The influence of bioturbation on sandy reservoirs: the delta front sand of the lower Zhujiang Formation, Baiyun Depression, Zhujiang River Mouth Basin

Ichnofossils are well developed in clastic rock reservoirs in marine and transitional facies, which can considerably change the physical properties of the reservoir. However, this influence is not well understood, raising an important problem in the effective development of petroleum reservoirs. This paper analyzes continental shelf margin delta reservoirs through core observation, cast thin section observation and reservoir physical property test. Some important scientific insights are obtained:(1) The presence of Cruziana ichnofacies, including Asterosoma, Ophiomorpha, Planolites, Skolithos, Thalassinoides, and other ichnofossils can be used to identify in subaqueous distributary channels, subaqueous levee, frontal sheet sand, abandoned river channels, crevasse channels, main channels and channel mouth bars. Considerable differences in the types of ichnofossils and the degree of bioturbation can be observed in the different petrofacies.(2) Ichnofossils and bioturbation play a complex role in controlling reservoir properties. The reservoir physical properties have the characteristics of a decrease–increase–decrease curve with increasing bioturbation degree. This complex change is controlled by the sediment mixing and packing of bioturbation and the diagenetic environment controlled by the ichnofossils.(3) Sea-level cycle changes affect the modification of the reservoir through sediment packing. Bioturbation weakens the reservoir's physical property when sea level slowly rises and improves the reservoir's physical property when base level slowly falls.

Evaluation of clayed silt properties on the behavior of hydrate production in South China Sea

Gas hydrate is one kind of potential energy resources that is buried under deep seafloor or frozen areas.The first trial offshore production from the silty reservoir was conducted in the South China Sea by the China Geological Survey(CGS).During this test,there were many unique characteristics different from the sand reservoir,which was believed to be related to the clayed silt physical properties.In this paper,simulation experiments,facilities analysis,and theoretical calculation were used to confirm the hydrate structure,reservoir thermo-physical property,and bond water movement rule.And the behavior of how they affected production efficiency was analyzed.The results showed that:It was reasonable to use the structure I rather than structure II methane hydrate phase equilibrium data to make the production plan;the dissociation heat absorbed by hydrate was large enough to cause hydrate self-protection or reformation depend on the reservoir thermal transfer and gas supply;clayed silt got better thermal conductivity compared to coarse grain,but poor thermal convection especially with hydrate;clayed silt sediment was easy to bond water,but the irreducible water can be exchanged to free water under high production pressure,and the most obvious pressure range of water increment was 1.9–4.9 MPa.

The effect of inorganic salt precipitation on oil recovery during CO2 flooding:A case study of Chang 8 block in Changqing oilfield,NW China

Static experiments and dynamic displacement experiments were conducted to quantitatively determine the amount of precipitate generated by the CO_(2)-formation water reaction at different temperatures,pressures,and scaling ion concentrations during CO_(2) flooding in the Chang 8 block of Changqing Oilfield,the influence of precipitate on the physical properties of reservoirs was investigated,and the corresponding mathematical characterization model was established.The mathematical characterization equation was used to correct the numerical simulation model of E300 module in Eclipse software.The distribution pattern of inorganic salt precipitates during continuous CO_(2) flooding in Chang 8 block was simulated,and the influence of inorganic salt precipitates on oil recovery was predicted.The inorganic salt precipitate generated during CO_(2)-formation water reaction was mainly CaCO_(3),and the pressure difference and scaling ion concentration were proportional to the amount of precipitate generated,while the temperature was inversely proportional to the amount of precipitate.The rate of core porosity change before and after CO_(2) flooding was positively correlated with temperature and flooding pressure difference.The core porosity increase in the CO_(2)-formation water-core reaction experiment was always lower than that of CO_(2)-distilled water-core reaction experiment because of precipitation.The area around the production wells had the most precipitates generated with the injection of CO_(2).The oil field became poor in development because of the widely distributed precipitate and the recovery decreased to 33.45% from 37.64% after 20-year-CO_(2) flooding when considering of precipitation.

Pore throat characteristics of tight sandstone of Yanchang Formation in eastern Gansu,Ordos Basin

An important factor to evaluate reservoir quality is the pore-throat size.However,the strong heterogeneity makes it difficult to characterize the pore-throat distribution in tight reservoirs.The field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM),high pressure mercury injection and rate-controlled mercury injection are used to investigate the pore-throat size distribution in tight sandstone reservoirs of Member 7 of the Yanchang Formation in eastern Gansu,Ordos Basin,and studies of the pore throat size controlling on physical property of the tight sandstone reservoirs are also carried out.The result shows that the pore type is mainly dominated by the residual intergranular pore,dissolution pore,micropore and a few micro-fractures;the high-pressure mercury injection experiment indicates that the pore-throat size ranges from 0.0148 μm to 40mm,the pore throat more than 1 mm is less;the ratecontrolled mercury injection experiment reveals that for samples with different physical properties,the pore radius mainly varies from 80 μm to 350 μm;the throat radius exhibits the strong heterogeneity,and is from 0.12 μm to 30μm;the pore-throat size can be effectively characterized by combination of high-pressure and rate-controlled mercury injections,and it varies from 0.0148 μm to 350 μm.The permeability is mainly controlled by the large pore throat(>R_(50))which accounts for a small proportion;in the tight sandstone with the permeability greater than 0.1 mD,the permeability is mainly controlled by the micropore and mesopore;in the tight sandstone with the permeability smaller than 0.1 mD,the permeability is mainly controlled by the nanopore and micropore;the proportion of small pore throat increases with reduction of permeability,it is important that the small pore throat influences the reservoir storage property though its effect on permeability are small.