Formation of Natural Bitumen and its Implication for Oil/gas Prospect in Dabashan Foreland

Natural bitumen is the evolutionary residue of hydrocarbon of sedimentary organic matter. Several kinds of bitumen with different occurrences, including bitumen in source rock, migration bitumen filled in fault, oil-bed bitumen and paleo-reservoir bitumen, are distributed widely in the Dabashan foreland. These kinds of bitumen represent the process of oil/gas formation, migration and accumulation in the region. Bitumen in source rock fiUed in fractures and stylolite and experienced deformation simultaneously together with source rock themselves. It indicated that oil/gas generation and expelling from source rock occurred under normal buried thermal conditions during prototype basin evolution stages prior to orogeny. Occurrences of bitumen in source rock indicated that paleo- reservoir formation conditions existed in the Dabashan foreland. Migration bitumen being widespread in the fault revealed that the fault was the main channel for oil/gas migration, which occurred synchronously with Jurassic foreland deformation. Oil-bed bitumen was the kind of pyrolysis bitumen that distributed in solution pores of reservoir rock in the Dabashan foreland depression, the northeastern Sichuan Basin. Geochemistry of oil-bed bitumen indicated that natural gas that accumulated in the Dabashan foreland depression formed from liquid hydrocarbon by pyrolysis process. However, paleo-reservior bitumen in the Dabashan forleland was the kind of degradation bitumen that formed from liquid hydrocarbon within the paleo-reservior by oxidation, alteration and other secondary changes due to paleo-reservior damage during tectonics in the Dabashan foreland. In combination with the tectonic evolution of the Dabashan foreland, it is proposed that the oil/gas generated, migrated and accumulated to form the paleo-reservoir during the Triassic Indosinian tectonic movement. Jurassic collision orogeny, the Yanshan tectonic movement, led to intracontinental orogeny of the Dabashan area accompanied by geofluid expelling and paleo-reservoir damage in the Dabashan foreland. The present work proposed that there is liquid hydrocarbon exploration potential in the Dabashan foreland, while there are prospects for the existence of natural gas in the Dabashan foreland depression.

Migration and accumulation characteristics of natural gas hydrates in the uplifts and their slope zones in the Qiongdongnan Basin,China

Various factors controlling the accumulation of natural gas hydrates(NGHs)form various enrichment and accumulation modes through organic combination.This study mainly analyzes the geological and geophysical characteristics of the NGHs occurrence in the uplifts and their slope zones within the deep-water area in the Qiongdongnan(QDN)Basin(also referred to as the study area).Furthermore,it investigates the dominant governing factors and models of NGHs migration and accumulation in the study area.The results are as follows.(1)The uplifts and their slope zones in the study area lie in the dominant pressure-relief direction of fluids in central hydrocarbon-rich sags in the area,which provide sufficient gas sources for the NGHs accumulation and enrichment through pathways such as gas chimneys and faults.(2)The top and flanks of gas chimneys below the bottom simulating reflectors(BSRs)show high-amplitude seismic reflections and pronounced transverse charging of free gas,indicating the occurrence of a large amount of gas accumulation at the heights of the uplifts.(3)Chimneys,faults,and high-porosity and high-permeability strata,which connect the gas hydrate temperature-pressure stability zones(GHSZs)with thermogenic gas and biogenic gas,form the main hydrate migration system.(4)The reservoir system in the study area comprises sedimentary interlayers consisting of mass transport deposits(MTDs)and turbidites.In addition,the reservoir system has developed fissure-and pore-filling types of hydrates in the pathways.The above well-matched controlling factors of hydrate accumulation enable the uplifts and their slope zones in the study area to become the favorable targets of NGHs exploration.

Geochemical Characteristics and Migration Pathways of Ordovician Carbonate Oil Reservoirs in the Tuoputai Area,Tarim Basin,Northwestern China

Exploration potential is huge and the oil resources are rich in the Ordovician reservoirs of the Tarim Basin.However,the mechanism of hydrocarbon accumulation is complex and not yet fully understood.In the Tuoputai area,the hydrocarbon migration pathways and characteristics of deep hydrocarbon accumulation are revealed through analyses of the physical data of rich oil and gas,the geochemical parameters of oil,and fluid inclusions.The results show that the Ordovician oils in the Tuoputai area have the same geochemical characteristics as the mixed oil from the Lower Cambrian source rock and the Middle–Upper Ordovician source rock.The Ordovician reservoirs have been charged three times:in the late Caledonian,late Hercynian,and Himalayan stages.Oil charging occurred in the Hercynian stage,in particular,as it is the main filling period of hydrocarbon.The north-northeast(NNE)-trending TP12 CX major fault,active in in these times and is dominant migration channel of hydrocarbon,but there is segmentation affected by the difference of activities.Oil maturity is higher in the south than in the north and is abnormally high near the major fault.Parameters related to migration indicate that oil migrated northeastward along the NNE-trending TP12 CX major fault and adjusted laterally along the secondary faults and weathering crust,forming the present characteristics of oil and gas distribution.

Fluid Potential Distribution and Oil & Gas Accumulation in Tertiary of Western Qaidam Basin

With the development of oil and gas exploration industry, researchers and engineers have realized that the key element controlling the migration of underground oil and gas and other fluid is not the pressure of stratum, but the underground fluid potential. Therefore, it is very crucial to study the distribution rule of fluid potential in order to correctly determine the exploration target areas. This paper studies the fluid potential distribution in Tertiary of west Qaidam Basin, puts forward the model of underground oil and gas migration and predicts the areas for further exploration.

Features of the fault system and its relationship with migration and accumulation of hydrocarbon in Liaodong Bay

The fault system of Liaodong Bay developed extensively under the control of the Tanlu Fault. The fault system can be grouped into strike-slip faults of grade Ⅰ, trunk faults of grade Ⅱand branch faults （induced faults） of grade Ⅲ respectively based on its developmental scale. The faults of grade Ⅰ and Ⅱwere deep, early and large while the faults of grade Ⅲwere shallow, late and small. The formation, evolution and distribution features played a significant role in controlling the migration of oil and gas in both horizontal and vertical directions. The fluid transfer in the fault system occurred in the process of faulting. The strike-slip and trunk faults moved actively forming predominant pathways for oil and gas migration. The branch faults, with weak activity, generally controlled the development of traps and were beneficial for the accumulation and preservation of oil and gas. The faults of grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ formed the major migration pathways for oil and gas, but their fault activity rates appeared to vary along their strikes. The zones with a relatively low fault activity rate might be favorable for oil and gas accumulation. When the activities of strike-slip, trunk, and branch faults came to a halt, the fault seal behavior had a vitally important effect on the accumulation of oil and gas. The controlling role of the fault over fluid distribution was further analyzed by calculating the fault activity quantitatively.

Mesh model building and migration and accumulation simulation of 3D hydrocarbon carrier system

Migration and accumulation simulation of oil and gas in carrier systems has always been a difficult subject in the quantitative study of petroleum geology. In view of the fact that the traditional geological modeling technology can not establish the interrelation of carriers in three dimensional space, we have proposed a hybrid-dimensional mesh modeling technology consisting of body(stratum), surfaces(faults and unconformities), lines and points, which provides an important research method for the description of geometry of sand bodies, faults and unconformities, the 3 D geological modeling of complex tectonic areas, and the simulation of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. Furthermore, we have advanced a 3 D hydrocarbon migration pathway tracking method based on the hybrid-dimensional mesh of the carrier system. The application of this technology in western Luliang Uplift of Junggar Basin shows that the technology can effectively characterize the transport effect of fault planes, unconformities and sand bodies, indicate the hydrocarbon migration pathways, simulate the process of oil accumulation, reservoir adjustment and secondary reservoir formation, predict the hydrocarbon distribution. It is found through the simulation that the areas around the paleo-oil reservoir and covered by migration pathways are favorable sites for oil and gas distribution.

Hydrocarbon Migration and Accumulation in Dongying Basin

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Discovery of “Enveloping Surface of Oil and Gas Overpressure Migration” in the Songliao Basin and its bearings on hydrocarbon migration and accumulation mechanisms

The Fuyang oil layer of the Songliao Basin is a tight and low-permeability sandstone pay zone formed in the fluvial-shallow water delta environment.In the formation are mainly lithologic reservoir and tight reservoir.The lacustrine-mudstone of K2qn1 is a good source rock and also acts as a good regional cap rock.The Fuyang oil layer is a typical upper-source and lower-reservoir pattern distributed in a large area.Based on a large number of exploration and development data, a macroscopic enveloping surface is found developed in the Fuyang oil layer, which is below K2qn1.The effective reservoirs within the enveloping surface are commonly saturated with oil, and below the enveloping surface are mainly water layers.The distance from the enveloping surface to the bottom of the source rock is usually 100-350 m and at most 550 m.Through the research of the distribution patterns and the physical properties of the sandbodies above or beneath the source rock, it is concluded that: 1) the enveloping surface is the boundary of the overpressure hydrocarbon migration; 2) the spacial distribution of the pressure release beds controls the direction and the distance of the overpressure hydrocarbon migration; 3) tight oil reservoirs and lenticular oil reservoirs are mainly formed inside the envelope surface, whereas, conventional reservoirs are formed outside the envelope surface as a result of the buoyancy hydrocarbon migration.The discovery of the "overpressure hydrocarbon migration enveloping surface" and the concepts of overpressure hydrocarbon migration and buoyancy hydrocarbon migration not only challenge the old notion that "hydrocarbon migrates along the faults and is distributed along fault belts" in the Fuyang oil layer of the Songliao Basin, give a new explanation to the long-distance-oil-downwards migration (hundreds of meters) and expand the exploration potential of the Fuyang oil layer, and provide a rational guidance to the exploration of syncline plays, but also better categorize tight oil/gas and conventional reservoirs in all of the key elements related to hydrocarbon migration, accumulation, reservoir characteristics and oil and gas spatial distribution.

TECTONIC MIGRATION OF OIL AND GAS BASINS IN EASTERN CHINA

This paper deals with the tectonic migration of various types of basins and the regu-larity of time-space distribution of oil and gas in the eastern China basins from the availa-ble geological, geophysical and drill data, and then a preliminary discussion is made onthe relationship between tectonic migration and oil and gas formation.

Oil/Gas Migration and Aggregation in Intra-Continental Orogen Based on Numerical Simulation: A Case Study from the Dabashan Orocline, Central China

Geofluid, driven by tectonic stress, can migrate and aggregate in geological body. Thus, numerical simulation has been widely used to rebuild paleo-tectonic stress field and probe oil/gas （one type of geofluid） migration and aggregation. Based on geological mapping, structural data, and mechanical parameters of rocks, we reconstruct the traces for gas/oil migration and aggregation in Dabashan intra-continental orogen using numerical simulation. The study shows that gas/oil, obviously dominated by late Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous paleo-tectonic stress field that is characterized by NE-SW shortening in the Dabashan thrust belt and SW-emanating shortening in its foreland belt, massively migrate from the Dabashan thrust belt to its foreland belt, that is, NE to SW, resulting in the formation of some probable favorable areas for oil/gas mainly along the Tiexi -Wuxi fault, in some superposed structure （e.g., Zhenba , Wanyuan , Huangjinkou , and Tongnanba areas）, and in the Zigui Basin. Thus, our study shows that numerical simulation can be effectively applied to study oil/gas migration and aggregation in intra-continental orogen and provided some significant evidences for oil/gas exploration.

Process and mechanism for oil and gas accumulation, adjustment and reconstruction in Puguang Gas Field, Northeast Sichuan Basin, China

With the discoveries of a series of large gas fields in the northeast of Sichuan Basin, such as Puguang and Longgang gas fields, the formation mechanism of the gas reservoir containing high H2S in the ancient marine carbonate formation in superposition-basin becomes a hot topic in the field of petroleum geology. Based on the structure inversion, numerical simulation, and geochemical research, we show at least two intervals of fluid transfer in Puguang paleo-oil reservoir, one in the forepart of late Indo-Chinese epoch to early Yanshan epoch and the other in the metaphase of early Yanshan epoch. Oil and gas accumulation occurred at Puguang structure through Puguang-Dongyuezhai faults and dolomite beds in reef and shoal facies in Changxing Formation (P2ch) - Feixianguan Formation (T1f) in the northwest and southwest directions along three main migration pathways, to form Puguang paleo-oil reservoir. Since crude oil is pyrolysised in the early stage of middle Yanshan epoch, Puguang gas reservoir has experienced fluid adjusting process controlled by tectonic movement and geochemical reconstruction process controlled by thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). Middle Yan-shan epoch is the main period during which the Puguang gas reservoir experienced the geochemical reaction of TSR. On one hand, TSR can recreate the fluid in gas reservoir, which makes the gas drying index larger and carbon isotope heavier. On the other hand, the reciprocity between fluid regarding TSR (hydrocarbon, H2S, and water) and reservoir rock induces erosion of the reservoir rocks and anhydrite alteration, which improves reservoir petrophysical properties. Superimposed by later tectonic movement, the fluid in Puguang reservoir has twice experienced adjustment, one in the late Yanshan epoch to the early Himalayan epoch and the other time in late Himalayan epoch, after which Puguang gas reservoir is finally developed.

Reservoir forming conditions and key exploration technologies of Lingshui 17-2 giant gas field in deepwater area of Qiongdongnan Basin

On September 15,2014,China National Offshore Oil Co.,Ltd announced that a high production of oil and gas flow of 1.6
106 m3/d was obtained in Well LS17-2-1 in deepwater area in northern South China Sea,which is the first great oil and gas discovery for self-run deepwater exploration in China sea areas,and a strategic breakthrough was made in natural gas exploration in deepwater area of Lingshui sag in Qiongdongnan Basin.Under the combined action of climax of international deepwater exploration,high oil prices,national demands of China,practical needs of exploration,breakthroughs in seismic exploration and testing technologies,innovations in geological cognition and breakthroughs in deepwater operation equipment,Lingshui 17-2 gas field is discovered.Among these factors,the innovation in reservoir forming geological cognition directly promotes the discovery.The quality of seismic data in the early time is poor,so key reservoir forming conditions such as effective source rocks,high quality reservoirs and oil-gas migration pathways are unable to be ascertained;with support of new seismic acquisition and processing technology,some researches show that Lingshui sag is a successive large and deep sag with an area of 5000 km2 and the maximum thickness of Cenozoic stratum of 13 km.In the Early Oligocene,the Lingshui sag was a semi-closed delta-estuarine environment,where the coalmeasure and marine mudstones in Lower Oligocene Yacheng Formation were developed.The Lingshui sag is a sag with high temperature,and the bottom temperature of source rocks in Yacheng Formation can exceed 250C,but the simulation experiment of hydrocarbon generation at high temperature indicates that the main part of this set of source rock is still in the gas-generation window,with resources of nearly 1 trillion cubic meters,so the Lingshui sag is a hydrocarbon-rich generation sag.In the Neogene,the axial canyon channel from the Thu Bon River in Vietnam passed through the Lingshui sag,and five stages of secondary channels were developed in the axial canyon channel,where four types of reservoirs with excellent physical properties including the axial sand,lateral accretion sand,natural levee sand as well as erosion residual sand were developed,and lithologic traps or structural-lithologic traps were formed.The diapiric zone in the southern Lingshui sag connects deep source rocks in Yacheng Formation and shallow sandstones in the channels,and the migration pattern of natural gas is a T-type migration pattern,in other words,the natural gas generated from Yacheng Formation migrates vertically to the interior of the channel sandbody,and then migrates laterally in the channel reservoirs and forms the reservoirs.Innovations of geophysical exploration technologies for complicated geological conditions of deepwater areas are made,such as the detuning comprehensive quantitative amplitude hydrocarbon detection technology,which greatly improves the success rate of deepwater exploration;key technologies of deepwater safety exploratory well testing represented by the platform-dragged riser displacement technology are developed,which greatly reduces the drilling test cost.The above key exploration technologies provide a strong guarantee for the efficient exploration and development of Lingshui gas field.

三肇凹陷扶杨油层源断裂的再认识及其对成藏的控制作用

对三肇凹陷青一段源岩生成的油向下伏扶杨油层"倒灌"运移通道类型及分布特征研究表明,三肇凹陷扶杨油层源断裂不是过去认为的从青一段底(T2)断至嫩三段底的断裂,而应为上部消失于青一段源岩中的T2断裂。这些断裂主要为坳陷期活动的断裂和断陷期形成、坳陷期继续活动的断裂,在整个凹陷分布广泛。三肇凹陷青一段源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移距离主要受青一段源岩古超压值与油"倒灌"运移阻力差的控制,同时还受到被T2源断裂错断的扶杨油层砂泥组合关系的影响。青一段源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移的实际距离可达到300m,高值区主要分布在油田区域内。T2源断裂对油成藏与分布的控制作用表现在:T2源断裂发育区控制油聚集区域;T2源断裂发育程度控制着油"倒灌"运移的距离;T2源断裂附近高断块圈闭有利于油聚集成藏;距T2源断裂的距离控制着油井产能。

三肇凹陷青山口组源岩生成油向下“倒灌”运移层位及其研究意义

为了研究三肇凹陷青山口组源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移层位,对油向下"倒灌"运移机制及条件进行了研究,得到三肇凹陷扶杨油层同时具备①青山口组源岩目前应具有足够大的超压;②存在连通青山口组源岩和扶杨油层的T2断裂2个条件,青山口组源岩生成的油能够在超压的作用下在嫩江组沉积末期、明水组沉积末期和古近系沉积末期通过T2断裂向下伏扶杨油层中"倒灌"运移。利用压力封闭原理,对三肇凹陷青山口组源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移距离进行了研究,得到三肇凹陷青山口组源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移距离一般大于500m,而三肇凹陷扶杨油层地层厚度最大只有500m,表明三肇凹陷青山口组源岩生成的油可以向下"倒灌"运移至整个扶杨油层的任何部位。目前三肇凹陷扶杨油层从上至下均含油,且已找到的油藏均分布于青山口组源岩生成的油能够向下"倒灌"运移分布范围内或附近,这表明青山口组源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移层位控制着油气富集层位,青山口组源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移分布范围控制着三肇凹陷扶杨油层油藏形成与分布范围。青山口组源岩生成的油向下"倒灌"运移分布范围及其附近应是三肇凹陷扶杨油层油下一步勘探的有利地区。

松辽盆地长10区块扶余油层运移输导通道及对油成藏的控制

通过油藏解剖和其与成藏条件时空配置关系分析,在总结长10区块扶余油层油运移机制及模式的基础上,对其运移输导通道及其对油成藏与分布的控制作用进行了研究,得到长10区块扶余油层油运移输导通道主要包括①T2源断裂是三肇凹陷青一段源岩生成的油向下伏扶杨油层"倒灌"运移的输导通道;②T2断裂配合砂体是三肇凹陷扶杨油层中油向长10区块侧向运移的输导通道。长10区块扶余油层油运移输导通道对油成藏与分布的控制作用主要表现为①T2源断裂发育程度控制着三肇凹陷向长10区块扶余油层油供给量;②T2断裂密集带是长10区块扶余油层油聚集的主要区域,被T2断裂配合砂体形成的输导通道连接的高断块是油聚集的主要部位。

油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移最大深度的研究方法及其应用

油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移深度研究一直是上生下储式生储盖组合油气勘探研究的关键问题。为了定量研究油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移的最大深度,在油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移所需动力条件及最大深度影响因素研究的基础上,通过源岩古超压值与油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移深度之间关系,确定油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移所需的最小源岩古超压值(或油气沿断裂带运移阻力),由油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移所需的动力条件,建立了一套油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移最大深度的研究方法,并将其应用于松辽盆地三肇凹陷青一段源岩生成油沿断裂向下伏扶杨油层垂向倒灌运移的研究中,结果表明:三肇凹陷青一段源岩生成油沿断裂垂向倒灌运移最大深度最大可达到400 m以上,主要分布在其东部边部树119井、西部边部肇13井、北部边部宋深1井和凹陷中心4个局部地区,由4个高值区向其四周青一段源岩生成的油沿断裂垂向倒灌运移的最大深度逐渐减小,在凹陷中北部和凹陷边部减小至100 m以下,与目前三肇凹陷扶杨油层已发现油底深度分布基本吻合。表明该方法用于定量研究油气沿断裂垂向倒灌运移最大深度是可行的。

渤海湾盆地济阳坳陷车镇凹陷西部深层油气倒灌的物理模拟实验

以油气倒灌理论为指导,综合利用地震、地化、钻井、测井等资料,研究了渤海湾盆地济阳坳陷车镇凹陷西部油气倒灌的成藏机理。通过实验模拟油气在二次运移过程中以断裂(或微裂缝)为倒灌通道的过程,再现油气倒灌的形成过程。研究表明,Es3(中-下)亚段烃源岩与Es4(上)亚段油砂具有较好的亲缘关系,且Es4(上)亚段发现的油藏埋深大于Es3烃源岩底界埋藏深度;Es3(下)地层压力系数在1.0～1.4之间,向上和向下压力系数均逐渐减小,是油气倒灌的动力;裂缝与断裂是切穿Es3烃源岩底界与Es4顶部之间泥岩隔层、连接烃源岩与储集层的运移通道。

油气倒灌不可能发生

对油气运移中的倒灌问题研究后认为,油气是在浮力的作用下向上或侧向上运移的,油气倒灌是不可能发生的,油气倒灌的错误认识源于欠压实;欠压实是一个错误的概念,是对岩石变形理论的错误理解,用等效深度法计算烃源层压力也是一种错误做法,断层不是倒灌的通道,油气倒灌缺少动力的支持,当然不可能发生。