Geochemical prerequisites for the formation of oil and gas accumulation zones in the South Turgay basin,Kazakhstan

This study predicts favorable oil and gas source-rock formation conditions in the Aryskum Depression of the South Turgay Basin,Kazakhstan.This study assesses the thermal maturity and characteristics of organic matter by determining its environmental conditions using data from geochemical analysis of core(pyrolysis)and oil(biomarkers and carbon isotopic compositions)samples.According to the geochemical parameters obtained by pyrolysis,the oil generation potential of the original rocks of most studied samples varies from poor to rich.The facies–genetic organic matter is predominantly humic and less frequently humus–sapropel,indicating organic matter accumulation in the studied samples were under moderately reducing conditions(kerogenⅢand Ⅱ types)and coastal–marine environments(kerogen typeⅠ).The carbon isotopic compositions of oils derived from the Jurassic deposits of the Aryskum Depression also indicate the sapropelic and mixed humic–sapropelic type of organic matter(kerogenⅡandⅠ).Biomarker analysis of oils indicates original organic matter formation in an anoxic environment.

Dynamic simulation of differential accumulation history of deep marine oil and gas in superimposed basin:A case study of Lower Paleozoic petroleum system of Tahe Oilfield,Tarim Basin,NW China

According to the complex differential accumulation history of deep marine oil and gas in superimposed basins,the Lower Paleozoic petroleum system in Tahe Oilfield of Tarim Basin is selected as a typical case,and the process of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion,migration and accumulation,adjustment and transformation of deep oil and gas is restored by means of reservoine-forming dynamics simulation.The thermal evolution history of the Lower Cambrian source rocks in Tahe Oilfield reflects the obvious differences in hydrocarbon generation and expulsion process and intensity in different tectonic zones,which is the main reason controlling the differences in deep oil and gas phases.The complex transport system composed of strike-slip fault and unconformity,etc.controlled early migration and accumulation and late adjustment of deep oil and gas,while the Middle Cambrian gypsum-salt rock in inner carbonate platform prevented vertical migration and accumulation of deep oil and gas,resulting in an obvious"fault-controlled"feature of deep oil and gas,in which the low potential area superimposed by the NE-strike-slip fault zone and deep oil and gas migration was conducive to accumulation,and it is mainly beaded along the strike-slip fault zone in the northeast direction.The dynamic simulation of reservoir formation reveals that the spatio-temporal configuration of"source-fault-fracture-gypsum-preservation"controls the differential accumulation of deep oil and gas in Tahe Oilfield.The Ordovician has experienced the accumulation history of multiple periods of charging,vertical migration and accumulation,and lateral adjustment and transformation,and deep oil and gas have always been in the dynamic equilibrium of migration,accumulation and escape.The statistics of residual oil and gas show that the deep stratum of Tahe Oilfield still has exploration and development potential in the Ordovician Yingshan Formation and Penglaiba Formation,and the Middle and Upper Cambrian ultra-deep stratum has a certain oil and gas resource prospect.This study provides a reference for the dynamic quantitative evaluation of deep oil and gas in the Tarim Basin,and also provides a reference for the study of reservoir formation and evolution in carbonate reservoir of paleo-craton basin.

Research advances on the mechanisms of reservoir formation and hydrocarbon accumulation and the oil and gas development methods of deep and ultra-deep marine carbonates

Based on the new data of drilling, seismic, logging, test and experiments, the key scientific problems in reservoir formation, hydrocarbon accumulation and efficient oil and gas development methods of deep and ultra-deep marine carbonate strata in the central and western superimposed basin in China have been continuously studied.(1) The fault-controlled carbonate reservoir and the ancient dolomite reservoir are two important types of reservoirs in the deep and ultra-deep marine carbonates. According to the formation origin, the large-scale fault-controlled reservoir can be further divided into three types:fracture-cavity reservoir formed by tectonic rupture, fault and fluid-controlled reservoir, and shoal and mound reservoir modified by fault and fluid. The Sinian microbial dolomites are developed in the aragonite-dolomite sea. The predominant mound-shoal facies, early dolomitization and dissolution, acidic fluid environment, anhydrite capping and overpressure are the key factors for the formation and preservation of high-quality dolomite reservoirs.(2) The organic-rich shale of the marine carbonate strata in the superimposed basins of central and western China are mainly developed in the sedimentary environments of deep-water shelf of passive continental margin and carbonate ramp. The tectonic-thermal system is the important factor controlling the hydrocarbon phase in deep and ultra-deep reservoirs, and the reformed dynamic field controls oil and gas accumulation and distribution in deep and ultra-deep marine carbonates.(3) During the development of high-sulfur gas fields such as Puguang, sulfur precipitation blocks the wellbore. The application of sulfur solvent combined with coiled tubing has a significant effect on removing sulfur blockage. The integrated technology of dual-medium modeling and numerical simulation based on sedimentary simulation can accurately characterize the spatial distribution and changes of the water invasion front.Afterward, water control strategies for the entire life cycle of gas wells are proposed, including flow rate management, water drainage and plugging.(4) In the development of ultra-deep fault-controlled fractured-cavity reservoirs, well production declines rapidly due to the permeability reduction, which is a consequence of reservoir stress-sensitivity. The rapid phase change in condensate gas reservoir and pressure decline significantly affect the recovery of condensate oil. Innovative development methods such as gravity drive through water and natural gas injection, and natural gas drive through top injection and bottom production for ultra-deep fault-controlled condensate gas reservoirs are proposed. By adopting the hierarchical geological modeling and the fluid-solid-thermal coupled numerical simulation, the accuracy of producing performance prediction in oil and gas reservoirs has been effectively improved.

Quantitative prediction model for the depth limit of oil accumulation in the deep carbonate rocks:A case study of Lower Ordovician in Tazhong area of Tarim Basin

With continuous hydrocarbon exploration extending to deeper basins,the deepest industrial oil accumulation was discovered below 8,200 m,revealing a new exploration field.Hence,the extent to which oil exploration can be extended,and the prediction of the depth limit of oil accumulation(DLOA),are issues that have attracted significant attention in petroleum geology.Since it is difficult to characterize the evolution of the physical properties of the marine carbonate reservoir with burial depth,and the deepest drilling still cannot reach the DLOA.Hence,the DLOA cannot be predicted by directly establishing the relationship between the ratio of drilling to the dry layer and the depth.In this study,by establishing the relationships between the porosity and the depth and dry layer ratio of the carbonate reservoir,the relationships between the depth and dry layer ratio were obtained collectively.The depth corresponding to a dry layer ratio of 100%is the DLOA.Based on this,a quantitative prediction model for the DLOA was finally built.The results indicate that the porosity of the carbonate reservoir,Lower Ordovician in Tazhong area of Tarim Basin,tends to decrease with burial depth,and manifests as an overall low porosity reservoir in deep layer.The critical porosity of the DLOA was 1.8%,which is the critical geological condition corresponding to a 100%dry layer ratio encountered in the reservoir.The depth of the DLOA was 9,000 m.This study provides a new method for DLOA prediction that is beneficial for a deeper understanding of oil accumulation,and is of great importance for scientific guidance on deep oil drilling.

Ordovician reservoirs in Fuxian area:Gas accumulation patterns and their implications for the exploration of lower Paleozoic carbonates in the southern Ordos Basin

In recent years,the Fuxian area in the southeastern Ordos Basin has undergone significant exploration,with industrial gas flow tested in wells drilled into the Ordovician marine carbonates.Despite this,the gas accumulation patterns of this area are not fully understood,posing challenges for further exploration.Our analysis of geological conditions indicates that the Ordovician Majiagou Formation in this area hosts two gas plays:one found in weathering crusts and the other found in interior of the formation.We investigated various typical gas reservoirs in the area,focusing on differentiating the geological conditions and factors controlling gas accumulation in the weathering-crust and interior gas reservoirs.The results suggest three primary gas accumulation patterns in the Majiagou Formation in the Fuxian area:(1)upper gas accumulation in weathering crusts,present in the high parts of landforms such as residual paleo-hills or buried paleo-platform(Pattern I);(2)the stereoscopic pattern with gas accumulation in both weathering crusts and strata interior,arising in high parts of landforms such as residual paleo-hills or buried paleo-platforms(Pattern II);(3)lower gas accumulation in strata interior,occurring in the upper reaches and on both sides of paleo-trenches(Pattern III).This study will serve as a geological basis for future exploration deployment in the Fuxian area.

Origin and accumulation of high-maturity oil and gas in deep parts of the Baxian Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, China

Great quantities of light oil and gas are produced from deep buried hill reservoirs at depths of 5,641 m to 6,027 m and 190 ℃ to 201 ℃ in the Niudong-1 Well, representing the deepest and hottest commercial hydrocarbons discovered in the Bohai Bay Basin in eastern China. This discovery suggests favorable exploration prospects for the deep parts of the basin. However, the discovery raises questions regarding the genesis and accumulation of hydrocarbons in deep reservoirs. Based on the geochemical features of the hydrocarbons and characteristics of the source rocks as well as thermal simulation experiments of hydrocarbon generation, we conclude that the oil and gas were generated from the highly mature Sha-4 Member （Es4） source rocks instead of thermal cracking of crude oils in earlier accumulations. The source kitchen with abnormal pressures and karsted carbonate reservoirs control the formation of high-maturity hydrocarbon accumulations in the buried hills （i.e., Niudong-1） in conjunction with several structural-lithologic traps in the ES4 reservoirs since the deposition of the upper Minghuazhen Formation. This means the oil and gas exploration potential in the deep parts of the Baxian Depression is probably high.

Characteristics of Oil and Gas Accumulation in Yong'an-Meitai Area of the Fushan Depression,Beibuwan Basin,South China Sea

The Yong＇an-Meitai area is the focus of the present exploration in the Fushan Depression, Beibuwan Basin, South China Sea. All oils from this area are geochemically characterized by higher Pr/Ph ratio, higher proportion of heavy molecular weight hydrocarbons, and higher proportion of C29 regular steranes, which indicate that the organic matter of source rocks might have been deposited in an oxidizing palaeoenvironment and be dominated by higher plant organic matter input. The oil from E3w2 （the second member of Weizhou Fro. of the Oligocene） has a much higher density, relatively higher Pr/nC17 and Ph/nC18 ratios, and a ＂UCM--unresolved complex mixture＂ on gas chromatograms, which indicate that it has been slightly biodegraded. CPI and other terpane and sterane isomer ratios suggest they are all mature oils. The timing of oil charging in E3w2 and E2I1 （the first member of the Liushagang Fro. of the Eocene） determined by the homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions and thermal evolution history are from 9-3 Ma and 8-3 Ma, respectively. Thus, the interpretation of E3w2 as a secondary reservoir is unlikely. The timing of oil charging is later than that of hydrocarbon generating and expulsion of Liushagang Fin. source rocks and trap formation, which is favorable for oil accumulation in this area. All molecular parameters that are used for tracing oil filling direction decrease with shallower burial depth, which suggests vertical oil migration. The widely occurring faults that penetrate through the source rocks of the Liushagang Fro. may serve as a fine oil charging conduit.

Discussion of the Mode and Mechanism of Oil and Gas Accumulation in the Nanbaxian Pool in the North of the Qaidam Basin

Because of the difference ofoil and gas accumulation condition between the hanging wall and the footwall of a fault, there is a peculiar accumulation mechanism that oil and gas mainly exists in the hanging wall of the basement fault, but in the footwall of the shallow detachment fault in the Nanbaxian pool. The oil and gas of the Nanbaxian pool came from the mature Jurassic hydrocarbon source rock of the Yibei depression located at the south of the Nanbaxian pool. Firstly, the oil and gas accumulated in the traps of the hanging wall of the basement fault by way of the unconformity and the basement faults, and turned into some primary deep pools; and then, the shallow detachment fault that formed in the later tectonic movement broke into the deep primary pools, which caused the oil and gas migration upwards along the basement faults and the shallow detachment faults and the evolvement into some secondary oil and gas pools later. The history of the Nanbaxian oil and gas accumulation can be summarized successively as the syndepositional upheaval controlled by faults; single hydrocarbon source rock; unconformities and faults as migration channels; buoyancy, overpressure and tectonic stress as dynamic forces; multistage migration and accumulation of oil and gas; and finally an overlapped double-floor pattern of oil and gas accumulation. The most important explorative targets in the north of the Qaidam Basin are traps connected with the primary pools in the footwall by shallow detachment faults.

Tectonic evolution of the Changling fault basin and its relationship to oil and gas accumulation

The Changling fault depression passed through three stages of evolution: a period of faulting, a period of subsidence, and an inversion period. The fault lifted the whole area and the formation was eroded during the late Yingcheng formation, the late Nenjiang formation, and the late Mingshui formation. The denudation quantity of eight wells located in the study area is estimated by the interval transit time method and by the formation trend extension method using seismic and drilling data. Inversion back stripping technology with de-compaction correction was used to restore the original sedimentary thickness step by step and to recover the burial history at a single well. Two profiles were selected for the recovery and study of the tectonic evolution. The study confirmed that the primary major gas bearing structure formed due to thermal shrinkage lifting during the late Yingcheng formation. Successive development in a pattern during the late Mingshui formation led to the formation of the primary gas pool. Vertical differential uplift during the late Nenjiang formation formed the Fulongquan structure during the late Paleogene. At this same time a secondary gas pool formed. A large scale reverse developed late in the Mingshui formation that provided the impetus for formation of a secondary gas pool. It is thought that the migration and accumulation of oil and gas was controlled by lithologic character, fracture, and structure. The local uplift in the vicinity of the hydrocarbon recession is most conducive to the collection of hydrocarbon gas.

Geochronological Records of Oil-Gas Accumulations in the Permian Reservoirs of the Northeastern Ordos Basin

Geochronology of oil-gas accumulation （OGA） is a challenging subject of petroleum geology in multi-cycle superimposed basins.By K-Ar dating of authigenic illite （AI） and fluid inclusion （FI） analysis combined with apatite fission track （AFT） thermal modeling,a case study of constraining the OGA times of the Permian reservoirs in northeast Ordos basin （NOB） has been conducted in this paper.AI dating of the Permian oil-gas-bearing sandstone core-samples shows a wide time domain of 178-108 Ma.The distribution of the AI ages presents 2-stage primary OGA processes in the Permian reservoirs,which developed in the time domains of 175-155 Ma and 145-115 Ma with 2-peak ages of 165 Ma and 130 Ma,respectively.The FI temperature peaks of the samples and their projected ages on the AFT thermal path not only present two groups with a low and a high peak temperatures in ranges of 90-78℃ and 125-118℃,respectively corresponding to 2-stage primary OGA processes of 162-153 Ma and 140-128 Ma in the Permian reservoirs,but also appear a medium temperature group with the peak of 98℃ in agreement with a secondary OGA process of c.～30 Ma in the Upper Permian reservoirs.The integrated analysis of the AI and FI ages and the tectono-thermal evolution reveals that the Permian reservoirs in the NOB experienced at least 2-stage primary OGA processes of 165-153 Ma and 140-128 Ma in agreement with the subsidence thermal process of the Mid-Early Jurassic and the tectono-thermal event of the Early Cretaceous.Then,the Upper Permian reservoirs further experienced at least 1-stage secondary OGA process of c.～30 Ma in coincidence with a critical tectonic conversion between the slow and the rapid uplift processes from the Late Cretaceous to Neogene.

The accumulation characteristics and exploration potential of oil and gas in the back-arc basin of Japan under the background of high heat flow

The Sea of Japan is located in the southeast margin of Eurasia, in the triangle area of the western Pacific Ocean. Due to the interaction of the Pacific plate, Eurasian plate and Philippine plate, its tectonic environment is complex, forming a typical trench-arc-basin system. At present, 148 oil and gas fields have been discovered in Japan, with an oil and gas resource of 255.78×10^(6) t, showing a good prospect for oil and gas exploration. Based on the previous research and the recently collected geological and geophysical data, the characteristics of tectonic-sedimentary evolution and geothermal field in the basins around the Sea of Japan are analyzed. The results show that the tectonic evolution of the basin is mainly controlled by plate subduction and back-arc oceanic crust expansion, and it mainly undergone four tectonic-sedimentary evolution stages: Subduction period, basin development period, subsidence period and compression deformation period. The overall heat flow value of Japan Sea is high, and it is distributed annularly along Yamato Ridge. The geothermal heat flow value is about 50–130 MW/m^(2), and the average heat flow is75.9±19.8 MW/m^(2), which has a typical “hot basin ”. The high heat flow background provides unique thermal evolution conditions for hydrocarbon generation, which leads to the high temperature and rapid evolution. The authors summarized as “early hydrocarbon generation, rapid maturity and shallow and narrow hydrocarbon generation window”. The type of oil and gas is mainly natural gas, and it mainly distributed in Neogene oil and gas reservoirs. The trap types are mainly structural traps, lithologic traps and composite traps. In addition, the pre-Neogene bedrock oil and gas reservoirs also show a good exploration prospect. The resource prospecting indicates that Niigata Basin, Ulleung Basin and kitakami Basin are the main target areas for future exploration and development.

Oil and gas source and accumulation of Zhongqiu 1 trap in Qiulitage structural belt, Tarim Basin, NW China

Well Zhongqiu 1 obtained highly productive oil-gas stream in the footwall of Zhongqiu structure, marking the strategic breakthrough of Qiulitag structural belt in the Tarim Basin. However, the oil and gas sources in Zhongqiu structural belt and the reservoir formation process in Zhongqiu 1 trap remain unclear, so study on these issues may provide important basis for the next step of oil and gas exploration and deployment in Qiulitage structural belt. In this study, a systematic correlation of oil and gas source in Well Zhongqiu 1 has been carried out. The oil in Well Zhongqiu 1 is derived from Triassic lacustrine mudstone, while the gas is a typical coal-derived gas and mainly from Jurassic coal measures. The oil charging in Well Zhongqiu 1 mainly took place during the sedimentary period from Jidike Formation to Kangcun Formation in Neogene, and the oil was mainly contributed by Triassic source rock;large-scale natural gas charging occurred in the sedimentary period of Kuqa Formation in Neogene, and the coal-derived gas generated in the late Jurassic caused large-scale gas invasion to the early Triassic crude oil reservoirs. The Zhongqiu 1 trap was formed earlier than or at the same period as the hydrocarbon generation and expulsion period of Triassic-Jurassic source rocks. Active faults provided paths for hydrocarbon migration. The source rocks-faults-traps matched well in time and space. Traps in the footwall of the Zhongqiu structural fault have similar reservoir-forming conditions with the Zhongqiu 1 trap, so they are favorable targets in the next step of exploration.

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.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE LANKAO-LIAOCHENG FRACTURAL ZONE AND ITS OIL-GAS ACCUMULATION

The Lankao-Liaocheng Fractural Zone is a large-seade NNE-trending struetural zone in the North China Crustoblock. Dated from the Late Arehean-Early Proterozoie, it is stil1 active now. Its nature varied with time in its developing process. It has became a tensile ultralithospherie fraetural zone at present or in diwa residual-mobility period. Some cenozoic oil-gas-bearing basins are distributed along the fraetural zone which fomed an important oil-gas accumulating belt in the North China Ctustoblock.

Geochemical characteristics and exploration significance of ultra-deep Sinian oil and gas from Well Tashen 5,Tarim Basin,NW China

The Well Tashen 5(TS5),drilled and completed at a vertical depth of 9017 m in the Tabei Uplift of the Tarim Basin,NW China,is the deepest well in Asia.It has been producing both oil and gas from the Sinian at a depth of 8780e8840 m,also the deepest in Asia in terms of oil discovery.In this paper,the geochemical characteristics of Sinian oil and gas from the well were investigated and compared with those of Cambrian oil and gas discovered in the same basin.The oil samples,with Pr/Ph ratio of 0.78 and a whole oil carbon isotopic value of31.6‰,have geochemical characteristics similar to those of Ordovician oils from the No.1 fault in the North Shuntuoguole area(also named Shunbei area)and the Middle Cambrian oil from wells Zhongshen 1(ZS1)and Zhongshen 5(ZS5)of Tazhong Uplift.The maturity of light hydrocarbons,diamondoids and aromatic fractions all suggest an approximate maturity of 1.5%e1.7%Ro for the samples.The(4-+3-)methyldiamantane concentration of the samples is 113.5 mg/g,indicating intense cracking with a cracking degree of about 80%,which is consistent with the high bottom hole temperature(179℃).The Sinian gas samples are dry with a dryness coefficient of 0.97.The gas is a mixture of kerogen-cracking gas and oil-cracking gas and has Ro values ranging between 1.5%and 1.7%,and methane carbon isotopic values of41.6‰.Based on the equivalent vitrinite reflectance(R_(eqv)=1.51%e1.61%)and the thermal evolution of source rocks from the Cambrian Yu'ertusi Formation of the same well,it is proposed that the Sinian oil and gas be mainly sourced from the Cambrian Yu'ertusi Formation during the Himalayan period but probably also be joined by hydrocarbon of higher maturity that migrated from other source rocks in deeper formations.The discovery of Sinian oil and gas from Well TS5 suggests that the ancient ultra-deep strata in the northern Tarim Basin have the potential for finding volatile oil or condensate reservoirs.

Hydrocarbon accumulation and orderly distribution of whole petroleum system in marine carbonate rocks of Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on the situation and progress of marine oil/gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin,SW China,the whole petroleum system is divided for marine carbonate rocks of the basin according to the combinations of hydrocarbon accumulation elements,especially the source rock.The hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics of each whole petroleum system are analyzed,the patterns of integrated conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon accumulation are summarized,and the favorable exploration targets are proposed.Under the control of multiple extensional-convergent tectonic cycles,the marine carbonate rocks of the Sichuan Basin contain three sets of regional source rocks and three sets of regional cap rocks,and can be divided into the Cambrian,Silurian and Permian whole petroleum systems.These whole petroleum systems present mainly independent hydrocarbon accumulation,containing natural gas of affinity individually.Locally,large fault zones run through multiple whole petroleum systems,forming a fault-controlled complex whole petroleum system.The hydrocarbon accumulation sequence of continental shelf facies shale gas accumulation,marginal platform facies-controlled gas reservoirs,and intra-platform fault-and facies-controlled gas reservoirs is common in the whole petroleum system,with a stereoscopic accumulation and orderly distribution pattern.High-quality source rock is fundamental to the formation of large gas fields,and natural gas in a whole petroleum system is generally enriched near and within the source rocks.The development and maintenance of large-scale reservoirs are essential for natural gas enrichment,multiple sources,oil and gas transformation,and dynamic adjustment are the characteristics of marine petroleum accumulation,and good preservation conditions are critical to natural gas accumulation.Large-scale marginal-platform reef-bank facies zones,deep shale gas,and large-scale lithological complexes related to source-connected faults are future marine hydrocarbon exploration targets in the Sichuan Basin.

Risk assessment of oil and gas investment environment in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative

With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is deepening its cooperation in oil and gas resources with countries along the Initiative. In order to better mitigate risks and enhance the safety of investments, it is of significant importance to research the oil and gas investment environment in these countries for China's overseas investment macro-layout. This paper proposes an indicator system including 27 indicators from 6 dimensions. On this basis, game theory models combined with global entropy method and analytic hierarchy process are applied to determine the combined weights, and the TOPSIS-GRA model is utilized to assess the risks of oil and gas investment in 76 countries along the Initiative from 2014 to 2021. Finally, the GM(1,1) model is employed to predict risk values for 2022-2025. In conclusion, oil and gas resources and political factors have the greatest impact on investment environment risk, and 12 countries with greater investment potential are selected through cluster analysis in conjunction with the predicted results. The research findings may provide scientific decisionmaking recommendations for the Chinese government and oil enterprises to strengthen oil and gas investment cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.

A review of methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas wells:A case study in Lubbock,Texas,within the Permian Basin

In the pursuit of global net zero carbon emissions and climate change mitigation,ongoing research into sustainable energy sources and emission control is paramount.This review examines methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas(AOG)wells,focusing particularly on Lubbock,a geographic area situated within the larger region known as the Permian Basin in West Texas,United States.The objective is to assess the extent and environmental implications of methane leakage from these wells.The analysis integrates pertinent literature,governmental and industry data,and prior Lubbock reports.Factors affecting methane leakage,including well integrity,geological characteristics,and human activities,are explored.Our research estimates 1781 drilled wells in Lubbock,forming a foundation for targeted assessments and monitoring due to historical drilling trends.The hierarchy of well statuses in Lubbock highlights the prevalence of“active oil wells,”trailed by“plugged and abandoned oil wells”and“inactive oil wells.”Methane leakage potential aligns with these well types,underscoring the importance of strategic monitoring and mitigation.The analysis notes a zenith in“drilled and completed”wells during 1980-1990.While our study's case analysis and literature review reiterate the critical significance of assessing and mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells,it's important to clarify that the research does not directly provide methane leakage data.Instead,it contextualizes the issue's magnitude and emphasizes the well type and status analysis's role in targeted mitigation efforts.In summary,our research deepens our understanding of methane leakage,aiding informed decision-making and policy formulation for environmental preservation.By clarifying well type implications and historical drilling patterns,we aim to contribute to effective strategies in mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells.

Miscibility of light oil and flue gas under thermal action

The miscibility of flue gas and different types of light oils is investigated through slender-tube miscible displacement experiment at high temperature and high pressure.Under the conditions of high temperature and high pressure,the miscible displacement of flue gas and light oil is possible.At the same temperature,there is a linear relationship between oil displacement efficiency and pressure.At the same pressure,the oil displacement efficiency increases gently and then rapidly to more than 90% to achieve miscible displacement with the increase of temperature.The rapid increase of oil displacement efficiency is closely related to the process that the light components of oil transit in phase state due to distillation with the rise of temperature.Moreover,at the same pressure,the lighter the oil,the lower the minimum miscibility temperature between flue gas and oil,which allows easier miscibility and ultimately better performance of thermal miscible flooding by air injection.The miscibility between flue gas and light oil at high temperature and high pressure is more typically characterized by phase transition at high temperature in supercritical state,and it is different from the contact extraction miscibility of CO_(2) under conventional high pressure conditions.

Discovery and inspiration of large-and medium-sized glutenite-rich oil and gas fields in the eastern South China Sea:An example from Paleogene Enping Formation in Huizhou 26 subsag,Pearl River Mouth Basin

Based on the practice of oil and gas exploration in the Huizhou Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,the geochemical indexes of source rocks were measured,the reservoir development morphology was restored,the rocks and minerals were characterized microscopically,the measured trap sealing indexes were compared,the biomarker compounds of crude oil were extracted,the genesis of condensate gas was identified,and the reservoir-forming conditions were examined.On this basis,the Paleogene Enping Formation in the Huizhou 26 subsag was systematically analyzed for the potential of oil and gas resources,the development characteristics of large-scale high-quality conglomerate reservoirs,the trapping effectiveness of faults,the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation model,and the formation conditions and exploration targets of large-and medium-sized glutenite-rich oil and gas fields.The research results were obtained in four aspects.First,the Paleogene Wenchang Formation in the Huizhou 26 subsag develops extensive and thick high-quality source rocks of semi-deep to deep lacustrine subfacies,which have typical hydrocarbon expulsion characteristics of"great oil generation in the early stage and huge gas expulsion in the late stage",providing a sufficient material basis for hydrocarbon accumulation in the Enping Formation.Second,under the joint control of the steep slope zone and transition zone of the fault within the sag,the large-scale near-source glutenite reservoirs are highly heterogeneous,with the development scale dominated hierarchically by three factors(favorable facies zone,particle component,and microfracture).The(subaqueous)distributary channels near the fault system,with equal grains,a low mud content(<5%),and a high content of feldspar composition,are conducive to the development of sweet spot reservoirs.Third,the strike-slip pressurization trap covered by stable lake flooding mudstone is a necessary condition for oil and gas preservation,and the NE and nearly EW faults obliquely to the principal stress have the best control on traps.Fourth,the spatiotemporal configuration of high-quality source rocks,fault transport/sealing,and glutenite reservoirs controls the degree of hydrocarbon enrichment.From top to bottom,three hydrocarbon accumulation units,i.e.low-fill zone,transition zone,and high-fill zone,are recognized.The main area of the channel in the nearly pressurized source-connecting fault zone is favorable for large-scale hydrocarbon enrichment.The research results suggest a new direction for the exploration of large-scale glutenite-rich reservoirs in the Enping Formation of the Pearl River Mouth Basin,and present a major breakthrough in oil and gas exploration.