Depositional and Diagenetic Controls on Sandstone Reservoirs with Low Porosity and Low Permeability in the Eastern Sulige Gas Field, China

In order to determine the genesis and the factors that control the low-porosity and low- permeability sandstone reservoirs in the eastern Sulige Gas Field in the Ordos Basin, systematic studies on the sedimentary facies and diagenesis were conducted by means of analysis of cores, thin sections, fluid inclusions, X-ray diffraction, cathode luminescence and scanning electron microscope. It was found that the sand bodies of the major gas reservoirs in the Shan1 section （P1S1） and the He8 section （P2H8） were formed during the Permian as sedimentary facies such as braided-channel bars, braided-river channels and point bars of a meandering river. Four types of diagenetic facies developed subsequently： in order from the best to the poorest properties these are type A （weak compaction, early calcite cement-chlorite film facies）, type B （moderate compaction, quartz overgrowth-feldspar corrosion-kaolinite filling facies）, type C （strong compaction, late calcite cement-quartz corrosion facies） and type D （matrix filling and strong compaction facies）. This diagenesis is undoubtedly the main reason for the poor reservoir properties of sandstone reservoirs, but the sedimentary facies are the underlying factors that greatly affect the diagenesis and thus the reservoir performance. Favorable diagenetic facies developed mainly in relatively small lithofacies such as braided-river channels, channel bars and point bars. The vertical distribution of the physical properties and the diagenetic facies of the reservoirs are related to the stratigraphic succession. Most of the sandstones between mudstones and thin beds of sandstone are unfavorable diagenetic facies. Analyses indicate that siliceous cementation can hardly be stopped by hydrocarbon filling. Authigenic chlorite could hardly protect the primary porosity. It not only occupies pore space, but also blocks pathways through sandstone reservoirs, so that it has significant influence on the permeability. Authigenic chlorite cannot be used as a marker for a specific sedimentary facies because it can be formed in different sedimentary facies, but it indicates high hydrodynamic conditions and presence of favorable reservoirs.

Research on Diageneses of Cambrian Shoal Facies Carbonate Rocks in the Xiadong Area, Hubei Province

With continuous outcrops, developed shoal facies rocks, complete types of diagenesis and changeable diagenetic environments, Cambrian strata are well developed in the Xiadong area, Yichang, Hubei Province. Under the combined influence of numerous diageneses, secondary pores can be formed, which result in better reservoir properties of the rock strata.

Division of diagenesis reservoir facies and its control——Case study of Chang-3 reservoir in Yangchang formation of Fuxian exploration area in northern Shaanxi

By dividing the diagenetic reservoir facies and studying its distribution,we can effectively evaluate reservoirs.Using an analytical method for mutual relationships among diagenesis of reservoirs,structural characteristics and the origin of types of sand,we classified the diagenetic reservoir of the Yanchang formation Chang-3 oil layer into different types and analyzed the factors controlling this high quality reservoir.The results show that:1) the catagenesis of the Chang-3 oil layer in the Fuxian region is complex and variable;2) mechanical compaction,pressure solutions and cementation of all kinds of authogenous minerals decreases porosity by 28.13% and 3) corrosion increases porosity by 3.39%.Cementation and corrosion of laumontite is a kind of catagenesis which makes this region different from other exploratory regions.The original amount and rate of corrosion of laumontite are the main factors for the increase in laumontite porosity.The Chang-3 oil layer developed four kinds of diagenetic reservoir facies,of which the weak compaction facies,i.e.,laumontite corrosion and overgrowth,of the original pore reservoir facies has the most promising diagenesis.Its distribution is controlled by a sedimentary facies zone and is widely developed in the original truncated tributary channel facies belt of the delta plain.The development of this high quality reservoir is controlled by the distribution of sedimentary sand bodies and secondarily-eroded porosity of laumontite in the Chang-3 oil layer of the Fuxian exploratory region.

Complementary testing and machine learning techniques for the characterization and prediction of middle Permian tight gas sandstone reservoir quality in the northeastern Ordos Basin, China

In this study, an integrated approach for diagenetic facies classification, reservoir quality analysis and quantitative wireline log prediction of tight gas sandstones(TGSs) is introduced utilizing a combination of fit-for-purpose complementary testing and machine learning techniques. The integrated approach is specialized for the middle Permian Shihezi Formation TGSs in the northeastern Ordos Basin, where operators often face significant drilling uncertainty and increased exploration risks due to low porosities and micro-Darcy range permeabilities. In this study, detrital compositions and diagenetic minerals and their pore type assemblages were analyzed using optical light microscopy, cathodoluminescence, standard scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Different types of diagenetic facies were delineated on this basis to capture the characteristic rock properties of the TGSs in the target formation.A combination of He porosity and permeability measurements, mercury intrusion capillary pressure and nuclear magnetic resonance data was used to analyze the mechanism of heterogeneous TGS reservoirs.We found that the type, size and proportion of pores considerably varied between diagenetic facies due to differences in the initial depositional attributes and subsequent diagenetic alterations;these differences affected the size, distribution and connectivity of the pore network and varied the reservoir quality. Five types of diagenetic facies were classified:(i) grain-coating facies, which have minimal ductile grains, chlorite coatings that inhibit quartz overgrowths, large intergranular pores that dominate the pore network, the best pore structure and the greatest reservoir quality;(ii) quartz-cemented facies,which exhibit strong quartz overgrowths, intergranular porosity and a pore size decrease, resulting in the deterioration of the pore structure and reservoir quality;(iii) mixed-cemented facies, in which the cementation of various authigenic minerals increases the micropores, resulting in a poor pore structure and reservoir quality;(iv) carbonate-cemented facies and(v) tightly compacted facies, in which the intergranular pores are filled with carbonate cement and ductile grains;thus, the pore network mainly consists of micropores with small pore throat sizes, and the pore structure and reservoir quality are the worst. The grain-coating facies with the best reservoir properties are more likely to have high gas productivity and are the primary targets for exploration and development. The diagenetic facies were then translated into wireline log expressions(conventional and NMR logging). Finally, a wireline log quantitative prediction model of TGSs using convolutional neural network machine learning algorithms was established to successfully classify the different diagenetic facies.

Quality characterization of tight sandstone reservoirs in the Yanchang Formation of the Honghe oilfield, Ordos Basin, central China

Reservoir quality is one of the important geological factors controlling the development of tight oil in the Honghe oilfield,Ordos Basin,northwestern China.Analyses of core,well logging,mud logging and geophysical data as well as thin sections(casting and fluorescence)were combined with testing methods(such as grain size analysis,constant-rate mercury injection,and scanning electron microscopy)to characterize the microporeethroat development in reservoirs of the eighth member of Yanchang For-mation in the oilfield.From the perspective of sedimentation and diagenesis,the mechanisms causing reservoir quality difference were explored and a method for characterizing reservoir quality difference and distribution was proposed.The results show that complex and diverse poreethroat configurations and multi-scale throat development are the microscale manifestations of reservoir quality differences in the member.Three types of poreethroat combinations are recognized,including intergranular pore-wide lamellar throat,intergranular and intragranular pore-wide lamellar throat,and intergranular/clustered micropore-wide lamellar throat.Different diagenesis processes and intensities under the control of sedimentary conditions determine the differential development of the reservoirs.Diagenetic facies are the indicators of reservoir quality.Diagenetic facies with chlorite cementation-moderate dissolution indicates reservoirs with the most ideal physical properties for hydrocarbon accumulation,while that with moderate calcite and kaolinite cementations are usually observed in reservoirs with less ideal physical properties.Reservoirs with the worst physical properties often correlate with diagenetic facies with strong calcite cementation and compaction facies.A multi-level constrained method under the control of sedimentation and diagenetic facies is proposed for characterizing tight reservoir quality difference in the member.The spatial distribution of sedimentary elements is analyzed through sedi-mentary configurations,the diagenetic facies distribution is constrained by sedimentary elements and the reservoir quality distribution is predicted with constraint of diagenetic facies.It suggests that the high-quality reservoirs in the member occur vertically in the middle of thick channel sandstone,while poor reservoirs occur in the upper or lower parts of the channel sandstone due to intensive compaction and cementation.Laterally,the quality of reservoirs enhances along the channels with a change in shape to lens or strips along the middle and downstream sections.

Genesis of the low-permeability reservoir bed of upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in Xinchang gas field,western Sichuan Depression

The genesis of a reservoir is a result of the combined action of deposition, diagenesis, tectonic reworking, and interaction of rock and fluid and the evolutionary environment. We discuss the genetic and evolution mechanism of a low-permeability reservoir bed of the Xujiahe Formation in the western Sichuan Depression on the basis of the study of diagenesis, diagenetic reservoir facies and the diagenetic evolution sequence. The research indicated that this reservoir bed can be divided into five types of diagenetic reservoir facies, namely strong dissolution, chlorite-lined intergranular pores, compaction and pressure solution, carbonate cementation and secondary quartz increase. There are, however, just two diagenetic reservoir facies which provide low-permeability reservoir beds, namely strong dissolution and chlorite-lined intergranular pores. We also analyzed their diagenetic evolution sequences and the origin of the low-permeability reservoir bed. Besides, it was also indicated that the composition and structure of sandstones, types of sedimentary microfacies, diagenesis history as well as the tectonic reworking in later periods are the main factors controlling the formation of the low-permeability reservoir bed. The above- mentioned factors establish the foundation for the forecasting the distribution of high quality reservoir beds.