Optimization of Gas-Flooding Fracturing Development in Ultra-Low Permeability Reservoirs

Ultra-low permeability reservoirs are characterized by small pore throats and poor physical properties, which areat the root of well-known problems related to injection and production. In this study, a gas injection floodingapproach is analyzed in the framework of numerical simulations. In particular, the sequence and timing of fracturechanneling and the related impact on production are considered for horizontal wells with different fracturemorphologies. Useful data and information are provided about the regulation of gas channeling and possible strategiesto delay gas channeling and optimize the gas injection volume and fracture parameters. It is shown that inorder to mitigate gas channeling and ensure high production, fracture length on the sides can be controlled andlonger fractures can be created in the middle by which full gas flooding is obtained at the fracture location in themiddle of the horizontal well. A Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm is provided by which the gas injectionvolume and the fracture parameters of gas injection flooding can be optimized. It is shown that an improvedoil recovery factor as high as 6% can be obtained.

Evaluation of Well Spacing for Primary Development of Fractured Horizontal Wells in Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoirs

Methods for horizontal well spacing calculation in tight gas reservoirs are still adversely affected by the complexity of related control factors,such as strong reservoir heterogeneity and seepage mechanisms.In this study,the stress sensitivity and threshold pressure gradient of various types of reservoirs are quantitatively evaluated through reservoir seepage experiments.On the basis of these experiments,a numerical simulation model(based on the special seepage mechanism)and an inverse dynamic reserve algorithm(with different equivalent drainage areas)were developed.The well spacing ranges of Classes I,II,and III wells in the Q gas field are determined to be 802–1,000,600–662,and 285–400 m,respectively,with their average ranges as 901,631,and 342.5 m,respectively.By considering both the pairs of parallel well groups and series well groups as examples,the reliability of the calculation results is verified.It is shown that the combination of the two models can reduce errors and provide accurate results.

An experimental study on microscopic characteristics of gas-bearing sediments under different gas reservoir pressures

Gas-bearing sediments are widely distributed in five continents all over the world.Most of the gases exist in the soil skeleton in the form of discrete large bubbles.The existence of gas-phase may increase or decrease the strength of the soil skeleton.So far,bubbles’structural morphology and evolution characteristics in soil skeleton lack research,and the influence of different gas reservoir pressures on bubbles are still unclear.The micro characteristics of bubbles in the same sediment sample were studied using an industrial CT scanning test system to solve these problems.Using the image processing software,the micro variation characteristics of gas-bearing sediments in gas reservoir pressure change are obtained.The results show that the number and volume of bubbles in different equivalent radius ranges will change regularly under different gas reservoir pressure.With the increase of gas reservoir pressure,the number and volume of tiny bubbles decrease.In contrast,the number and volume of large bubbles increase,and the gas content in different positions increases and occupies a dominant position,driving the reduction of pore water and soil skeleton movement.

Gas condensate reservoirs: Characterization and calculation of dew-point pressure

A large data bank of more than 700 gas-condensate samples collected from literature and experiments was established.On this basis,empirical correlations and equations of state commonly used to calculate dew-point pressure(DPP)were evaluated.A new model for estimating DPP was proposed.All the empirical correlations and the Peng-Robinson state equation were compared,and sensitivity of parameters was analyzed.The current standards used to identify gas condensate were evaluated and found to be not accurate enough.The Peng-Robinson state equation has no unique solution and is affected by multiple factors such as the characterization of C7+components and the splitting scheme.The Nemeth-Kennedy correlation has the highest accuracy when applied to the data bank established in this study,followed by Elsharkawy correlation and Godwin correlation.While Shokir correlation cannot be used for samples without C7+components,it is therefore the lowest in accuracy.The newly proposed model has an average absolute error,root mean square error and coefficient of determination of 7.5%,588,and 0.87,respectively,and is better than the above four correlations statistically.The proposed model proved to be more accurate and valid when compared to experimental results and simulation with the Peng-Robinson state equation.

Tight gas production model considering TPG as a function of pore pressure,permeability and water saturation

Threshold pressure gradient has great importance in efficient tight gas field development as well as for research and laboratory experiments.This experimental study is carried out to investigate the threshold pressure gradient in detail.Experiments are carried out with and without back pressure so that the effect of pore pressure on threshold pressure gradient may be observed.The trend of increasing or decreasing the threshold pressure gradient is totally opposite in the cases of considering and not considering the pore pressure.The results demonstrate that the pore pressure of tight gas reservoirs has great influence on threshold pressure gradient.The effects of other parameters like permeability and water saturation,in the presence of pore pressure,on threshold pressure gradient are also examined which show that the threshold pressure gradient increases with either a decrease in permeability or an increase in water saturation.Two new correlations of threshold pressure gradient on the basis of pore pressure and permeability,and pore pressure and water saturation,are also introduced.Based on these equations,new models for tight gas production are proposed.The gas slip correction factor is also considered during derivation of this proposed tight gas production models.Inflow performance relationship curves based on these proposed models show that production rates and absolute open flow potential are always be overestimated while ignoring the threshold pressure gradients.

Study of the Seepage Mechanism in Thick Heterogeneous Gas Reservoirs

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

Numerical Simulation of Oil and Gas Two-Phase Flow in Deep Condensate Gas Reservoirs in Bohai Buried Hills

The BZ19-6 gas field is characterized by high temperature and high pressure (HTHP), high condensate content, little difference between the formation pressure and dew point pressure, and large amount of reverse condensate liquid. During the early stage of depletion development, the production gas-oil ratio (GOR) and production capacity remain relatively stable, which is inconsistent with the conventional reverse condensate seepage law. In view of the static and dynamic conflict in development and production, indoor high-temperature and high-pressure PVT experiment was carried out to reveal the mist-like condensation phenomenon of fluids in the BZ19-6 formation. And the seepage characteristics of condensate gas reservoirs with various degrees of depletion under the condition of HTHP were analyzed based on production performance. The change rule of fluid phase state was analyzed in response to the characterization difficulties of the seepage mechanism. The fluid state was described using the miscible mechanism. And the interphase permeability interpolation coefficient was introduced based on interfacial tension. By doing so, the accurate characterization of the “single-phase flow of condensate gas-near-miscible mist-like quasi single-phase flow-oil-gas two-phase flow” during the development process was achieved. Then the accurate fitting of key indicators for oilfield development was completed, and the distribution law of formation pressure and the law of condensate oil precipitation under different reservoir conditions are obtained. Based on research results, the regulation strategy of variable flow rate production was developed. Currently, the work system has been optimized for 11 wells, achieving a “zero increase” in the GOS of the gas field and an annual oil increase of 22,000 cubic meters.

Experimental study of the influencing factors and mechanisms of the pressure-reduction and augmented injection effect by nanoparticles in ultra-low permeability reservoirs

Nanoparticles(NPs)have gained significant attention as a functional material due to their ability to effectively enhance pressure reduction in injection processes in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.NPs are typically studied in controlled laboratory conditions,and their behavior in real-world,complex environments such as ultra-low permeability reservoirs,is not well understood due to the limited scope of their applications.This study investigates the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of NPs in decreasing injection pressure under various injection conditions(25—85℃,10—25 MPa).The results reveal that under optimal injection conditions,NPs effectively reduce injection pressure by a maximum of 22.77%in core experiment.The pressure reduction rate is found to be positively correlated with oil saturation and permeability,and negatively correlated with temperature and salinity.Furthermore,particle image velocimetry(PIV)experiments(25℃,atmospheric pressure)indicate that the pressure reduction is achieved by NPs through the reduction of wall shear resistance and wettability change.This work has important implications for the design of water injection strategies in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.

Profile improvement during CO_2 flooding in ultra-low permeability reservoirs

Gas flooding such as CO2 flooding may be effectively applied to ultra-low permeability reservoirs, but gas channeling is inevitable due to low viscosity and high mobility of gas and formation heterogeneity. In order to mitigate or prevent gas channeling, ethylenediamine is chosen for permeability profile control. The reaction mechanism of ethylenediamine with CO2, injection performance, swept volume, and enhanced oil recovery were systematically evaluated. The reaction product of ethylenediamine and CO2 was a white solid or a light yellow viscous liquid, which would mitigate or prevent gas channeling. Also, ethylenediamine could be easily injected into ultra-low permeability cores at high temperature with protective ethanol slugs. The core was swept by injection of 0.3 PV ethylenediamine. Oil displacement tests performed on heterogeneous models with closed fractures, oil recovery was significantly enhanced with injection of ethylenediamine. Experimental results showed that using ethylenediamine to plug high permeability layers would provide a new research idea for the gas injection in fractured, heterogeneous and ultra-low permeability reservoirs. This technology has the potential to be widely applied in oilfields.

Progress and development directions of stimulation techniques for ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs

By reviewing the development history of stimulation techniques for deep/ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs,the new progress in this field in China and abroad has been summed up,including deeper understanding on formation mechanisms of fracture network in deep/ultra-deep oil and gas reservoir,performance improvement of fracturing fluid materials,fine stratification of ultra-deep vertical wells,and mature staged multi-cluster fracturing technique for ultra-deep and highly deviated wells/horizontal wells.In light of the exploration and development trend of ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs in China,the requirements and technical difficulties in ultra-deep oil and gas reservoir stimulation are discussed:(1)The research and application of integrated geological engineering technology is difficult.(2)The requirements on fracturing materials for stimulation are high.(3)It is difficult to further improve the production in vertical profile of the ultra-deep and hugely thick reservoirs.(4)The requirements on tools and supporting high-pressure equipment on the ground for stimulation are high.(5)It is difficult to achieve efficient stimulation of ultra-deep,high-temperature and high-pressure wells.(6)It is difficult to monitor directly the reservoir stimulation and evaluate the stimulation effect accurately after stimulation.In line with the complex geological characteristics of ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs in China,seven technical development directions are proposed:(1)To establish systematic new techniques for basic research and evaluation experiments;(2)to strengthen geological research and improve the operational mechanism of integrating geological research and engineering operation;(3)to develop high-efficiency fracturing materials for ultra-deep reservoirs;(4)to research separated layer fracturing technology for ultra-deep and hugely thick reservoirs;(5)to explore fracture-control stimulation technology for ultra-deep horizontal well;(6)to develop direct monitoring technology for hydraulic fractures in ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs;(7)to develop downhole fracturing tools with high temperature and high pressure tolerance and supporting wellhead equipment able to withstand high pressure.

A novel numerical simulation of CO_(2) immiscible flooding coupled with viscosity and starting pressure gradient modeling in ultra-low permeability reservoir

CO_(2) immiscible flooding is an environmentally-friendly and effective method to enhance oil recovery in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.A mathematical model of CO_(2) immiscible flooding was developed,considering the variation in crude oil viscosity and starting pressure gradient in ultra-low permeability reservoirs based on the non-Darcy percolation theory.The mathematical model and numerical simulator were developed in the C++language to simulate the effects of fluid viscosity,starting pressure gradient,and other physical parameters on the distribution of the oil pressure field,oil saturation field,gas saturation field,oil viscosity field,and oil production.The results showed that the formation pressure and pressure propagation velocity in CO_(2) immiscible flooding were lower than the findings without considering the starting pressure gradient.The formation oil content saturation and the crude oil formation viscosity were higher after the consideration of the starting pressure gradient.The viscosity of crude oil considering the initiation pressure gradient during the formation was higher than that without this gradient,but the yield was lower than that condition.Our novel mathematical models helped the characterization of seepage resistance,revealed the influence of fluid property changes on seepage,improved the mathematical model of oil seepage in immiscible flooding processes,and guided the improvement of crude oil recovery in immiscible flooding processes.

WELL TESTING ANALYSIS FOR HORIZONTAL WELL WITH CONSIDERATION OF THRESHOLD PRESSURE GRADIENT IN TIGHT GAS RESERVOIRS

A fundamental solution for homogeneous reservoir in infinite space is derived by using the point source function with the consideration of the threshold pressure gradient. The fundamental solution of the continuous point source function is then derived based on the Green function. Various boundary conditions of the reservoirs are considered for this case and the corresponding solutions are obtained through the mirror image reflection and the principle of superimposition. The line source solution is obtained by integration. Subsequently, the horizontal-well bottom hole pressure response function for a non-linear gas flow in the homogeneous gas reservoir is obtained, and the response curve of the dimensionless bottom hole pressure and the derivative for a horizontal well in the homogeneous gas reservoir are obtained. In the end, the sensitivities of the relevant parameters are analyzed, The well test model presented in this paper can be used as the basis of the horizontal well test analysis for tight gas reservoirs.

Dual-porosity model of rate transient analysis for horizontal well in tight gas reservoirs with consideration of threshold pressure gradient

Most researches of the threshold pressure gradient in tight gas reservoirs are experimental and mainly focus on the transient pressure response, without paying much attention to the transient rate decline. This paper establishes a dual-porosity rate transient decline model for the horizontal well with consideration of the threshold pressure gradient, which represents the non-Darcy flow in a fracture system. The solution is obtained by employing the Laplace transform and the orthogonal transform. The bi-logarithmic type curves of the dimensionless production rate and derivative are plotted by the Stehfest numerical inversion method. Seven different flow regimes are identified and the effects of the influence factors such as the threshold pressure gradient, the elastic storativity ratio, and the cross flow coefficient are discussed. The presented research could interpret the production behavior more accurately and effectively for tight gas reservoirs.

Key technologies and practice for gas field storage facility construction of complex geological conditions in China

In view of complex geological characteristics and alternating loading conditions associated with cyclic large amount of gas injection and withdrawal in underground gas storage(UGS) of China, a series of key gas storage construction technologies were established, mainly including UGS site selection and evaluation, key index design, well drilling and completion, surface engineering and operational risk warning and assessment, etc. The effect of field application was discussed and summarized. Firstly, trap dynamic sealing capacity evaluation technology for conversion of UGS from the fault depleted or partially depleted gas reservoirs. A key index design method mainly based on the effective gas storage capacity design for water flooded heterogeneous gas reservoirs was proposed. To effectively guide the engineering construction of UGS, the safe well drilling, high quality cementing and high pressure and large flow surface injection and production engineering optimization suitable for long-term alternate loading condition and ultra-deep and ultra-low temperature formation were developed. The core surface equipment like high pressure gas injection compressor can be manufactured by our own. Last, the full-system operational risk warning and assessment technology for UGS was set up. The above 5 key technologies have been utilized in site selection, development scheme design, engineering construction and annual operations of 6 UGS groups, e.g. the Hutubi UGS in Xinjiang. To date, designed main indexes are highly consistent with actural performance, the 6 UGS groups have the load capacity of over 7.5 billion cubic meters of working gas volume and all the storage facilities have been running efficiently and safely.

Characterizing hydraulic fractures in shale gas reservoirs using transient pressure tests

Hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling has been the technology that makes it possible to economically produce natural gas from unconventional shale gas or tight gas reservoirs.Hydraulic fracturing operations,in particular,multistage fracturing treatments along with horizontal wells in unconventional formations create complex fracture geometries or networks,which are difficult to characterize.The traditional analysis using a single vertical or horizontal fracture concept may be no longer applicable.Knowledge of these created fracture properties,such as their spatial distribution,extension and fracture areas,is essential information to evaluate stimulation results.However,there are currently few effective approaches available for quantifying hydraulic fractures in unconventional reservoirs.This work presents an unconventional gas reservoir simulator and its application to quantify hydraulic fractures in shale gas reservoirs using transient pressure data.The numerical model incorporates most known physical processes for gas production from unconventional reservoirs,including two-phase flow of liquid and gas,Klinkenberg effect,non-Darcy flow,and nonlinear adsorption.In addition,the model is able to handle various types and scales of fractures or heterogeneity using continuum,discrete or hybrid modeling approaches under different well production conditions of varying rate or pressure.Our modeling studies indicate that the most sensitive parameter of hydraulic fractures to early transient gas flow through extremely low permeability rock is actually the fracture-matrix contacting area,generated by fracturing stimulation.Based on this observation,it is possible to use transient pressure testing data to estimate the area of fractures generated from fracturing operations.We will conduct a series of modeling studies and present a methodology using typical transient pressure responses,simulated by the numerical model,to estimate fracture areas created or to quantity hydraulic fractures with traditional well testing technology.The type curves of pressure transients from this study can be used to quantify hydraulic fractures in field application.

Gas expansion caused by formation uplifting and its effects on tight gas accumulation:A case study of Sulige gas field in Ordos Basin,NW China

Gas expansion caused by significant exhumation in the Sulige gas field in the Ordos Basin since Late Cretaceous and its effects on hydrocarbon accumulation have been investigated systematically based on comprehensive analysis of geochemical,fluid inclusion and production data.The results indicate that gas volume expansion since the Late Cretaceous was the driving force for adjustment and secondary charging of tight sandstone gas reservoirs in the Sulige gas field of the Ordos Basin.The gas retained in the source rocks expanded in volume,resulting in gas re-expulsion,migration and secondary charging into reservoirs,while the gas volume expansion in the tight reservoirs caused the increase of gas saturation,gas-bearing area and gas column height,which worked together to increase the gas content of the reservoir and bring about large-scale gas accumulation events.The Sulige gas field had experienced a two-stage accumulation process,burial before the end of Early Cretaceous and uplifting since the Late Cretaceous.In the burial stage,natural gas was driven by hydrocarbon generation overpressure to migrate and accumulate,while in the uplifting stage,the gas volume expansion drove internal adjustment inside gas reservoirs and secondary charging to form new reservoirs.On the whole,the gas reservoir adjustment and secondary charging during uplifting stage is more significant in the eastern gas field than that in the west,which is favorable for forming gas-rich area.

Developing a K-value equation for predict dew point pressure of gas condensate reservoirs at high pressure

This paper proposed a new empirical K-value equation is developed to calculate dew pressure for gas condensate reservoirs.This equation is applicable in the wide ranges of composition,temperature,and pressure by considering the effect of composition via two equations for normal boiling point and critical temperature of the mixture.The range of dew pressure,temperature,heptane plus mole fraction,methane mole fraction,N2 mole fraction,CO2 mole fraction,and H2S mole fraction are fallen into 2666.7e9655 Psia,40e350.87
F,0.0021e0.213,0.3344e0.9668,0e0.4322,0e0.0864,and 0e0.942 respectively.As an important point,the proposed equation has any adjustable parameters,in addition,this equation indicates that in order to predict of dew pressure of gas condensate reservoirs,trial and error was not needed and therefore,computational speed increases beyond the accuracy.Moreover,the accuracy is validated by comparing against the experimental data of 81 gas condensate reservoirs samples from published literature and the results of Wilson,Whitson,and Ghafoori equations.Compared to the experimental data,the absolute average deviations of dew pressure calculations for the proposed equation,Wilson,Whitson,and Ghafoori were 7.6%,97.6%,99.4%,and 94.9%respectively.

INVESTIGATION AND APPLICATION ON GAS-DRIVE DEVELOPMENT IN ULTRA-LOW PERMEABILITY RESERVOIRS

To select a proper displacement medium with the purpose of developing ultra-low permeability reservoirs both effectively and economically, three kinds of gases, including CO2, NG and N2, are studied through physical modeling and numerical simulation under the specified reservoir conditions. The results indicate that the oil recovery through water injection is relatively low in ultra-low permeability reservoirs, where the water breaks through early and the water cut rises rapidly. Gas injection can enhance the production, of which the gas-drive efficiency depends on the injection pressure and the gas itself. CO2 is proved to be the best one after comprehensive consideration of the recovery speed, the overall recovery efficiency and the time needed for gas to break through. The pressure of CO2 injection in the field experiments is lower, compared with that of water-drive. The injectivity index of CO2 is 7.2 times as high as that of water, and the oil production of the test well group increases by about 4 t/d.

Reserve and Pressure Change of Paleo-oil Reservoir in Puguang Area, Sichuan Basin

The Puguang （普光） gas field is the largest gas field found in marine carbonates in China. The Feixianguan （飞仙关） and Changxing （长兴） reservoirs are two such reservoirs that had been buried to a depth of about 7 000 m and experienced maximum temperature of up to 220 ℃ before uplift to the present-day depth of 5 000-5 500 m, with present-day thermal maturity between 2.0% and 3.0% equivalent vitrinite reflectance （Ro）. Bitumen staining is ubiquitous throughout the Feixianguan and Changxing formations, with the greatest concentrations in zones with the highest porosity and permeability, suggesting that the solid bitumen is the result of in-situ cracking of oil. According to the distribution of bitumen in the core, the paleo-oil boundary can be approximately determined. The paleo-oil resource is calculated to be about （0.61-0.92） × 10^9 t （average 0.76 × 10^9 t）, and the cracked gas volume is about （380.80-595.80） × 10^9 m^3 （average 488.30 × 10^9 m^3）; at least 58.74% of cracked gas is preserved in Puguang gas field. The study area experienced not only the cracking of oil but also thermochemical sulfate reduction, resulting in large quantities of nonhydrocarbon gas, with about 15.2% H2S and 8.3% CO2, together with the structural reconfiguration. During the whole process, the great change of volume and pressure compels the PVTsim modeling software to simulate various factors, such as the cracking of oil, the thermochemical sulfate reduction （TSR） and the tectonic uplift in both isolated and open geological conditions, respectively. The results show that although any one of these factors may induce greater pressure changes in an isolated system than in a closed system, the oil cracking and C3＋ involving TSR lead to overpressure during the early stage of gas reservoir. Therefore, the tectonic uplift and the methane-dominated TSR, as well as the semi-open system contribute to the reducing pressure resulting in the current normal formation pressure.