Study of the Seepage Mechanism in Thick Heterogeneous Gas Reservoirs

The seepage mechanism plays a crucial role in low-permeability gas reservoirs.Compared with conventional gas reservoirs,low-permeability sandstone gas reservoirs are characterized by low porosity,low permeability,strong heterogeneity,and high water saturation.Moreover,their percolation mechanisms are more complex.The present work describes a series of experiments conducted considering low-permeability sandstone cores under pressuredepletion conditions(from the Xihu Depression in the East China Sea Basin).It is shown that the threshold pressure gradient of a low-permeability gas reservoir in thick layers is positively correlated with water saturation and negatively correlated with permeability and porosity.The reservoir stress sensitivity is related to permeability and rock composition.Stress sensitivity is generally low when permeability is high or in the early stage of gas reservoir development.It is also shown that in sand conglomerates,especially the more sparsely filled parts,the interstitial materials among the conglomerates can be rapidly dislodged from the skeleton particles under stress.This material can therefore disperse,migrate,and block the pore throat producing serious,stress-sensitive damage.

A state‑of‑the‑art review on rock seepage mechanism of water inrush disaster in coal mines

Water inrush is one of the most dangerous disasters in coal mining.Due to the large-scale mining and complicated hydrogeological conditions,thousands of deaths and huge economic losses have been caused by water inrush disasters in China.There are two main factors determining the occurrence of water inrush:water source and water-conducting pathway.Research on the formation mechanism of the water-conducting pathway is the main direction to prevent and control the water inrush,and the seepage mechanism of rock mass during the formation of the water-conducting pathway is the key for the research on the water inrush mechanism.This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of seepage mechanisms during water inrush from three aspects,i.e.,mechanisms of stress-seepage coupling,fow regime transformation and rock erosion.Through numerical methods and experimental analysis,the evolution law of stress and seepage felds in the process of water inrush is fully studied;the fuid movement characteristics under diferent fow regimes are clearly summarized;the law of particle initiation and migration in the process of water inrush is explored,and the efect of rock erosion on hydraulic and mechanical properties of the rock media is also studied.Finally,some limitations of current research are analyzed,and the suggestions for future research on water inrush are proposed in this review.

Hydrate phase transition and seepage mechanism during natural gas hydrates production tests in the South China Sea:A review and prospect

Natural gas hydrates(NGHs)are globally recognized as an important type of strategic alternative energy due to their high combustion efficiency,cleanness,and large amounts of resources.The NGHs reservoirs in the South China Sea(SCS)mainly consist of clayey silts.NGHs reservoirs of this type boast the largest distribution range and the highest percentage of resources among NGHs reservoirs in the world.However,they are more difficult to exploit than sandy reservoirs.The China Geological Survey successfully carried out two NGHs production tests in the Shenhu Area in the northern SCS in 2017 and 2020,setting multiple world records,such as the longest gas production time,the highest total gas production,and the highest average daily gas production,as well as achieving a series of innovative theoretical results.As suggested by the in-depth research on the two production tests,key factors that restrict the gas production efficiency of hydrate dissociation include reservoir structure characterization,hydrate phase transition,multiphase seepage and permeability enhancement,and the simulation and regulation of production capacity,among which the hydrate phase transition and seepage mechanism are crucial.Study results reveal that the hydrate phase transition in the SCS is characterized by low dissociation temperature,is prone to produce secondary hydrates in the reservoirs,and is a complex process under the combined effects of the seepage,stress,temperature,and chemical fields.The multiphase seepage is controlled by multiple factors such as the physical properties of unconsolidated reservoirs,the hydrate phase transition,and exploitation methods and is characterized by strong methane adsorption,abrupt changes in absolute permeability,and the weak flow capacity of gas.To ensure the long-term,stable,and efficient NGHs exploitation in the SCS,it is necessary to further enhance the reservoir seepage capacity and increase gas production through secondary reservoir stimulation based on initial reservoir stimulation.With the constant progress in the NGHs industrialization,great efforts should be made to tackle the difficulties,such as determining the micro-change in temperature and pressure,the response mechanisms of material-energy exchange,the methods for efficient NGHs dissociation,and the boundary conditions for the formation of secondary hydrates in the large-scale,long-term gas production.

A new classification of seepage control mechanisms in geotechnical engineering

Seepage flow through soils,rocks and geotechnical structures has a great influence on their stabilities and performances,and seepage control is a critical technological issue in engineering practices.The physical mechanisms associated with various engineering measures for seepage control are investigated from a new perspective within the framework of continuum mechanics;and an equation-based classification of seepage control mechanisms is proposed according to their roles in the mathematical models for seepage flow,including control mechanisms by coupled processes,initial states,boundary conditions and hydraulic properties.The effects of each mechanism on seepage control are illustrated with examples in hydroelectric engineering and radioactive waste disposal,and hence the reasonability of classification is demonstrated.Advice on performance assessment and optimization design of the seepage control systems in geotechnical engineering is provided,and the suggested procedure would serve as a useful guidance for cost-effective control of seepage flow in various engineering practices.

Mechanism and control of water seepage of vertical feeding borehole for solid materials in backflling coal mining

To solve the problem of water seepage of vertical feeding borehole for solid materials,we established the fluid-solid coupling dynamic model of groundwater flowing in rock mass adjacent to the vertical feeding borehole.Combining with the engineering geological conditions,we built a numeral model to study the influence rule of the aquifer hydraulic pressure and seepage location of feeding borehole on the amount of seepage with fnite element numerical method.The results show that the nonlinear relationship is presented among the amount of seepage,the seepage location and aquifer hydraulic pressure.The higher the aquifer hydraulic pressure is,the closer the distance between seepage location and aquifer is,and the faster the harmful levels of aquifer will grow.In practice,we calculated the allowable seepage of feeding borehole by the optimum moisture content and natural moisture content of backflling materials,and then determined the protection zone of feeding borehole,so the moisture content of backflling materials can be controlled within the scope of optimum moisture content.

An experimental study on seepage behavior of sandstone material with different gas pressures

The seepage evolution characteristic of brittle rock materials is very significant for the stability and safety of rock engineering. In this research, a series of conventional triaxial compression and gas seepage tests were carded out on sandstone specimens with a rock mechanics servo-controlled testing system. Based on the experimental results, the relationship between permeability and deformation is firstly analyzed in detail. The results show that the permeabilityaxial strain curve can be divided into the following five phases： the phase of micro-defects closure, the phase of linear elastic deformation, the phase of nonlinear deformation, the phase of post-peak stress softening and the phase of residual strength. The seepage evolution characteristic is also closely correlated with the volumetric deformation according to the relationship between permeability and volumetric strain. It is found that the gas seepage pressure has a great effect on the permeability evolution, i.e. permeability coefficients increase with increasing gas seepage pressures. Finally, the influence of gas seepage pressures on the failure behavior of brittle sandstone specimens is discussed.

Research on Water Sensitivity and Velocity Sensitivity of Loose Sandstone Reservoir in China Offshore Oilfield

Aiming at the development characteristics of Bohai P oilfield, formation mechanism of reservoir damage was analyzed by mines of mineral composition, micro-pore structure, and seepage mechanism. Microscopic petrological observations and laboratory core experiments show that the content of clay minerals such as the Imon mixed layer and kaolinite is high with high porosity and good pore roar structure;the water sensitivity is medium to strong, The lower the salinity of injected water, the greater the drop in core permeability;the velocity-sensitive damage is strong, and permeability increases with the increase in flow velocity, and a large number of particles are observed in the produced fluid under the microscope. Aiming at the contradiction of velocity sensitivity between core permeability increase and the permeability decrease near the wellbore, the velocity sensitivity seepage model of “long-distance migration and blockage near the well” is proposed, and the permeability and formation distribution formula are deduced. The calculated value is close to the test value of actual pressure recovery test. The research results of water sensitivity and velocity sensitivity provide important guidance for Bohai P oilfield to improve production and absorption capacity and reservoir protection.