The Relationship between Fractures and Tectonic Stress Field in the Extra Low-Permeability Sandstone Reservoir at the South of Western Sichuan Depression

The formation and distribution of fractures are controlled by paleotectonic stress field, and their preservative status and effects on development are dominated by the modern stress field. Since Triassic, it has experienced four tectonic movements and developed four sets of tectonic fractures in the extra low-permeability sandstone reservoir at the south of western Sichuan depression. The strikes of fractures are in the S-N, NE-SW, E-W, and NW-SE directions respectively. At the end of Triassic, under the horizontal compression tectonic stress field, for which the maximum principal stress direction was NW.SE, the fractures were well developed near the S-N faults and at the end of NE-SW faults, because of their stress concentration. At the end of Cretaceous, in the horizontal compression stress fields of the NE-SW direction, the stress was obviously lower near the NE-SW faults, thus, fractures mainly developed near the S-N faults. At the end of Neogene-Early Pleistocene, under the horizontal compression tectonic stress fields of E-W direction, stress concentrated near the NE-SW faults and fractures developed at these places, especially at the end of the NE-SE faults, the cross positions of NE-SW, and S-N faults. Therefore, fractures developed mostly near S-N faults and NE-SW faults. At the cross positions of the above two sets of faults, the degree of development of the fractures was the highest. Under the modern stress field of the NW-SE direction, the NW-SE fractures were mainly the seepage ones with tensional state, the best connectivity, the widest aperture, the highest permeability, and the minimum opening pressure.

Permeability damage micro-mechanisms and stimulation of low-permeability sandstone reservoirs: A case study from Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, China

According to the characteristics of"structural elements"(framework grain,interstitial material and pore throat structure)of low-permeability sandstone reservoir,the"step by step dissolution and separation"acidification and acid fracturing technology has been developed and tested in field.There are three main mechanisms affecting permeability of low-permeability sandstone reservoir:(1)The mud fillings between the framework grains block the seepage channels.(2)In the process of burial,the products from crystallization caused by changes in salinity and solubility and uneven migration and variation of the syn-sedimentary formation water occupy the pores and throat between grains.(3)Under the action of gradual increase of overburden pressure,the framework grains of the rock is compacted tighter,making the seepage channels turn narrower.The"step by step dissolution and separation"acidification(acid fracturing)technology uses sustained release acid as main acidizing fluid,supramolecular solvent instead of hydrochloric acid to dissolve carbonate,and a composite system of ammonium hydrogen fluoride,fluoroboric acid,and fluorophosphoric acid to dissolve silicate,and dissolving and implementing step by step,finally reaching the goal of increasing porosity and permeability.By using the technology,the main blocking interstitial material can be dissolved effectively and the dissolution residual can be removed from the rock frame,thus expanding the effective drainage radius and increasing production and injection of single well.This technology has been proved effective by field test.

Microscopic characteristics of tight sandstone reservoirs and their effects on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids:A case study of the Linxing area,Ordos Basin

The Linxing area within the Ordos Basin exhibits pronounced reservoir heterogeneity and intricate micro-pore structures,rendering it susceptible to water-blocking damage during imbibition extraction.This study delved into the traits of tight sandstone reservoirs in the 8th member of the Shihezi Formation(also referred to as the He 8 Member)in the study area,as well as their effects on fracturing fluid imbibition.Utilizing experimental techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),high-pressure mercury intrusion(HPMI),and gas adsorption,this study elucidated the reservoir characteristics and examined the factors affecting the imbibition through imbibition experiments.The findings reveal that:①The reservoir,with average porosity of 8.40%and average permeability of 0.642×10^(-3)μm^(2),consists principally of quartz,feldspar,and lithic fragments,with feldspathic litharenite serving as the primary rock type and illite as the chief clay mineral;②Nano-scale micro-pores and throats dominate the reservoir,with dissolution pores and intercrystalline pores serving as predominant pore types,exhibiting relatively high pore connectivity;③Imbibition efficiency is influenced by petrophysical properties,clay mineral content,and microscopic pore structure.Due to the heterogeneity of the tight sandstone reservoir,microscopic factors have a more significant impact on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids;④A comparative analysis shows that average pore size correlates most strongly with imbibition efficiency,followed by petrophysical properties and clay mineral content.In contrast,the pore type has minimal impact.Micropores are vital in the imbibition process,while meso-pores and macro-pores offer primary spaces for imbibition.This study offers theoretical insights and guidance for enhancing the post-fracturing production of tight sandstone reservoirs by examining the effects of these factors on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids in tight sandstones.

Fractal model of spontaneous imbibition in low-permeability reservoirs coupled with heterogeneity of pore seepage channels and threshold pressure

Spontaneous imbibition(SI)is an important mechanism for enhancing oil recovery in low-permeability reservoirs.Due to the strong heterogeneity,and the non-Darcy flow,the construction of SI model for lowpermeability reservoirs is extremely challenging.Commonly,traditional SI models based on single or averaged capillary tortuosity ignore the influence of heterogeneity of pore seepage channels and the threshold pressure(TP)on imbibition.Therefore,in this work,based on capillary model and fractal theory,a mathematical model of characterizing SI considering heterogeneity of pore seepage channels is established.On this basis,the threshold pressure was introduced to determine the pore radius at which the wetted phase can displace oil.The proposed new SI model was verified by imbibition experimental data.The study shows that for weakly heterogeneous cores with permeability of 0-1 m D,the traditional SI model can characterize the imbibition process relatively accurately,and the new imbibition model can increase the coefficient of determination by 1.05 times.However,traditional model has serious deviations in predicting the imbibition recovery for cores with permeability of 10-50 m D.The new SI model coupling with heterogeneity of pore seepage channels and threshold pressure effectively solves this problem,and the determination coefficient is increased from 0.344 to 0.922,which is increased by2.68 times.For low-permeability reservoirs,the production of the oil in transitional pores(0.01-0.1μm)and mesopores(0.1-1μm)significantly affects the imbibition recovery,as the research shows that when the heterogeneity of pore seepage channels is ignored,the oil recovery in transitional pores and mesopores decreases by 7.54%and 4.26%,respectively.Sensitivity analysis shows that increasing interfacial tension,decreasing contact angle,oil-water viscosity ratio and threshold pressure will increase imbibition recovery.In addition,there are critical values for the influence of these factors on the imbibition recovery,which provides theoretical support for surfactant optimization.

Performance and enhanced oil recovery efficiency of an acid-resistant polymer microspheres of anti-CO_(2) channeling in low-permeability reservoirs

CO_(2) flooding is a vital development method for enhanced oil recovery in low-permeability reservoirs,However,micro-fractures are developed in low-permeability reservoirs,which are essential oil flow channels but can also cause severe CO_(2) gas channeling problems.Therefore,anti-gas channeling is a necessary measure to improve the effect of CO_(2) flooding.The kind of anti-gas channeling refers to the plugging of fractures in the deep formation to prevent CO_(2) gas channeling,which is different from the wellbore leakage.Polymer microspheres have the characteristics of controllable deep plugging,which can achieve the profile control of low-permeability fractured reservoirs.In acidic environments with supercritical CO_(2),traditional polymer microspheres have poor expandability and plugging properties.Based on previous work,a systematic evaluation of the expansion performance,dispersion rheological properties,stability,deep migration,anti-CO_(2) channeling and enhanced oil recovery ability of a novel acid-resistant polymer microsphere(DCNPM-A)was carried out under CQ oilifield conditions(salinity of85,000 mg/L,80℃,pH=3).The results show that the DCNPM-A microsphere had a better expansion performance than the traditional microsphere,with a swelling rate of 13.5.The microsphere dispersion with a concentration of 0.1%-0.5%had the advantages of low viscosity,high dispersion and good injectability in the low permeability fractured core.In the acidic environment of supercritical CO_(2),DCNPM-A microspheres showed excellent stability and could maintain strength for over 60 d with less loss.In core experiments,DCNPM-A microspheres exhibited delayed swelling characteristics and could effectively plug deep formations.With a plugging rate of 95%,the subsequent enhanced oil recovery of CO_(2) flooding could reach 21.03%.The experimental results can provide a theoretical basis for anti-CO_(2)channeling and enhanced oil recovery in low-permeability fractured reservoirs.

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.

3D rock physics template-based probabilistic estimation of tight sandstone reservoir properties

Quantitative prediction of reservoir properties(e.g., gas saturation, porosity, and shale content) of tight reservoirs is of great significance for resource evaluation and well placements. However, the complex pore structures, poor pore connectivity, and uneven fluid distribution of tight sandstone reservoirs make the correlation between reservoir parameters and elastic properties more complicated and thus pose a major challenge in seismic reservoir characterization. We have developed a partially connected double porosity model to calculate elastic properties by considering the pore structure and connectivity, and to analyze these factors' influences on the elastic behaviors of tight sandstone reservoirs. The modeling results suggest that the bulk modulus is likely to be affected by the pore connectivity coefficient, while the shear modulus is sensitive to the volumetric fraction of stiff pores. By comparing the model predictions with the acoustic measurements of the dry and saturated quartz sandstone samples, the volumetric fraction of stiff pores and the pore connectivity coefficient can be determined. Based on the calibrated model, we have constructed a 3D rock physics template that accounts for the reservoir properties' impacts on the P-wave impedance, S-wave impedance, and density. The template combined with Bayesian inverse theory is used to quantify gas saturation, porosity, clay content, and their corresponding uncertainties from elastic parameters. The application of well-log and seismic data demonstrates that our 3D rock physics template-based probabilistic inversion approach performs well in predicting the spatial distribution of high-quality tight sandstone reservoirs in southwestern China.

Gas-Water Production of a Continental Tight-Sandstone Gas Reservoir under Different Fracturing Conditions

A numerical model of hydraulic fracture propagation is introduced for a representative reservoir(Yuanba continental tight sandstone gas reservoir in Northeast Sichuan).Different parameters are considered,i.e.,the interlayer stress difference,the fracturing discharge rate and the fracturing fluid viscosity.The results show that these factors affect the gas and water production by influencing the fracture size.The interlayer stress difference can effectively control the fracture height.The greater the stress difference,the smaller the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,while the flowback rate and gas production are lower.A large displacement fracturing construction increases the fracture-forming efficiency and expands the fracture size.The larger the displacement of fracturing construction,the larger the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,and the higher the fracture-forming efficiency of fracturing fluid,the flowback rate,and the gas production.Low viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for long fractures,while high viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for wide fractures.With an increase in the fracturing fluid viscosity,the dimensionless reconstruction volume and flowback rate of the reservoir display a non-monotonic behavior,however,their changes are relatively small.

Non-Darcy flow in oil accumulation (oil displacing water) and relative permeability and oil saturation characteristics of low-permeability sandstones

Hydrocarbon resources in low-permeability sandstones are very abundant and are extensively distributed. Low-permeability reservoirs show several unique characteristics, including lack of a definite trap boundary or caprock, limited buoyancy effect, complex oil-gas-water distribution, without obvious oil-gas-water interfaces, and relatively low oil （gas） saturation. Based on the simulation experiments of oil accumulation in low-permeability sandstone （oil displacing water）, we study the migration and accumulation characteristics of non-Darcy oil flow, and discuss the values and influencing factors of relative permeability which is a key parameter characterizing oil migration and accumulation in low-permeability sandstone. The results indicate that： 1） Oil migration （oil displacing water） in low- permeability sandstone shows non-Darcy percolation characteristics, and there is a threshold pressure gradient during oil migration and accumulation, which has a good negative correlation with permeability and apparent fluidity; 2） With decrease of permeability and apparent fluidity and increase of fluid viscosity, the percolation curve is closer to the pressure gradient axis and the threshold pressure gradient increases. When the apparent fluidity is more than 1.0, the percolation curve shows modified Darcy flow characteristics, while when the apparent fluidity up＂ non-Darcy percolation curve; 3） Oil-water is less than 1.0, the percolation curve is a ＂concave- two-phase relative permeability is affected by core permeability, fluid viscosity, apparent fluidity, and injection drive force; 4） The oil saturation of low- permeability sandstone reservoirs is mostly within 35%-60%, and the oil saturation also has a good positive correlation with the permeability and apparent fluidity.

3D characterization of porosity and minerals of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone based on multi-resolution image fusion

In the process of in situ leaching of uranium,the microstructure controls and influences the flow distribution,percolation characteristics,and reaction mechanism of lixivium in the pores of reservoir rocks and directly affects the leaching of useful components.In this study,the pore throat,pore size distribution,and mineral composition of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone were quantitatively analyzed by high pressure mercury injection,nuclear magnetic resonance,X-ray diffraction,and wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence.The distribution characteristics of pores and minerals in the samples were qualitatively analyzed using energy-dispersive scanning electron microscopy and multi-resolution CT images.Image registration with the landmarks algorithm provided by FEI Avizo was used to accurately match the CT images with different resolutions.The multi-scale and multi-mineral digital core model of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone is reconstructed through pore segmentation and mineral segmentation of fusion core scanning images.The results show that the pore structure of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone is complex and has multi-scale and multi-crossing characteristics.The intergranular pores determine the main seepage channel in the pore space,and the secondary pores have poor connectivity with other pores.Pyrite and coffinite are isolated from the connected pores and surrounded by a large number of clay minerals and ankerite cements,which increases the difficulty of uranium leaching.Clays and a large amount of ankerite cement are filled in the primary and secondary pores and pore throats of the low-permeability uraniumbearing sandstone,which significantly reduces the porosity of the movable fluid and results in low overall permeability of the cores.The multi-scale and multi-mineral digital core proposed in this study provides a basis for characterizing macroscopic and microscopic pore-throat structures and mineral distributions of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone and can better understand the seepage characteristics.

Permeability evolution mechanism and the optimum permeability determination of uranium leaching from low-permeability sandstone treated with low-frequency vibration

Low-frequency vibrations can effectively improve natural sandstone permeability,and higher vibration frequency is associated with larger permeability.However,the optimum permeability and permeability evolution mechanism for uranium leaching and the relationship between permeability and the change of chemical reactive rate affecting uranium leaching have not been determined.To solve the above problems,in this study,identical homogeneous sandstone samples were selected to simulate lowpermeability sandstone;a permeability evolution model considering the combined action of vibration stress,pore water pressure,water flow impact force,and chemical erosion was established;and vibration leaching experiments were performed to test the model accuracy.Both the permeability and chemical reactions were found to simultaneously restrict U6þleaching,and the vibration treatment increased the permeability,causing the U6þleaching reaction to no longer be diffusion-constrained but to be primarily controlled by the reaction rate.Changes of the model calculation parameters were further analyzed to determine the permeability evolution mechanism under the influence of vibration and chemical erosion,to prove the correctness of the mechanism according to the experimental results,and to develop a new method for determining the optimum permeability in uranium leaching.The uranium leaching was found to primarily follow a process consisting of(1)a permeability control stage,(2)achieving the optimum permeability,(3)a chemical reactive rate control stage,and(4)a channel flow stage.The resolution of these problems is of great significance for facilitating the application and promotion of lowfrequency vibration in the CO_(2)+O_(2) leaching process.

Laboratory study of fluid viscosity induced ultrasonic velocity dispersion in reservoir sandstones

Ultrasonic velocities of a set of saturated sandstone samples were measured at simulated in-situ pressures in the laboratory.The samples were obtained from the W formation of the WXS Depression and covered low to nearly high porosity and permeability ranges.The brine and four different density oils were used as pore fluids,which provided a good chance to investigate fluid viscosity-induced velocity dispersion.The analysis of experimental observations of velocity dispersion indicates that（1）the Biot model can explain most of the small discrepancy（about 2–3%）between ultrasonic measurements and zero frequency Gassmann predictions for high porosity and permeability samples saturated by all the fluids used in this experiment and is also valid for medium porosity and permeability samples saturated with low viscosity fluids（less than approximately 3 mP·S）and（2）the squirt flow mechanism dominates the low to medium porosity and permeability samples when fluid viscosity increases and produces large velocity dispersions as high as about 8%. The microfracture aspect ratios were also estimated for the reservoir sandstones and applied to calculate the characteristic frequency of the squirt flow model,above which the Gassmann’ s assumptions are violated and the measured high frequency velocities cannot be directly used for Gassmann’s fluid replacement at the exploration seismic frequency band for W formation sandstones.

Brittleness index and seismic rock physics model for anisotropic tight-oil sandstone reservoirs

Brittleness analysis becomes important when looking for sweet spots in tightoil sandstone reservoirs. Hence, appropriate indices are required as accurate brittleness evaluation criteria. We construct a seismic rock physics model for tight-oil sandstone reservoirs with vertical fractures. Because of the complexities in lithology and pore structure and the anisotropic characteristics of tight-oil sandstone reservoirs, the proposed model is based on the solid components, pore connectivity, pore type, and fractures to better describe the sandstone reservoir microstructure. Using the model, we analyze the brittleness sensitivity of the elastic parameters in an anisotropic medium and establish a new brittleness index. We show the applicability of the proposed brittleness index for tight-oil sandstone reservoirs by considering the brittleness sensitivity, the rock physics response characteristics, and cross-plots. Compared with conventional brittleness indexes, the new brittleness index has high brittleness sensitivity and it is the highest in oil-bearing brittle zones with relatively high porosity. The results also suggest that the new brittleness index is much more sensitive to elastic properties variations, and thus can presumably better predict the brittleness characteristics of sweet spots in tight-oil sandstone reservoirs.

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.

Spatial-temporal coupling between high-quality source rocks and reservoirs for tight sandstone oil and gas accumulations in the Songliao Basin, China

The spatial-temporal relationship between high-quality source rocks and reservoirs is a key factor when evaluating the formation,occurrence,and prospectivity of tight oil and gas reservoirs.In this study,we analyze the fundamental oil and gas accumulation processes occurring in the Songliao Basin,contrasting tight oil sand reservoirs in the south with tight gas sand reservoirs in the north.This is done using geochemical data,constant-rate and conventional mercury injection experiments,and fluid inclusion analyses.Our results demonstrate that as far as fluid mobility is concerned,the expulsion center coincides with the overpressure zone,and its boundary limits the occurrence of tight oil and gas accumulations.In addition,the lower permeability limit of high-quality reservoirs,controlled by pore-throat structures,is 0.1×10^-3μm^2 in the fourth member of the Lower Cretaceous Quantou Formation(K1q^4)in the southern Songliao Basin,and 0.05×10^-3μm^2 in the Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation(K1sh)in the northern Songliao Basin.Furthermore,the results indicate that the formation of tight oil and gas reservoirs requires the densification of reservoirs prior to the main phase of hydrocarbon expulsion from the source rocks.Reservoir“sweet spots”develop at the intersection of high-quality source rocks(with high pore pressure)and reservoirs(with high permeability).

Three-Dimensional Modelling of a Multi-Layer Sandstone Reservoir： the Sebei Gas Field, China

Multi-layer sandstone reservoirs occur globally and are currently in international production. The 3D characteristics of these reservoirs are too complicated to be accurately delineated by general structural-facies-reservoir modelling. In view of the special geological features, such as the vertical architecture of sandstone and mudstone interbeds, the lateral stable sedimentation and the strong heterogeneity of reservoir poroperm and fluid distribution, we developed a new three-stage and six-phase procedure for 3D characterization of multi-layer sandstone reservoirs. The procedure comprises two-phase structural modelling, two-phase facies modelling and modelling of two types of reservoir properties. Using this procedure, we established models of the formation structure, sand body structure and microfacies, reservoir facies and properties including porosity, permeability and gas saturation and provided a 3D fine-scale, systematic characterization of the Sebei multi-layer sandstone gas field, China. This new procedure, validated by the Sebei gas field, can be applied to characterize similar multi-layer sandstone reservoirs.

K-Ar Dating of Authigenic Illites and Its Applications to the Study of Hydrocarbon Charging Histories of Typical Sandstone Reservoirs in Tarim Basin, China

The Tarim Basin in China comprises eight sets of sandstone reservoirs, five of which are investigated in detail in this study. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the hydrocarbon charging histories of reservoirs by applying K-Ar dating of authigenic illites. The ages of authigenic illites from the Lower Silurian bituminous sandstones in the Central Uplift area range from 383.5 to 235.2 Ma, suggesting that the Silurian oil accumulations were formed from the late Caledonian till the late Hercynian. The ages of authigenic illites from the Upper Devonian Donghe Sandstone reservoirs range from 263.8 to 231.3 Ma, indicating that hydrocarbon accumulations within the Donghe sandstone were formed mainly in the late Hercynian. The authigenic illites ages from the Lower Jurassic Yangxia Group sandstones in the Yinan-2 gas reservoir (Yinan-2, Kuqa Depression) range from 28.1 to 23.9 Ma, suggesting that the initial hydrocarbon charging occurred in the Miocene. The ages of the authigenic illites from the Lower Cretaceous sandstones in the Akemomu gas field (Ake-1, Kashi Sag, Southwest Depression) range from 22.6 to 18.8 Ma, indicating a probable early oil accumulation or early migration of hydrocarbon within this area. The illites from the Paleogene sandstones in the Dina-2 gas reservoir (Dina-201, Kuqa Depression) have a detrital origin; they cannot be used to study the hydrocarbon charging histories. The ages of authigenic illites in the underlying Cretaceous sandstones in the same well (Dina-201) range from 25.5 to 15.5 Ma, indicating that hydrocarbon charging in this reservoir probably occurred within the Miocene. This study highlights the potential of applying K-Ar dating of authigenic illites to investigate the timing of hydrocarbon charging histories of the Tarim Basin reservoir sandstones.

Donghe Sandstone Subtle Reservoir Exploration and Development Technology in Hade 4 Oilfield

Hade 4 oilfield is located on the Hadexun tectonic belt north of the Manjiaer depression in the Tarim basin, whose main target layer is the Donghe sandstone reservoir, with a burial depth over 5,000m and an amplitude below 34m, at the bottom of the Carboniferous. The Donghe sandstone reservoir consists of littoral facies deposited quartz sandstones of the transgressive system tract, overlapping northward and pinching out. Exploration and development confirms that water-oil contact tilts from the southeast to the northwest with a drop height of nearly 80m. The reservoir, under the control of both the stratigraphic overlap pinch-out and tectonism, is a typical subtle reservoir. The Donghe sandstone reservoir in Hade 4 oilfield also has the feature of a large oil-bearing area (over 130 km2 proved), a small thickness (average efficient thickness below 6m) and a low abundance (below 50 × 104t/km2). Moreover, above the target layer developed a set of igneous rocks with an uneven thickness in the Permian formation, thus causing a great difficulty in research of the velocity field. Considering these features, an combination mode of exploration and development is adopted, namely by way of whole deployment, step-by-step enforcement and rolling development with key problems to be tackled, in order to further deepen the understanding and enlarge the fruits of exploration and development. The paper technically focuses its study on the following four aspects concerning problem tackling. First, to strengthen the collecting, processing and explanation of seismic data, improve the resolution, accurately recognize the pinch-out line of the Donghe sandstone reservoir by combining the drilling materials in order to make sure its distribution law; second, to strengthen the research on velocity field, improve the accuracy of variable speed mapping, make corrections by the data from newly- drilled key wells and, as a result, the precision of tectonic description is greatly improved; third, to strengthen the research on sequence stratigraphy and make sure the distribution law of the Donghe sandstone; and fourth, with a step- by-step extrapolation method, to deepen the cognition of the leaning water-oil contact, and by combining the tectonic description and drilling results, to make sure little by little the law of change of the water-oil contact. The exploration and development of the Donghe sandstone subtle reservoir in Hade 4 oilfield is a gradually perfected process. From 1998 when it was discovered till now, the reservoir has managed to make a benign circle of exploration and development, in which its reserve has gradually been enlarged, its production scale increased, and, in a word, it has used techniques necessary for this subtle reservoir in the Tarim basin.

The tectonic fracture modeling of an ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoir based on an outcrop analogy: A case study in the Wangyao Oilfield of Ordos Basin, China

Due to inherent limits of data acquisition and geophysical data resolution, there are large uncertainties in the characterization of subsurface fractures. However, outcrop analogies can provide qualitative and quantitative information on a large number of fractures, based on which the accuracy of subsurface fracture characterization can be improved. Here we take the tectonic fracture modeling of an ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoir based on an outcrop analogy, a case study of the Chang6t~ Formation of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Group of the Wangyao Oilfield in the Ordos Basin of China. An outcrop at the edge of the basin is a suitable analog for the reservoir, but the prerequisite is that they must have equivalent previous stress fields, similar final structural characteristics, relative timing and an identical depositional environment and diagenesis. The relationship among fracture density, rock type and bed thickness based on the outcrop is one of the most important fracture distribution models, and can be used to interpret fracture density in individual wells quantitatively. Fracture orientation, dip, geometry and scale, also should be described and measured in the outcrop, and can be used together with structure restoration and single well fracture density interpretation to guide fracture intensity prediction on bed surfaces and to constrain the construction of the 3D fracture geometry model of the subsurface reservoir. The application of the above principles shows the outcrop-based tectonic fracture models of the target ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoir are consistent with fractures inferred from microseismic interpretation and tracer tests. This illustrated that the fracture modeling based on the outcrop analogy is reliable and can reduce the uncertainty in stochastic fracture modeling.

Genesis Types and Diagenesis Compaction Mechanisms of Sandstone Rreservoirs in Dynamic Environments in Oil/Gas Basins in China

The diversity of sandstone diagenesis mechanisms caused by the complex geological conditions of oil/gas basins in China could hardly be reasonably explained by the traditional concept of burial diagenesis. Three genesis types of thermal diagenesis, tectonic diagenesis and fluid diagenesis are presented on the basis of the dynamic environment of the oil/gas basins and.the controlling factors and mechanisms of sandstone diagenesis. Thermal diagenesis of sandstone reservoirs is related not only to the effect of formation temperature on diagenesis, but also to the significant changes in diagenesis caused by geothermal gradients. The concept of thermal compaction is presented. Thermal compaction becomes weaker with increasing depth and becomes stronger at a higher geothermal gradient. At the same formation temperature, the sandstone porosity in the region with a lower geothermal gradient is e^0.077＋0.0042T times higher than that in the region with a higher geothermal gradient. Both sudden and gradual changes are observed in diagenetic evolution caused by structural deformation. Average sandstone compaction increased by 0.1051% for every 1.0MPa increase of lateral tectonic compressional stress, while late tectonic napping helped to preserve a higher porosity of underlying sandstone reservoir. Fluid diagenesis is a general phenomenon. The compaction caused by fluid properties is significant. The coarser the grain size, the stronger the fluid effect on compaction. The greater the burial depth, the weaker the fluid effect on compaction for the specific reservoir lithology and the greater the difference in the fluid effects on compaction between different grain sizes.