non-Darcy flow through low-efficient migration path under the huge migration driving force,and has three migration and seepage stages,i.e.viscous flow stage,nonlinear seepage stage,and quasi-liner seepage stage.Microscopically,the migration pathway of tight oil is the porefracture composite conduction;macroscopically,the migration mode of tight oil is the large-scale shortedistance migration.Distribution of favorable zones of tight oil is controlled by distribution of high-quality source rocks.The hydrocarbon-generation strength of 0.4
106 t/km2 can be as a threshold to determine favorable zone of tight oil in the study area.The reservoirs with high permeability and high porosity can form tight oil sweet spots,and the development degree of fractures is closely related to well with high yield of tight oil well.