Multi-Scale Pore Structure Heterogeneity in Tuff Reservoirs Investigated with Multi-Experimental Method and Fractal Dimensions in Chang 7 Formation,Southern Ordos Basin

The tight tuff reservoir is an unusual type of unconventional reservoir with strong heterogeneity.However,there is a lack of research on the microscopic pore structure that causes the heterogeneity of tuff reservoirs.Using the Chang 7 Formation in Ordos Basin,China as a case study,carbon-dioxide gas adsorption,nitrogen gas adsorption and high-pressure mercury injection are integrated to investigate the multi-scale pore structure characteristics of tuff reservoirs.Meanwhile,the fractal dimension is introduced to characterize the complexity of pore structure in tuff reservoirs.By this multi-experimental method,the quantitative characterizations of the full-range pore size distribution of four tuff types were obtained and compared in the size ranges of micropores,mesopores and macropores.Fractal dimension curves derived from full-range pores are divided into six segments as D1,D2,D3,D4,D5 and D6 corresponding to fractal characteristics of micropores,smaller mesopores,larger mesopores,smaller macropores,medium macropores and larger macropores,respectively.The macropore volume,average macropore radius and fractal dimension D5 significantly control petrophysical properties.The larger macropore volume,average macropore radius and D5 correspond to favorable pore structure and good reservoir quality,which provides new indexes for the tuff reservoir evaluation.This study enriches the understanding of the heterogeneity of pore structures and contributes to unconventional oil and gas exploration and development.

Proppant transport in rough fractures of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs

A method to generate fractures with rough surfaces was proposed according to the fractal interpolation theory.Considering the particle-particle,particle-wall and particle-fluid interactions,a proppant-fracturing fluid two-phase flow model based on computational fluid dynamics(CFD)-discrete element method(DEM)coupling was established.The simulation results were verified with relevant experimental data.It was proved that the model can match transport and accumulation of proppants in rough fractures well.Several cases of numerical simulations were carried out.Compared with proppant transport in smooth flat fractures,bulge on the rough fracture wall affects transport and settlement of proppants significantly in proppant transportation in rough fractures.The higher the roughness of fracture,the faster the settlement of proppant particles near the fracture inlet,the shorter the horizontal transport distance,and the more likely to accumulate near the fracture inlet to form a sand plugging in a short time.Fracture wall roughness could control the migration path of fracturing fluid to a certain degree and change the path of proppant filling in the fracture.On the one hand,the rough wall bulge raises the proppant transport path and the proppants flow out of the fracture,reducing the proppant sweep area.On the other hand,the sand-carrying fluid is prone to change flow direction near the contact point of bulge,thus expanding the proppant sweep area.

A smart productivity evaluation method for shale gas wells based on 3D fractal fracture network model

The generation method of three-dimensional fractal discrete fracture network(FDFN)based on multiplicative cascade process was developed.The complex multi-scale fracture system in shale after fracturing was characterized by coupling the artificial fracture model and the natural fracture model.Based on an assisted history matching(AHM)using multiple-proxy-based Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm(MCMC),an embedded discrete fracture modeling(EDFM)incorporated with reservoir simulator was used to predict productivity of shale gas well.When using the natural fracture generation method,the distribution of natural fracture network can be controlled by fractal parameters,and the natural fracture network generated coupling with artificial fractures can characterize the complex system of different-scale fractures in shale after fracturing.The EDFM,with fewer grids and less computation time consumption,can characterize the attributes of natural fractures and artificial fractures flexibly,and simulate the details of mass transfer between matrix cells and fractures while reducing computation significantly.The combination of AMH and EDFM can lower the uncertainty of reservoir and fracture parameters,and realize effective inversion of key reservoir and fracture parameters and the productivity forecast of shale gas wells.Application demonstrates the results from the proposed productivity prediction model integrating FDFN,EDFM and AHM have high credibility.

Structural failure mechanism and strengthening method of fracture plugging zone for lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs

Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failure pattern of plugging zone is developed to reveal the plugging zone failure mechanisms in deep, high temperature, high pressure, and high in-situ stress environment. Based on the fracture plugging zone strength model, key performance parameters are determined for the optimal selection of loss control material(LCM). Laboratory fracture plugging experiments with new LCM are carried out to evaluate the effect of the key performance parameters of LCM on fracture plugging quality. LCM selection strategy for fractured reservoirs is developed. The results show that the force chain formed by LCMs determines the pressure stabilization of macro-scale fracture plugging zone. Friction failure and shear failure are the two major failure patterns of fracture plugging zone. The strength of force chain depends on the performance of micro-scale LCM, and the LCM key performance parameters include particle size distribution, fiber aspect ratio, friction coefficient, compressive strength, soluble ability and high temperature resistance. Results of lab experiments and field test show that lost circulation control quality can be effectively improved with the optimal material selection based on the extracted key performance parameters of LCMs.

Binary pore structure characteristics of tight sandstone reservoirs

The pore structure and its influence on physical properties and oil saturation of the Triassic Chang 7 sandstones,Ordos Basin were discussed using thin sections,physical properties,oil saturation and mercury intrusion data.The results show that the tight sandstone has a binary pore structure:when the pore throat radius is larger than the peak radius,the pore radius is significantly larger than throat size,the pore structure is similar to the bead-string model with no fractal feature,and the pore throat volume is determined by the pore volume.When the pore throat radius is smaller than the peak radius,the pore structure is close to the capillary model and shows fractal features,the pore size is close to the throat size,and the pore throat volume is determined by the throat radius.The development of pore throats larger than the peak radius provides most of the oil storage space and is the major controlling factor for the porosity and permeability variation of tight sandstone.The pore throat smaller than the peak radius(including throats with no mercury invaded)contributes major reservoir space,it shows limited variation and has little effect on the change of physical properties which is lack of correlation with oil saturation.The pore throat larger than the peak radius is mainly composed of secondary and intergranular pores.Therefore genesis and main controlling factors of large pores such as intergranular and dissolved pores should be emphasized when predicting the tight sandstones quality.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of fluid flow through coal reservoir's fractal pore structure

The influences of fractal pore structure in coal reservoir on coalbed methane(CBM) migration were analyzed in detail by coupling theoretical models and numerical methods.Different types of fractals were generated based on the construction thought of the standard Menger Sponge to model the 3D nonlinear coal pore structures.Then a correlation model between the permeability of fractal porous medium and its pore-size-distribution characteristics was derived using the parallel and serial modes and verified by Lattice Boltzmann Method(LBM).Based on the coupled method,porosity(ф),fractal dimension of pore structure(Db),pore size range(rmin,rmax) and other parameters were systematically analyzed for their influences on the permeability(ф) of fractal porous medium.The results indicate that:① the channels connected by pores with the maximum size(rmax) dominate the permeability,approximating in the quadratic law;② the greater the ratio of r max and r min is,the higher is;③ the relationship between D b and follows a negative power law model,and breaks into two segments at the position where Db ≌2.5.Based on the results above,a predicting model of fractal porous medium permeability was proposed,formulated as k=cfrnmax,where C and n(approximately equal to 2) are constants and f is an expression only containing parameters of fractal pore structure.In addition,the equivalence of the new proposed model for porous medium and the Kozeny-Carman model k=Crn was verified at Db =2.0.

The Fracture Density and Fractal Dimension Prediction Based on Support Vector Machine

The key of effective development for the fractured reservoir is to describe the distribution of the fracture and build the fracture geological model. To acquire more optimal exploration and development of the oilfield, objective geologic model of reservoir fractures is needed for further knowledge of the spatial distribution condition of fractures. Adopting well-logging and seismic techniques can be expensive and usually yield multiple solutions, yet resolution will disturb the seismic method, making it difficult to acquire accurate and sound fracture parameters from seismic data. In this paper, the theoretical foundation for support vector machine, fractal geometry, combined the various information in geology, logging, well core, seism and field outcrop about the fracture and calculate the parameters of the fracture (fracture density and fractal dimension), and the good foundation is established for fractured reservoir description of discrete fracture network model. Based on analysis of conventional prediction methods of development indices and factor influencing the parameters of the fracture, a support vector machine method is established to predict the parameters of the fracture. The new support vector machine method is based on time series analysis to select the kernel function. Trains and tests the support vector machine network with historical data to construct the support vector regression prediction model. A case was fit into the model to test and analyse its reliability, the results suggested that the model had a high prediction performance, and could be well applied to the prediction of fracture parameters.

Pressure transient analysis of multiple fractured horizontal wells in naturally fractured unconventional reservoirs based on fractal theory and fractional calculus

Currently,most models for multiple fractured horizontal wells(MFHWs)in naturally fractured unconventional reservoirs(NFURs)are based on classical Euclidean models which implicitly assume a uniform distribution of natural fractures and that all fractures are homogeneous.While fractal theory provides a powerful method to describe the disorder,heterogeneity,uncertainty and complexity of the NFURs.In this paper,a fractally fractional diffusion model(FFDM)for MFHWs in NFURs is established based on fractal theory and fractional calculus.Particularly,fractal theory is used to describe the heterogeneous,complex fracture network,with consideration of anomalous behavior of diffusion process in NFURs by employing fractional calculus.The Laplace transformation,line source function,dispersion method,and superposition principle are used to solve this new model.The pressure responses in the real time domain are obtained with Stehfest numerical inversion algorithms.The type curves of MFHW with three different outer boundaries are plotted.Sensitivity analysis of some related parameters are discussed as well.This new model provides the relatively more accurate and appropriate evaluation results for pressure transient analysis for MFHWs in NFURs,which could be applied to accurately interpret the real pressure data of an MFHW in field.

THE SIMILAR STRUCTURE OF SOLUTIONS IN FRACTAL MUlTILAYER RESERVOIR INCLUDING A QUADRATIC GRADIENT TERM

When the classical nonlinear partial differential equations are used to model the fractal reservoir, based on the assumption of low compressibility fluids, the effects of the quadratic gradient term are ignored, which would be questionable for mixed gas reservoirs and low permeability reservoirs. To consider the influence of the wellbore storage, the nonlinear mathematical flow model of the fractal multilayer reservoir is built in this paper, with three kinds of outer boundaries （infinite boundaries, constant pressure boundaries and closed boundaries）. Using the Laplace transform method, the solutions for the dimensionless reservoir pressure and the bottom hole pressure in the Laplace space are obtained. An analysis shows that the solutions involve similar structures even for three different kinds of outer boundaries, and can be unified as a continuous fraction. The unified expression would make it more convenient to analyze the formation parameters, which greatly facilitates the development of the well test analysis software.

Structure and production fluid flow pattern of post-fracturing high-rank coal reservoir in Southern Qinshui Basin

Field geological work, field engineering monitoring, laboratory experiments and numerical simulation were used to study the development characteristics of pore-fracture system and hydraulic fracture of No.3 coal reservoir in Southern Qinshui Basin. Flow patterns of methane and water in pore-fracture system and hydraulic fracture were discussed by using limit method and average method. Based on the structure model and flow pattern of post-fracturing high-rank coal reservoir, flow patterns of methane and water were established. Results show that seepage pattern of methane in pore-fracture system is linked with pore diameter, fracture width, coal bed pressure and flow velocity. While in hydraulic fracture, it is controlled by fracture height, pressure and flow velocity. Seepage pattern of water in pore-fracture system is linked with pore diameter, fracture width and flow velocity. While in hydraulic fracture, it is controlled by fracture height and flow velocity. Pores and fractures in different sizes are linked up by ultramicroscopic fissures, micro-fissures and hydraulic fracture. In post-fracturing high-rank coal reservoir, methane has level-three flow and gets through triple medium to the wellbore; and water passes mainly through double medium to the wellbore which is level-two flow.

Pore-Fracture Distribution Heterogeneity of Shale Reservoirs Determined by using HPMI and LPN_(2 )GA Tests

The compressibility of shale matrix reflects the effects of reservoir lithology, material composition, pore structure and tectonic deformation. It is important to understand the factors that influence shale matrix compressibility(SMC) and their effects on pore size distribution(PSD) heterogeneity in order to evaluate the properties of unconventional reservoirs.In this study, the volumes of pores whose diameters were in the range 6–100 nm were corrected for SMC for 17 shale samples from basins in China using high-pressure mercury intrusion and low-temperature nitrogen gas adsorption analyses,in order to investigate the factors influencing the SMC values. In addition, the variations in fractal dimensions before and after pore volume correction were determined, using single and multifractal models to explain the effects of SMC on PSD heterogeneity. In this process, the applicability of each fractal model for characterizing PSD heterogeneity was determined using statistical analyses. The Menger and Sierpinski single fractal models, the thermodynamic fractal model and a multifractal model were all used in this study. The results showed the following. The matrix compression restricts the segmentation of the fractal dimension curves for the single fractal Menger and Sierpinski models, which leads to a uniformity of PSD heterogeneity for different pore diameters. However, matrix compression has only a weak influence on the results calculated using a thermodynamic model. The SMC clearly affects the multifractal value variations, showing that the fractal dimension values of shale samples under matrix compression are small. Overall PSD heterogeneity becomes small for pores with diameters below 100 nm and the SMC primarily affects the PSD heterogeneity of higher pore volume areas. The comparison of fractal curves before and after correction and the variance analysis indicate that the thermodynamic model is applicable to quantitatively characterize PSD heterogeneity of shale collected from this sampling area. The results show that PSD heterogeneity increases gradually as micro-pore volumes increase.

Stress sensitivity of carbonate gas reservoirs and its microscopic mechanism

In order to evaluate the stress sensitivity of carbonate reservoirs,a series of rock stress sensitivity tests were carried out under in-situ formation temperature and stress condition.Based on the calibration of capillary pressure curve,the variable fractal dimension was introduced to establish the conversion formula between relaxation time and pore size.By using the nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)method,the pore volume loss caused by stress sensitivity within different scales of pore throat was quantitatively analyzed,and the microscopic mechanism of stress sensitivity of carbonate gas reservoirs was clarified.The results show that fractures can significantly affect the stress sensitivity of carbonate reservoirs.With the increase of initial permeability,the stress sensitivity coefficient decreases and then increases for porous reservoirs,but increases monotonously for fractured-porous reservoirs.The pore volume loss caused by stress sensitivity mainly occurs for mesopores(0.02–0.50μm),contributing more than 50%of the total volume loss.Single high-angle fracture contributes 9.6%of the stress sensitivity and 15.7%of the irreversible damage.The microscopic mechanism of the stress sensitivity of carbonate gas reservoirs can be concluded as fracture closure,elastic contraction of pores and plastic deformation of rock skeleton.

Transient flow model and pressure dynamic features of tree-shaped fractal reservoirs

A transient flow model of tree-shaped fractal reservoirs is built by embedding a fracture network simulated by a tree-shaped fractal network into a matrix system. The model can be solved using the Laplace conversion method. The dimensionless bottom hole pressure can be obtained using the Stehfest numerical inversion method. The bi-logarithmic type curves for the trce-shaped fractal reservoirs are thus obtained. The pressure transient responses under different fractal factors are discussed. The factors with a primary effect on the inter-porosity flow regime include the initial branch number N, the length ratio α, and the branch angle θ. The diameter ratio β has a significant effect on the fracture radial flow, the inter-porosity and the total system radial flow regimes. The total branch level M of the network mainly influences the total system radial flow regime. The model presented in this paper provides a new methodology for analyzing and predicting the pressure dynamic characteristics of naturally fractured reservoirs.

Predicting gas-bearing distribution using DNN based on multi-component seismic data: Quality evaluation using structural and fracture factors

The tight-fractured gas reservoir of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Depression has low porosity and permeability. This study presents a DNN-based method for identifying gas-bearing strata in tight sandstone. First, multi-component composite seismic attributes are obtained.The strong nonlinear relationships between multi-component composite attributes and gas-bearing reservoirs can be constrained through a DNN. Therefore, we identify and predict the gas-bearing strata using a DNN. Then, sample data are fed into the DNN for training and testing. After optimized network parameters are determined by the performance curves and empirical formulas, the best deep learning gas-bearing prediction model is determined. The composite seismic attributes can then be fed into the model to extrapolate the hydrocarbon-bearing characteristics from known drilling areas to the entire region for predicting the gas reservoir distribution. Finally, we assess the proposed method in terms of the structure and fracture characteristics and predict favorable exploration areas for identifying gas reservoirs.

A Grey Fuzzy Comprehensive Model for Evaluation of Geological Structure Complexity

Several structure sets （faults and folds） are characterized by their self-similarity properties. Herein, we discuss the degrees of complexity of fractures by introducing the box-counting fractal dimension of faults as a key criterion to be used in comprehensive fuzzy analysis model for evaluation of the complexity of structures. Totally, eight criteria including density, intensity, length of faults, types and box-counting fractal dimension of faults, the intersection angle between faults and coal beds, gradient coefficients, dip angles of the coal beds, and variation coefficients of dip angles of the coal seams, were used for the evaluation purpose. The grey fuzzy comprehensive assessment model was used to rank the relative importance of these criteria. Scores indicating the complexity of structure were calculated on the base of criteria values and their weights for each sub-area of the study area in the Pansan （潘三） coal mine district in the southern Anhui （安徽） Province, China. The result on the calculated complexity of structure is useful for mining planning in the study area.

Fine description of unconventional clastic oil reservoirs

The latest researches reveal that studies on unconventional clastic oil reservoirs in China generally lag far behind those in other countries in respect of content and methodology.This study presents the definition and classification of unconventional oil reservoirs and analyzes the problems in the fine description of unconventional oil reservoirs.The key content of the fine description of unconventional oil reservoirs is summarized from four aspects:fine fracture characterization based on fine structure interpretation,reservoir architecture characterization based on sedimentary facies,characteristics of nanoscale microscopic pore structure of reservoir,and evaluation of source rock and“sweet spot zone”.Finally,this study suggests that development of fine description of unconventional clastic oil reservoirs in the future should focus on rock brittleness analysis and fracture modeling,geophysical characterization of unconventional clastic oil reservoirs,fluid description of tight reservoirs,and physical/numerical simulation experiments of unconventional oil reservoirs.

A hybrid simulation approach to evaluate stimulation micro-seismic events and production potential of fractured geothermal reservoirs

This study presents an integrated approach to simulate fluid flow and to predict the micro seismic eventsduring stimulation and circulation of cold water over a longer term in geothermal reservoirs. The integrated approach based on new three dimensional fully coupled thermo-poroelastic numerical model forevaluation of energy recoverable. In the presented approach, the fracture aperture due to fractureslippage is calculated by shear and dilation. The shear slippage is controlled by the concept of shearfailure using linear Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The numerical model is validated against an analytical Oda’smodel for permeability tensor calculation and against an analytical solution for thermo-poroelasticmodel. The heat transfer between the rock and fluid is modelled by using the conductive heat transferwithin the reservoir rock and convective heat transfer in discrete fractures. The thermal stress changesare included in the model to be studied by using roughness induced shear displacement principle in aporo-thermo-elastic environment. The fracture aperture changes are estimated by using an analyticalmodel based on the distributed dislocation technique. The roughness of fracture surfaces is used in thecalculation of residual fracture aperture. The presented approach is used to study the potential ofpermeability enhancement for Habanero geothermal reservoir at a depth of 3600 m. The result show thatthe increasing in tensile effective stress tend to increase the fracture aperture within the zone of cooling.This increasing in fracture aperture led to significant changes in pressure distribution (decrease inimpedance) and hence, increase in the flow rate.

Estimation of main rheological parameters for Pangxidong-Jinkeng structural fracture zone and Qinzhou-Hangzhou metallogenetic belt in South China

The mylonites occurred in the fracture zones are studied by dynamically recrystallized quartz grains.The natural microstructures in mylonites are simulated and the deformation conditions of mylonitization are estimated by fractal analysis,recrystallized grain size paleopiezometer and flow laws of quartzite.Depending on fractal analysis,the deformation temperature of mylonitization is approximately 600℃,which presents high greenschist facies to low amphibolite facies.The mylonitization occurred at differential stresses of 9.1--10.7MPa(lower limits).Compared with extrapolation of quartzite flow laws and estimates of fractal analysis,the strain rate of mylonitization is under 10-13.8/s.

Three-dimensional characterization of micro-fractures in shale reservoir rocks

Fractures are crucial for unconventional hydrocarbon exploitation,but it is difficult to accurately observe the 3D spatial distribution characteristics of fractures.Microtomography(micro-CT)technology makes it possible to observe the 3D structures of fractures at micro-scale.In this study,micron-CT scanning is conducted on multiple mud-shale samples of source rocks in the Permian Lucaogou Formation,Junggar Basin.The Avizo^(®) software is applied to process and segment the micron-CT images,so as to obtain the 3D fracture structure model inside rock core.Therefore,the independently-developed CTSTA program is adopted to quantitatively describe the micro-fractures inside rock core,including fracture dimension,extension direction and extension scale.Meanwhile,this study summarizes the classification characteristics of fractures and their anisotropy.On this basis,the fractal dimensions of fractures can also be extracted.Previous studies show that the geometric features of fractures have self-similarity at large and small scales,which can be described by exponential laws;and the fractal dimension is a typical exponent.Through the quantitative description or characterization of 3D fractures at micro-scale,the distribution characteristics of fractures in large scales could be known.