Tight sandstone gas accumulation mechanisms and sweet spot prediction, Triassic Xujiahe Formation, Sichuan Basin, China

The prediction of continental tight sandstone gas sweet spots is an obstacle during tight sandstone gas exploration. In this work, the classic physical fluid charging experimental equipment is improved, the combination of the gas migration and accumulation process with the pore network numerical simulation method is investigated, and application of the permeability/porosity ratio is proposed to predict the gas saturation and sweet spots of continental formations. The results show that (1) as the charging pressure increases, the permeability of the reservoir increases because more narrow pore throats are displaced in the percolation process;and (2) based on pore network numerical simulation and theoretical analysis, the natural gas migration and accumulation mechanisms are revealed. The gas saturation of tight sandstone rock is controlled by the gas charging pressure and dynamic percolation characteristics. (3) The ratio of permeability/porosity and fluid charging pressure is proposed to predict the gas saturation of the formation. The ratio is verified in a pilot and proven to be applicable and practical. This work highlights the tight sandstone gas migration and accumulation mechanisms and narrows the gap among microscale physical experiments, numerical simulation research, and field applications.

Types and genesis of sweet spots in the tight sandstone gas reservoirs:Insights from the Xujiahe Formation,northern Sichuan Basin,China

Through comprehensively applying geological and geophysical data,as well as core and thin section observation,the characteristics of reservoirs and fractures in the second member of the Xujiahe Formation(hereinafter referred to as Xu2 Member)in the Yuanba area,northern Sichuan Basin,were studied.Combined with the analysis of the main controlling factors of production capacity,the types and characteristics of the sweet spots in the tight sandstone gas reservoir were determined.The evaluation standards and geological models of the sweet spots were established.The results are as follows:(1)There are bedding-parallel fracture-,fault-induced fracture-,and pore-dominated sweet spots in the tight sandstone gas reservoirs of the Xu2 Member.(2)The bedding parallel fracture-dominated sweet spots have developed in quartz sandstones with well-developed horizontal fractures and micro-fractures.They are characterized by high permeability and high gas output during production tests.This kind of sweet spots is thin and shows a limited distribution.Their logging responses show extremely low gamma-ray(GR)values and medium-high AC values.Moreover,the bedding parallel fracture-dominated sweet spots can be mapped using seismic methods.(3)The fault-induced fracture-dominated sweet spots have welldeveloped medium-and high-angle shear fractures.Their logging responses show an increase in peaks of AC values and total hydrocarbon content and a decrease in resistivity.Seismically,the areas with welldeveloped fault-induced fracture-dominated sweet spots can be effectively mapped using the properties such as seismic entropy and maximum likelihood.(4)The pore-dominated sweet spots are developed in medium-grained feldspathic litharenites with good reservoir properties.They are thick and widely distributed.(5)These three types of sweet spots are mainly determined by sedimentation,diagenesis,and tectonism.The bedding parallel fracture-dominated sweet spots are distributed in beachbar quartz sandstones on the top of the 1st sand layer group in the Xu2 Member,which develops in a shore-shallow lake environment.The fault-induced fracture-dominated sweet spots mainly occur near faults.They are increasingly developed in areas closer to faults.The pore-dominated sweet spots are primarily distributed in the 2nd and 3rd sand layer groups,which lie in the development areas of distributary channels near provenances at western Yuanba area.Based on the geological and seismic data,a comprehensive evaluation standard for these three types of sweet spots of the tight sandstone reservoirs in the Xu2 Member has been established,which,on the one hand,lays the foundation for the development and evaluation of the gas reservoir,and on the other hand,deepens the understanding of sweet spot in the tight sandstone gas reservoirs.

Quantitative characterization of tight gas sandstone reservoirs using seismic data via an integrated rock-physics-based framework

Seismic characterizing of tight gas sandstone (TGS) reservoirs is essential for identifying promising gas-bearing regions. However, exploring the petrophysical significance of seismic-inverted elastic properties is challenging due to the complex microstructures in TGSs. Meanwhile, interbedded structures of sandstone and mudstone intensify the difficulty in accurately extracting the crucial tight sandstone properties. An integrated rock-physics-based framework is proposed to estimate the reservoir quality of TGSs from seismic data. TGSs with complex pore structures are modeled using the double-porosity model, providing a practical tool to compute rock physics templates for reservoir parameter estimation. The VP/VS ratio is utilized to predict the cumulative thickness of the TGS reservoirs within the target range via the threshold value evaluated from wireline logs for lithology discrimination. This approach also facilitates better capturing the elastic properties of the TGSs for quantitative seismic interpretation. Total porosity is estimated from P-wave impedance using the correlation obtained based on wireline log analysis. After that, the three-dimensional rock-physics templates integrated with the estimated total porosity are constructed to interpret microfracture porosity and gas saturation from velocity ratio and bulk modulus. The integrated framework can optimally estimate the parameters dominating the reservoir quality. The results of the indicator proposed based on the obtained parameters are in good agreement with the gas productions and can be utilized to predict promising TGS reservoirs. Moreover, the results suggest that considering microfracture porosity allows a more accurate prediction of high-quality reservoirs, further validating the applicability of the proposed method in the studied region.

Overpressure and gas charging in tight sandstone:Xujiahe Formation,northeastern Sichuan Basin

Overpressure is a key factor for oil and gas charging in tight reservoirs,but it is still a challenge to evaluate the overpressure evolution and its control on oil and gas charging.Taking Xujiahe Formation in the northeastern Sichuan Basin as an example,this paper presented a method for evaluating overpressure and its effect on natural gas charging in tight sandstone in compressional basin.The abnormally high pressure and its causes were analyzed by measured data and logging evaluation.Theoretical calculation and PVT simulation were used to investigate the amounts of overpressure resulted from hydrocarbon generation and tecto nic compression,respectively.Then the source rock-reservoir pressu re differences were calculated and the characteristics of natural gas charging during the natural gas charging periods were analyzed.It was revealed that hydrocarbon generation and tectonic compression were the main causes of the overpressure.The overpressure of both source rocks and reservoir exhibited a gradually increasing trend from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous(J2-K1),then decreased since Later Cretaceous(K2),and some of that preserved to now.The contributions of the hydrocarbon generation and tectonic compression to overpressure were different in different periods.The residual pressure difference between the source rocks and the reservoir is the major driving force for tight sandstone gas charging.The main hydrocarbon generating area of the source rocks and the area of high driving force were major natural gas enrichment areas,and the driving force determined the natural gas charging space in the pore throat system of the reservoir.This research helps evaluate the overpressure and pressure difference between source rocks and reservoir in compressed basin,as well as investigate the effective pore throat space of tight gas charging by the driver of overpressure.

A new model for predicting irreducible water saturation in tight gas reservoirs

The irreducible water saturation(Swir) is a significant parameter for relative permeability prediction and initial hydrocarbon reserves estimation.However,the complex pore structures of the tight rocks and multiple factors of the formation conditions make the parameter difficult to be accurately predicted by the conventional methods in tight gas reservoirs.In this study,a new model was derived to calculate Swir based on the capillary model and the fractal theory.The model incorporated different types of immobile water and considered the stress effect.The dead or stationary water(DSW) was considered in this model,which described the phenomena of water trapped in the dead-end pores due to detour flow and complex pore structures.The water film,stress effect and formation temperature were also considered in the proposed model.The results calculated by the proposed model are in a good agreement with the experimental data.This proves that for tight sandstone gas reservoirs the Swir calculated from the new model is more accurate.The irreducible water saturation calculated from the new model reveals that Swir is controlled by the critical capillary radius,DSW coefficient,effective stress and formation temperature.

Application of Multi-Attribute Crossplots to Tight Gas in X Area, Western China

The gas-bearing reservoir in X area is mainly the tight sandstone reservoir characterized by low porosity and permeability, frequently lateral variation and poor connectivity of single sand. The previous research results reveal that the general seismic attributes analysis cannot meet the requirement of fluid identification. This is because the relationship between seismic attributes and their implication is uncertain and ambiguous, which decreases the precision of both reservoir prediction and fluid identification. To overcome the problem, multi-attribute crossplot technology is proposed from the mathematical statistical point of view rather than the correspondence between the seismic attributes and their geological implication. In this method, the wells which have the same statistical law are classified firstly, and then all the interest wells are retained while the wells beyond the statistical law are eliminated, and the seismic attributes sensitive to the same types of eliminated wells are optimized and used to generate crossplots. The nonzero area of their crossplots results just predicts the potential distribution. The discontinuity of subsurface geological conditions results in the non-continuous shape and the seismic bin lead to the mosaic form. The optimization of sensitive attributes relative to the same types of wells is independent from each other, and thus the order of attributes in crossplots does not affect the final prediction results. This method is based on the statistical theory and suitable for the areas such as the study area abundant of lots of well data. Application to X area proves the effectiveness of this method and predicts plane distribution about different types of gas production. Due to the effect of faults and other geological factors, the partition prediction results using multi-attribute crossplots reach 95% of coincidence which is obviously and far higher than the results of the whole area. The final prediction results show that the potential areas with medium and high gas production are mainly concentrated in the northern part of the study area, where lots of development research will be strengthened.

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 Data-Oriented Method to Optimize Hydraulic Fracturing Parameters of Tight Sandstone Reservoirs

Based on the actual data collected from the tight sandstone development zone, correlation analysis using theSpearman method was conducted to determine the main factors influencing the gas production rate of tightsandstone fracturing. An integrated model combining geological engineering and numerical simulation of fracturepropagation and production was completed. Based on data analysis, the hydraulic fracture parameters wereoptimized to develop a differentiated fracturing treatment adjustment plan. The results indicate that the influenceof geological and engineering factors in the X1 and X2 development zones in the study area differs significantly.Therefore, it is challenging to adopt a uniform development strategy to achieve rapid production increase. Thedata analysis reveals that the variation in gas production rate is primarily affected by the reservoir thickness andpermeability parameters as geological factors. On the other hand, the amount of treatment fluid and proppantaddition significantly impact the gas production rate as engineering factors. Among these factors, the influence ofgeological factors is more pronounced in block X1. Therefore, the main focus should be on further optimizing thefracturing interval and adjusting the geological development well location. Given the existing well location, thereis limited potential for further optimizing fracture parameters to increase production. For block X2, the fracturingparameters should be optimized. Data screening was conducted to identify outliers in the entire dataset, and adata-driven fracturing parameter optimization method was employed to determine the basic adjustment directionfor reservoir stimulation in the target block. This approach provides insights into the influence of geological,stimulation, and completion parameters on gas production rate. Consequently, the subsequent fracturing parameteroptimization design can significantly reduce the modeling and simulation workload and guide field operations toimprove and optimize hydraulic fracturing efficiency.

Sichuan super gas basin in southwest China

A sedimentary basin is classified as a super basin when its cumulative production exceeds 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent(6.82×10^(8) t of oil or 7931.66×10^(8) m^(3) of gas)and its remaining recoverable resources are at least 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent.By the end of 2019,the total output of oil and gas in Sichuan Basin had been 6569×10^(8) m^(3),the ratio of gas to oil was 80:1,and the total remaining recoverable resources reached 136404×10^(8) m^(3),which makes it as a second-tier super basin.Because the output is mainly gas,it is a super gas basin.The reason why the Sichuan Basin is a super gas basin is that it has four advantages:(1)The advantage of gas source rocks:it has the most gas source rocks(9 sets)among all the basins in China.(2)The advantage of resource quantity:it has the most total remaining recoverable resources among all the basins in China(136404×10^(8) m^(3)).(3)The advantage of large gas fields:it has the most large gas fields(27)among all the basins in China.(4)The advantage of total production:by the end of 2019,the total gas production had been 6487.8×10^(8) m^(3),which ranked the first among all the basins in China.There are four major breakthroughs in natural gas exploration in Sichuan Basin:(1)Breakthrough in shale gas:shale gas was firstly found in the Ordovician Wufeng-Silurian Longmaxi formations in China.(2)Breakthrough in tight sandstone gas:the Triassic Xu2 Member gas reservoir in Zhongba gas field is the first high recovery tight sandstone gas reservoir in China.(3)Breakthrough in giant carbonate gas fields.(4)Breakthrough in ultra-deep gas reservoir.These breakthroughs have led to important progress in different basins across the country.Super basins are classified according to three criteria:accumulative oil and gas production,remaining recoverable resources,tectonic attributes of the basin and the proportion of oil and gas in accumulative oil and gas production.

Stress Distribution in the Upper Shihezi Formation from 1D Mechanical Earth Model and 3D Heterogeneous Geomechanical Model,Linxing Region,Eastern Ordos Basin,Central China

The Upper Shihezi sedimentary rocks in the Linxing region has been estimated with a significant volume of tight sandstone gas.However,lateral distribution of the present-day stress magnitude is poorly understood,which limits further gas production.Hence,a one-dimensional mechanical earth model and a three-dimensional heterogeneous geomechanical model are built to address this issue.The results indicate that the strike-slip stress regime is dominant in the Upper Shihezi Formation.Relatively low stresses are mainly located around wells L-60,L-22,L-40,L-90,etc,and stress distributions exhibit the similarity in the Members H2 and H4.The differential stresses are relatively low in the Upper Shihezi Formation,suggesting that complex hydraulic fracture networks may be produced.Natural fractures in the Upper Shihezi Formation contribute little to the overall gas production in the Linxing region.In addition,the minimum principal stress gradient increases with Young's modulus,suggesting that the stiffer rocks commonly convey higher stress magnitudes.There is a strong interplay between stress distribution and heterogeneity in rock mechanics.Overall,the relative error between the predicted and measured results is less than 10%,implying that the predicted stress distribution is reliable and can be used for subsequent analysis in the Linxing region.