Research and Application of New Methods to Oil-Gas Geochemical Exploration

Based on the results of researches and applications for many years, it has been discovered that new methods and techniques for geochemical exploration of oil and gas such as δC, altered carbonate, Hg in absorption phase, Ks, Fe2+, δ13C, fluorescence in two and three dimensions, and N2 and O2 in heat release can give full play in the following five fields: (1) optimization of the favourable target or hollow zones and structural zones in a region; (2) evaluation of oil traps and delineation of prospective oil and gas areas; (3) prediction of deep-seated oil-bearing horizons; (4) evaluation of the genesis of oil and gas geochemical anomalies and determination of the types of oil and gas accumulations; (5) forecast of the burial depths of oil and gas pools.

Features of Sandy Debris Flows of the Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin and Its Oil and Gas Exploration Significance

Sandy debris flow is a new genetic type of sand bodies,which has gained much attention in recent years and its corresponding theory is proved to be a significant improvement and even partial denial to the 'Bouma Sequence' and 'turbidite fan' deep-water sedimentary theories to some point. Oil exploration researchers are highly concerned with sandy debris flows for its key role in controlling oil and gas accumulation processes.In this article,by applying sandy debris flows theory and combining a lot work of core,outcrop observation and analysis plus seismic profile interpretation,we recognized three types of sedimentary gravity flows that are sandy debris flows,classic turbidites and slumping rocks in chang-6 member of Yanchang Formation in the deep-water area of central Ordos Basin.Among the three types,the sandy debris flows are the most prominent and possesses the best oil bearing conditions.On the contrary,the classic turbidites formed by turbidity currents are limited in distribution;therefore,previous Yanchang Formation deep-water sedimentary studies have exaggerated the importance of turbidite currents deposition.Further study showed that the area distribution of deep water gravity flow sand bodies in Yanchang Formation were controlled by the slope of the deep-water deposits and the flows had vast distribution,huge depth and prevalent advantages for oil forming,which make it one of the most favorable new areas for Ordos Basin prospecting.

Control Factors and Diversities of Phase State of Oil and Gas Pools in the Kuqa Petroleum System

Based on the analysis of the hydrocarbon geochemical characteristics in the Kuqa petroleum system of the Tarim Basin, this study discusses the causes and controlling factors of the phase diversities and their differences in geochemical features. According to the characteristics and differences in oil and gas phase, the petroleum system can be divided into five categories： oil reservoir, wet gas reservoir, condensate gas-rich reservoir, condensate gas-poor reservoir and dry gas reservoir. The causes for the diversities in oil and gas phases include diversities of the sources of parent material, maturity of natural gas and the process of hydrocarbon accumulation of different hydrocarbon phases. On the whole, the Jurassic and Triassic terrestrial source rocks are the main sources for the hydrocarbon in the Kuqa Depression. The small differences in parent material may cause diversities in oil and gas amount, but the impact is small. The differences in oil and gas phase are mainly affected by maturity and the accumulation process, which closely relates with each other. Oil and gas at different thermal evolution stage can be captured in different accumulation process.

Prospective prediction and exploration situation of marine Mesozoic-Paleozoic oil and gas in the South Yellow Sea

The South Yellow Sea Basin is a large sedimentary basin superimposed by the Mesozoic-Paleozoic marine sedimentary basin and the Mesozoic-Cenozoic terrestrial sedimentary basin, where no oil and gas fields have been discovered after exploration for 58 years. After the failure of oil and gas exploration in terrestrial basins, the exploration target of the South Yellow Sea Basin turned to the marine Mesozoic- Paleozoic strata. After more than ten years' investigation and research, a lot of achievements have been obtained. The latest exploration obtained effective seismic reflection data of deep marine facies by the application of seismic exploration technology characterized by high coverage, abundant low-frequency components and strong energy source for the deep South Yellow Sea Basin. In addition, some wells drilled the Middle-Upper Paleozoic strata, with obvious oil and gas shows discovered in some horizons. The recent petroleum geological research on the South Yellow Sea Basin shows that the structure zoning of the marine residual basin has been redetermined, the basin structure has been defined, and 3 seismic reflection marker layers are traceable and correlatable in the residual thick Middle-Paleozoic strata below the continental Meso-Cenozoic strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin. Based on these, the seismic sequence of the marine sedimentary strata was established. According to the avaliable oil and gas exploration and research, the marine Mesozoic-Paleozoic oil and gas prospects of the South Yellow Sea were predicted as follows.(1) The South Yellow Sea Basin has the same sedimentary formation and evolution history during the sedimentary period of the Middle-Paleozoic marine basin with the Sichuan Basin.(2) There are 3 regional high-quality source rocks.(3) The carbonate and clastic reservoirs are developed in the Mesozoic- Paleozoic strata.(4) The three source-reservoir-cap assemblages are relatively intact.(5) The Laoshan Uplift is a prospect area for the Lower Paleozoic oil and gas, and the Wunansha Uplift is one for the marine Upper Paleozoic oil and gas.(6) The Gaoshi stable zone in the Laoshan Uplift is a favorable zone.(7) The marine Mesozoic-Paleozoic strata in the South Yellow Sea Basin has the geological conditions required to form large oil and gas fields, with remarkable oil and gas resources prospect. An urgent problem to be addressed now within the South Yellow Sea Basin is to drill parametric wells for the Lower Paleozoic strata as the target, to establish the complete stratigraphic sequence since the Paleozoic period, to obtain resource evaluation parameters, and to realize the strategic discovery and achieve breakthrough in oil and gas exploration understanding.

BTEX anomalies used as indicators of submarine oil and gas reservoirs

It is a conventional method for petroleum prospecting to generally use paraffin hydrocarbon as basic indexes of oil and gas. This conventional geochemical technology, however, shows some limits in the prospecting as paraffin is vulnerable to influences from human and biologic activities. Consequently, BTEX （short for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylem, which are direct biomarkers） among aromatic hydrocarbon series has been taken into account for the oil and gas prediction. Domestic and foreign study results demonstrate that BTEX is hardly disturbed and can well indicate oil and gas reservoirs. Based on measured data from a South China Sea area, the present authors have used self-developed visual assessment software for petroleum prospecting has been used to process data, strip background anomalies, and outline significant BTEX anomalies. By comparison with stratigraphic profiles of the target area, it is confirmed that BTEX is a good indication of marine oil and gas during the petroleum prospecting.

Discovery of Palaeozoic Karsts in the Qaidam Basin and Their Oil and Gas Prospects

Objective Complex geological factors have been constraining the oil and gas exploration in the Paleozoic strata of the Qaidam Basin,although there are high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks.One of the most important reasons may be reservoir densification due to the multiple stages of destructive cementation,which has hindered our understanding of the Paleozoic petroleum enrichment rules in the Qaidam basin.In recent years.

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.

Surface Geochemical Patterns over Oil and Gas Traps

Surface geochemical exploration for oil and gas is still in the empirical stage , despite 50 years has passed since the method was first proposed by Laubmeyer and Sokolov . A boom of its application is emerging in China followed the depression during 60 - 70 's . However , before the method can be accepted by the industry as a routine technique , a relatively sound basis should be established . This paper presents several cases over known oil and gas fields and discusses the factors that effect the surface geochemical expression of underground oil pools .

DEFINITING AND ITS GEOLOGIC MEANING OF SOUTH-NORTH TREND FAULTED STRUCTURE BELT IN QIANGTANG BASIN, NORTH PART OF TIBET

There were more expounding to north—west (west) trend fault and north\|east trend fault within Qiangtang Basin, North Part of Tibet, in the past literature. With increasing of geophysical exploration data, nearly east\|west trend structure began to be taken note to. Since the year of 1995, by a synthetic study to geophysical and geological data, that south\|north trend faulted structures are well developed. These structures should be paid much more attention to, because they have important theoretical meaning and practical significance.1 Spreading of south\|north faulted structure belt According to different geological and geophysical data, the six larger scale nearly south\|north faulted structure belt could be distinguished within the scope of east longitude 84°～96° and near Qiangtang Basin. The actual location of the six belts are nearly located in the west of the six meridian of east longitude 85°,87°,89°,91°,93°,95° or located near these meridian. The six south\|north faulted structure belts spread in the same interval with near 2° longitude interval. The more clear and much more significance of south\|north trend faulted structure belts are the two S—N trend faulted structure belts of east longitude 87° and 89°. There are S—N trend faulted structure belts in the west of east longitude 83°,81°, or near the longitudes. The structure belts spreading features,manifestation,geological function and its importance, and inter texture and structure are not exactly so same. The structure belts all different degree caused different region of geological structure or gravity field and magnetic field. There is different scale near S—N trend faulted structure belt between the belts.

Prospects of borehole NMR instruments and applications Dedicated to Professor Chaohui Ye on the occasion of his 80th birthday

Borehole nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)is a powerful technology to characterize the petrophysical properties of underground reservoirs in the petroleum industry.The rising complexity of oil and gas exploration and development objectives,as well as the novel application contexts of underground reservoirs,have led to increasingly demanding requirements on borehole NMR technology including instrument design and related processing methods.This mini review summarizes the advances and applications of borehole NMR instruments along with some future possibilities.It may be helpful for researchers and engineers in the petroleum industry to understand the development status and future trends of borehole NMR technology.

New progress of microbial prospecting of oil and gas in China:Taking the Satellite Oilfield in Daqing as an example

The Microbial Prospecting of Oil and Gas(MPOG) is applied to the matured development area in the Satellite Oilfield in Daqing for the first time. And with the MPOG,the hydrocarbon accumulation regulation controlled by faults is interpreted,and the matured development area is extended out to western part. At the same time,four microbial anomalies are discovered. The MPOG results were verified by the hydrocarbon-bearing conditions of the 10 drilled wells within the following half a year,and the consistent rate is up to 80%,which add about 300×104 t of the explored petroleum-in-place. Through study and successful application of MPOG to the Satellite Oilfield,the basis of the application from the exploration to development field is substantially established,and standard system of microbial anomaly is more precisely built for the Satellite Oilfield,which provided an effective explanatory item for the studied and adjacent region,even for the whole Songliao Basin,and also a new technique for complicated reservoirs,especially for the later stage development of litho-reservoirs in China. Therefore,it must have profound influence upon the oil and gas exploration,especially upon the remaining oil,extension and reserves addition of the developed area in China.

The surface geochemical exploration of oil and gas in the Gangbatong-Ya'anxiang and the Dongqiao-Nam Co of the Qinghai-Tibet region

Due to the complexity of geological background and the adverseness of natural geographical environment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,it is very difficult to carry out petroleum geological study in this region. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the only blank space of petroleum exploration on a large scale. The authors carried out the surface geochemical exploration of oil and gas in the Gangbatong-Ya'anxiang and Dongqiao-Nam Co of the Qinghai-Tibet region. Based on the data of actual detection and experiments in the studied area,the characteristics of concentration and profile distribution of the main geochemical exploration indicators(total adsorbed hydrocarbon,altered carbonate,thermal released mercury,etc.) were discussed. The origin of hydrocarbon was also discussed. Moreover,the oil and gas potential of different sections in the Qiangtang Basin and the Biru Basin were evaluated,which could provide references for the exploration and prediction of oil and gas in this region. The concentrations of total adsorbed hydrocarbons in the Ya'anxiang of Suoxian County-Zadong of Baqing County and the Jiecha-Dangxiong of Anduo County in the Qinghai-Tibet region are high,averaging 312.64 μL·kg-1 and 164.36 μL·kg-1. Their altered carbonate concentrations are relatively low,averaging 0.11% and 0.56%. Their concentrations of thermal released mercury are relatively high,averaging 13.09×10-9 and 1.94×10-9. Geochemical exploration results in fact reflect hydrocarbon information in the underground,which are mainly petroleum associated gas and over-matured cracking gas. The Jiecha-Charenluma and the Xiamaya'ertong-Suoba sections in the Qiangtang Basin are the most favorable ones for oil and gas and the Ekou-Zadong section is relatively favorable one,while the Nam Co and the Zigetangcuo-Dongqiao sections in the Biru Basin are the favorable ones for oil and gas,and the Jiang Co-Nading Co and the Ya'anxiang-Ya'ertong sections are relatively favorable ones.

Research achievements of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on 60 years of aeromagnetic surveys

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(also referred to as the Plateau)has long received much attention from the community of geoscience due to its unique geographical location and rich mineral resources.This paper reviews the aeromagnetic surveys in the Plateau in the past 60 years and summarizes relevant research achievements,which mainly include the followings.(1)The boundaries between the Plateau and its surrounding regions have been clarified.In detail,its western boundary is restricted by West Kunlun-Altyn Tagh arc-shaped magnetic anomaly zone forming due to the arc-shaped connection of the Altyn Tagh and Kangxiwa faults and its eastern boundary consists of the boundaries among different magnetic fields along the Longnan(Wudu)-Kangding Fault.Meanwhile,the fault on the northern margin of the Northern Qilian Mountains serves as its northern boundary.(2)The Plateau is mainly composed of four orogens that were stitched together,namely East Kunlun-Qilian,Hoh-Xil-Songpan,Chamdo-Southwestern Sanjiang(Nujiang,Lancang,and Jinsha rivers in southeastern China),and Gangdese-Himalaya orogens.(3)The basement of the Plateau is dominated by weakly magnetic Proterozoic metamorphic rocks and lacks strongly magnetic Archean crystalline basement of stable continents such as the Tarim and Sichuan blocks.Therefore,it exhibits the characteristics of unstable orogenic basement.(4)The Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone forming due to continent-continent collisions since the Cenozoic shows double aeromagnetic anomaly zones.Therefore,it can be inferred that the Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone formed from the Indian Plate subducting towards and colliding with the Eurasian Plate twice.(5)A huge negative aeromagnetic anomaly in nearly SN trending has been discovered in the middle part of the Plateau,indicating a giant deep thermal-tectonic zone.(6)A dual-layer magnetic structure has been revealed in the Plateau.It consists of shallow magnetic anomaly zones in nearly EW and NW trending and deep magnetic anomaly zones in nearly SN trending.They overlap vertically and cross horizontally,showing the flyover-type geological structure of the Plateau.(7)A group of NW-trending faults occur in eastern Tibet,which is intersected rather than connected by the nearly EW trending that develop in middle-west Tibet.(8)As for the central uplift zone that occurs through the Qiangtang Basin,its metamorphic basement tends to gradually descend from west to east,showing the form of steps.The Qiangtang Basin is divided into the northern and southern part by the central uplift zone in it.The basement in the Qiangtang Basin is deep in the north and west and shallow in the south and west.The basement in the northern Qiangtang Basin is deep and relatively stable and thus is more favorable for the generation and preservation of oil and gas.Up to now,19 favorable tectonic regions of oil and gas have been determined in the Qiangtang Basin.(9)A total of 21 prospecting areas of mineral resources have been delineated and thousands of ore-bearing(or mineralization)anomalies have been discovered.Additionally,the formation and uplift mechanism of the Plateau are briefly discussed in this paper.

四川盆地烃类垂向微运移及其地球化学效应

根据钻井垂向剖面中烃类的变化特征,研究其烃类垂向微运移迹象,用以追溯地表异常来源,进而研究近地表异常模式及成因机理。四川盆地油气井中自深至浅,环烷烃百分组成逐渐降低,正构和异构烷烃不断增加;280 nm和210 nm紫外导数值逐渐降低;运移指向明显,表征了烃类垂向微运移客观存在的事实。川西地区近地表样品与下伏储层C1—C5色谱图及三维荧光图谱基本相似,说明二者同源,揭示了近地表化探异常为“有源之水”,近地表化探异常及其靶区预测是可靠的。

油气化探技术在隐蔽油气藏勘探中的作用

油气化探技术具有的可靠性、适应性、灵活性、经济性、连续性等特点 ,保证了它在隐蔽油气藏勘探中能够发挥非常好的辅助作用。双河、任丘、安塞油田等实例说明隐蔽油气藏近地表地球化学响应明显 ,并具有明确的地质意义 ,在隐蔽油气藏勘探中 ,油气化探技术对发现隐蔽油气藏、指引地震勘探目标、圈定油气藏范围、评价圈闭含油气性、判别流体属性等都可以起到导向性作用。

川西地区浅、中层天然气藏化探判别模型

川西地区上沙溪庙组储层的物上气甲烷、丙烷、重烃,酸解烃甲烷、丙烷、重烃,荧光320 nm和360 nm等浓度指标及物上气湿度系数、物上气丙烷/甲烷、酸解烃湿度系数、酸解烃丙烷/甲烷、荧光360 nm/320 nm、荧光405 nm/320 nm等比值指标均明显高于蓬莱镇组储层,具有显著的浓度降或浓度正向梯度,确实存在烃类的垂向微运移。上沙溪庙组储层天然气三维荧光图谱具有明显的T2峰,峰型相对复杂,与蓬莱镇组储层具有显著的差异性。聚类、模糊聚类、因子分析、非线性映射和对应分析等可以很好地将蓬莱镇组、上沙溪庙组储层划分为两大类,反映了蓬莱镇组和上沙溪庙组储层具有良好的自然分群特征及可判别性。依据费歇尔准则建立的判别模型表明,物上气甲烷作用最大,反映了物上气在井中化探判别天然气储层中的重要作用。

三维荧光光谱的油气指示意义

三维荧光图谱具有"指纹图"的特征。通过对井中岩屑样品及近地表土壤样品的三维荧光分析,不仅可以指示油气的运移、聚集,而且可以有效地指示油气层的存在及其油气属性,是对于已钻井油气层重新认识(老井油气复查)的有效方法,同时可据其推断下覆圈闭的含油气性质,是地面化探指示油气属性的有效指标。