Microscopic characteristics of tight sandstone reservoirs and their effects on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids:A case study of the Linxing area,Ordos Basin

The Linxing area within the Ordos Basin exhibits pronounced reservoir heterogeneity and intricate micro-pore structures,rendering it susceptible to water-blocking damage during imbibition extraction.This study delved into the traits of tight sandstone reservoirs in the 8th member of the Shihezi Formation(also referred to as the He 8 Member)in the study area,as well as their effects on fracturing fluid imbibition.Utilizing experimental techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),high-pressure mercury intrusion(HPMI),and gas adsorption,this study elucidated the reservoir characteristics and examined the factors affecting the imbibition through imbibition experiments.The findings reveal that:①The reservoir,with average porosity of 8.40%and average permeability of 0.642×10^(-3)μm^(2),consists principally of quartz,feldspar,and lithic fragments,with feldspathic litharenite serving as the primary rock type and illite as the chief clay mineral;②Nano-scale micro-pores and throats dominate the reservoir,with dissolution pores and intercrystalline pores serving as predominant pore types,exhibiting relatively high pore connectivity;③Imbibition efficiency is influenced by petrophysical properties,clay mineral content,and microscopic pore structure.Due to the heterogeneity of the tight sandstone reservoir,microscopic factors have a more significant impact on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids;④A comparative analysis shows that average pore size correlates most strongly with imbibition efficiency,followed by petrophysical properties and clay mineral content.In contrast,the pore type has minimal impact.Micropores are vital in the imbibition process,while meso-pores and macro-pores offer primary spaces for imbibition.This study offers theoretical insights and guidance for enhancing the post-fracturing production of tight sandstone reservoirs by examining the effects of these factors on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids in tight sandstones.

Gas-Water Production of a Continental Tight-Sandstone Gas Reservoir under Different Fracturing Conditions

A numerical model of hydraulic fracture propagation is introduced for a representative reservoir(Yuanba continental tight sandstone gas reservoir in Northeast Sichuan).Different parameters are considered,i.e.,the interlayer stress difference,the fracturing discharge rate and the fracturing fluid viscosity.The results show that these factors affect the gas and water production by influencing the fracture size.The interlayer stress difference can effectively control the fracture height.The greater the stress difference,the smaller the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,while the flowback rate and gas production are lower.A large displacement fracturing construction increases the fracture-forming efficiency and expands the fracture size.The larger the displacement of fracturing construction,the larger the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,and the higher the fracture-forming efficiency of fracturing fluid,the flowback rate,and the gas production.Low viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for long fractures,while high viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for wide fractures.With an increase in the fracturing fluid viscosity,the dimensionless reconstruction volume and flowback rate of the reservoir display a non-monotonic behavior,however,their changes are relatively small.

Effect of CO_(2)flooding in an oil reservoir with strong bottom-water drive in the Tahe Oilfield,Tarim Basin,Northwest China

The dissolution and diffusion of CO_(2)in oil and water and its displacement mechanism were investigated by laboratory experiment and numerical simulation for Block 9 in the Tahe oilfield,a sandstone oil reservoir with strong bottom-water drive in Tarim Basin,Northwest China.Such parameters were analyzed as solubility ratio of CO_(2)in oil,gas and water,interfacial tension,in-situ oil viscosity distribution,remaining oil saturation distribution,and oil compositions.The results show that CO_(2)flooding could control water coning and increase oil production.In the early stage of the injection process,CO_(2)expanded vertically due to gravity differentiation,and extended laterally under the action of strong bottom water in the intermediate and late stages.The CO_(2)got enriched and extended at the oil-water interface,forming a high interfacial tension zone,which inhibited the coning of bottom water to some extent.A miscible region with low interfacial tension formed at the gas injection front,which reduced the in-situ oil viscosity by about 50%.The numerical simulation results show that enhanced oil recovery(EOR)is estimated at 5.72%and the oil exchange ratio of CO_(2)is 0.17 t/t.

Effect of gas saturation on P-wave velocity in tight sandstone

By measuring the variation of the P-and S-wave velocities of tight sandstone samples under water saturation,it was confirmed that with the decrease in water saturation,the P-wave velocity first decreased and then increased.The variation in velocity was influenced by the sandstone’s porosity.The commonly used Gassmann equation based on fluid substitution theory was studied.Comparing the calculated results with the measured data,it was found that the Gassmann equation agreed well with the measured data at high water saturation,but it could not explain the bending phenomenon of P-wave velocity at low saturation.This indicated that these equations could not accurately describe the relationship between fluid content and rock acoustic velocity.The reasons for this phenomenon were discussed through Taylor’s expansion.The coefficients of the fitting formula were calculated and verified by fitting the measured acoustic velocity changes of the cores.The relationship between P-wave velocity and saturation was discussed,which provides experimental support for calculating saturation using seismic and acoustic logging data.

Distribution patterns of tight sandstone gas and shale gas

Based on an elaboration of the resource potential and annual production of tight sandstone gas and shale gas in the United States and China,this paper reviews the researches on the distribution of tight sandstone gas and shale gas reservoirs,and analyzes the distribution characteristics and genetic types of tight sandstone gas reservoirs.In the United States,the proportion of tight sandstone gas in the total gas production declined from 20%-35%in 2008 to about 8%in 2023,and the shale gas production was 8310×10^(8)m^(3)in 2023,about 80%of the total gas production,in contrast to the range of 5%-17%during 2000-2008.In China,the proportion of tight sandstone gas in the total gas production increased from 16%in 2010 to 28%or higher in 2023.China began to produce shale gas in 2012,with the production reaching 250×10^(8)m^(3)in 2023,about 11%of the total gas production of the country.The distribution of shale gas reservoirs is continuous.According to the fault presence,fault displacement and gas layer thickness,the continuous shale gas reservoirs can be divided into two types:continuity and intermittency.Most previous studies believed that both tight sandstone gas reservoirs and shale gas reservoirs are continuous,but this paper holds that the distribution of tight sandstone gas reservoirs is not continuous.According to the trap types,tight sandstone gas reservoirs can be divided into lithologic,anticlinal,and synclinal reservoirs.The tight sandstone gas is coal-derived in typical basins in China and Egypt,but oil-type gas in typical basins in the United States and Oman.

Hydrocarbon indication in Rio Bonito Formation sandstone:Implication for CO_(2)storage in São Paulo,Brazil

São Paulo State has witnessed CO_(2)storage-based investigations considering the availability of suitable geologic structures and proximity to primary CO_(2)source sinks related to bioenergy and carbon capture and storage(BECCS)activities.The current study presents the hydrocarbon viability evaluations and CO_(2)storage prospects,focusing on the sandstone units of the Rio Bonito Formation.The objective is to apply petrophysical evaluations with geochemical inputs in predicting future hydrocarbon(gas)production to boost CO_(2)storage within the study location.The study used data from eleven wells with associated wireline logs(gamma ray,resistivity,density,neutron,and sonic)to predict potential hydrocarbon accumulation and fluid mobility in the investigated area.Rock samples(shale and carbonate)obtained from depths>200 m within the study location have shown bitumen presence.Organic geochemistry data of the Rio Bonito Formation shale beds suggest they are potential hydrocarbon source rocks and could have contributed to the gas accumulations within the sandstone units.Some drilled well data,e.g.,CB-1-SP and TI-1-SP,show hydrocarbon(gas)presence based on the typical resistivity and the combined neutron-density responses at depths up to 3400 m,indicating the possibility of other hydrocarbon members apart from the heavy oil(bitumen)observed from the near-surface rocks samples.From the three-dimensional(3-D)model,the free fluid indicator(FFI)is more significant towards the southwest and southeast of the area with deeper depths of occurrence,indicating portions with reasonable hydrocarbon recovery rates and good prospects for CO_(2)injection,circulation and permanent storage.However,future studies based on contemporary datasets are required to establish the hydrocarbon viability further,foster gas production events,and enhance CO_(2)storage possibilities within the region.

Reservoir quality evaluation using sedimentological and petrophysical characterization of deep-water turbidites:A case study of Tariki Sandstone Member,Taranaki Basin,New Zealand

The current study aims to ascertain the reservoir characteristics of the Tariki Sandstone Member of the Otaraoa Formation,Taranaki Basin,New Zealand.This study was carried out by integrating the comprehensive petrophysical evaluation,sedimentological and petrographic studies,as well as well log analysis by using data from six wells.The porosity-permeability relationship is used to divide the samples of the Tariki Sandstone Member into reservoir and non-reservoir facies.A thorough petrophysical analysis shows that the maximum porosity values fluctuate between 16.6%and 22.1%,while permeability ranges from 102 mD to 574 mD,which indicates fair to good reservoir quality.Moreover,the Tariki sandstone represents six hydraulic flow units with a high reservoir quality index and flow zone indicator representing good reservoir characteristics.The pore size varies between nano and megapores with dominant macropores.Based on the sedimentological and petrographic analysis,the Tariki Sandstone Member is classified as a combination of subarkose,arkose,and lithic arkose with fine to medium and moderately to moderately well-sorted grains.The main diagenetic factor affecting the reservoir quality is cementation,which occupied all the pores with calcite.On the bright side,the secondary pores are developed due to the dissolution of calcite cement and few grains.The well log analysis demonstrates the presence of low clay volume ranging from 0.3%to 3.1%,fair to good effective porosity values between 13.6%and 15.9%,net pay thickness from 18.29 m to 91.44 m,and hydrocarbon saturation from 56%to 77.9%.The findings from this study revealed that the Tariki Sandstone Member possesses fair to good reservoir quality and hydrocarbon potential,which indicate submarine fans as appealing hydrocarbon reservoirs.This study can be used in similar depositional environments elsewhere in the world.

Quantitative characterization of tight gas sandstone reservoirs using seismic data via an integrated rock-physics-based framework

Seismic characterizing of tight gas sandstone (TGS) reservoirs is essential for identifying promising gas-bearing regions. However, exploring the petrophysical significance of seismic-inverted elastic properties is challenging due to the complex microstructures in TGSs. Meanwhile, interbedded structures of sandstone and mudstone intensify the difficulty in accurately extracting the crucial tight sandstone properties. An integrated rock-physics-based framework is proposed to estimate the reservoir quality of TGSs from seismic data. TGSs with complex pore structures are modeled using the double-porosity model, providing a practical tool to compute rock physics templates for reservoir parameter estimation. The VP/VS ratio is utilized to predict the cumulative thickness of the TGS reservoirs within the target range via the threshold value evaluated from wireline logs for lithology discrimination. This approach also facilitates better capturing the elastic properties of the TGSs for quantitative seismic interpretation. Total porosity is estimated from P-wave impedance using the correlation obtained based on wireline log analysis. After that, the three-dimensional rock-physics templates integrated with the estimated total porosity are constructed to interpret microfracture porosity and gas saturation from velocity ratio and bulk modulus. The integrated framework can optimally estimate the parameters dominating the reservoir quality. The results of the indicator proposed based on the obtained parameters are in good agreement with the gas productions and can be utilized to predict promising TGS reservoirs. Moreover, the results suggest that considering microfracture porosity allows a more accurate prediction of high-quality reservoirs, further validating the applicability of the proposed method in the studied region.

Integrated classification method of tight sandstone reservoir based on principal component analysise simulated annealing genetic algorithmefuzzy cluster means

In this research,an integrated classification method based on principal component analysis-simulated annealing genetic algorithm-fuzzy cluster means(PCA-SAGA-FCM)was proposed for the unsupervised classification of tight sandstone reservoirs which lack the prior information and core experiments.A variety of evaluation parameters were selected,including lithology characteristic parameters,poro-permeability quality characteristic parameters,engineering quality characteristic parameters,and pore structure characteristic parameters.The PCA was used to reduce the dimension of the evaluation pa-rameters,and the low-dimensional data was used as input.The unsupervised reservoir classification of tight sandstone reservoir was carried out by the SAGA-FCM,the characteristics of reservoir at different categories were analyzed and compared with the lithological profiles.The analysis results of numerical simulation and actual logging data show that:1)compared with FCM algorithm,SAGA-FCM has stronger stability and higher accuracy;2)the proposed method can cluster the reservoir flexibly and effectively according to the degree of membership;3)the results of reservoir integrated classification match well with the lithologic profle,which demonstrates the reliability of the classification method.

Characterization of Sandstone Reservoir at Bokor Formation, Kampot Province, Kampong Som Basin, Onshore Cambodia

Kampong Som Basin is a Paleozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary basin located in southern Cambodia. While the sandstone of the Bokor Formation is expected to be the reservoir for hydrocarbon accumulation. Hence, this study aims to define the properties, quality, and factors that control reservoir rock quality. Sandstones of the Bokor Formation are sampled and analyzed using a helium porosimeter, nitrogen permeameter, polarized light microscope, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to check the porosity, permeability, minerals, pore geometry, and clay minerals that influence the reservoir quality. According to the result of petrography analysis described by thin section, the sandstone samples from Bokor formation are classified as quartz arenite that composes mainly of quartz, rock fragment, mica-flake, and sericite with connected and unconnected pores of 50 μm to 500 μm with interparticle pore type. Sandstones in this formation have porosity values ranging from 6.55% to 13.19%, and permeability values ranging from 10 mD to 60 mD. The statistics of porosity and permeability of sandstone reservoirs indicate low porosity and permeability that are suggested to be fair reservoir rock for hydrocarbon accumulation. SEM results indicate that there are three types of authigenic clay minerals involving such as kaolinite, illite, and chlorite. In addition, the pore geometry, quartz overgrowth, dissolution of quartz and felspar grain filling in pore space, compaction, replacement diagenesis processes, and cementation presence of clay minerals are the main controlling factors of the sandstone reservoir from the Bokor Formation. Furthermore, this area exhibits sedimentary structures such as planar cross-bedding, cross-bedding, parallel lamination, normal grading, massive, wavy, and reverse graded bedding, which indicates these lithofacies may be deposited in shallow marine environments.

Laboratory study of fluid viscosity induced ultrasonic velocity dispersion in reservoir sandstones

Ultrasonic velocities of a set of saturated sandstone samples were measured at simulated in-situ pressures in the laboratory.The samples were obtained from the W formation of the WXS Depression and covered low to nearly high porosity and permeability ranges.The brine and four different density oils were used as pore fluids,which provided a good chance to investigate fluid viscosity-induced velocity dispersion.The analysis of experimental observations of velocity dispersion indicates that（1）the Biot model can explain most of the small discrepancy（about 2–3%）between ultrasonic measurements and zero frequency Gassmann predictions for high porosity and permeability samples saturated by all the fluids used in this experiment and is also valid for medium porosity and permeability samples saturated with low viscosity fluids（less than approximately 3 mP·S）and（2）the squirt flow mechanism dominates the low to medium porosity and permeability samples when fluid viscosity increases and produces large velocity dispersions as high as about 8%. The microfracture aspect ratios were also estimated for the reservoir sandstones and applied to calculate the characteristic frequency of the squirt flow model,above which the Gassmann’ s assumptions are violated and the measured high frequency velocities cannot be directly used for Gassmann’s fluid replacement at the exploration seismic frequency band for W formation sandstones.

Brittleness index and seismic rock physics model for anisotropic tight-oil sandstone reservoirs

Brittleness analysis becomes important when looking for sweet spots in tightoil sandstone reservoirs. Hence, appropriate indices are required as accurate brittleness evaluation criteria. We construct a seismic rock physics model for tight-oil sandstone reservoirs with vertical fractures. Because of the complexities in lithology and pore structure and the anisotropic characteristics of tight-oil sandstone reservoirs, the proposed model is based on the solid components, pore connectivity, pore type, and fractures to better describe the sandstone reservoir microstructure. Using the model, we analyze the brittleness sensitivity of the elastic parameters in an anisotropic medium and establish a new brittleness index. We show the applicability of the proposed brittleness index for tight-oil sandstone reservoirs by considering the brittleness sensitivity, the rock physics response characteristics, and cross-plots. Compared with conventional brittleness indexes, the new brittleness index has high brittleness sensitivity and it is the highest in oil-bearing brittle zones with relatively high porosity. The results also suggest that the new brittleness index is much more sensitive to elastic properties variations, and thus can presumably better predict the brittleness characteristics of sweet spots in tight-oil sandstone reservoirs.

Depositional and Diagenetic Controls on Sandstone Reservoirs with Low Porosity and Low Permeability in the Eastern Sulige Gas Field, China

In order to determine the genesis and the factors that control the low-porosity and low- permeability sandstone reservoirs in the eastern Sulige Gas Field in the Ordos Basin, systematic studies on the sedimentary facies and diagenesis were conducted by means of analysis of cores, thin sections, fluid inclusions, X-ray diffraction, cathode luminescence and scanning electron microscope. It was found that the sand bodies of the major gas reservoirs in the Shan1 section （P1S1） and the He8 section （P2H8） were formed during the Permian as sedimentary facies such as braided-channel bars, braided-river channels and point bars of a meandering river. Four types of diagenetic facies developed subsequently： in order from the best to the poorest properties these are type A （weak compaction, early calcite cement-chlorite film facies）, type B （moderate compaction, quartz overgrowth-feldspar corrosion-kaolinite filling facies）, type C （strong compaction, late calcite cement-quartz corrosion facies） and type D （matrix filling and strong compaction facies）. This diagenesis is undoubtedly the main reason for the poor reservoir properties of sandstone reservoirs, but the sedimentary facies are the underlying factors that greatly affect the diagenesis and thus the reservoir performance. Favorable diagenetic facies developed mainly in relatively small lithofacies such as braided-river channels, channel bars and point bars. The vertical distribution of the physical properties and the diagenetic facies of the reservoirs are related to the stratigraphic succession. Most of the sandstones between mudstones and thin beds of sandstone are unfavorable diagenetic facies. Analyses indicate that siliceous cementation can hardly be stopped by hydrocarbon filling. Authigenic chlorite could hardly protect the primary porosity. It not only occupies pore space, but also blocks pathways through sandstone reservoirs, so that it has significant influence on the permeability. Authigenic chlorite cannot be used as a marker for a specific sedimentary facies because it can be formed in different sedimentary facies, but it indicates high hydrodynamic conditions and presence of favorable reservoirs.

Spatial-temporal coupling between high-quality source rocks and reservoirs for tight sandstone oil and gas accumulations in the Songliao Basin, China

The spatial-temporal relationship between high-quality source rocks and reservoirs is a key factor when evaluating the formation,occurrence,and prospectivity of tight oil and gas reservoirs.In this study,we analyze the fundamental oil and gas accumulation processes occurring in the Songliao Basin,contrasting tight oil sand reservoirs in the south with tight gas sand reservoirs in the north.This is done using geochemical data,constant-rate and conventional mercury injection experiments,and fluid inclusion analyses.Our results demonstrate that as far as fluid mobility is concerned,the expulsion center coincides with the overpressure zone,and its boundary limits the occurrence of tight oil and gas accumulations.In addition,the lower permeability limit of high-quality reservoirs,controlled by pore-throat structures,is 0.1×10^-3μm^2 in the fourth member of the Lower Cretaceous Quantou Formation(K1q^4)in the southern Songliao Basin,and 0.05×10^-3μm^2 in the Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation(K1sh)in the northern Songliao Basin.Furthermore,the results indicate that the formation of tight oil and gas reservoirs requires the densification of reservoirs prior to the main phase of hydrocarbon expulsion from the source rocks.Reservoir“sweet spots”develop at the intersection of high-quality source rocks(with high pore pressure)and reservoirs(with high permeability).

Three-Dimensional Modelling of a Multi-Layer Sandstone Reservoir： the Sebei Gas Field, China

Multi-layer sandstone reservoirs occur globally and are currently in international production. The 3D characteristics of these reservoirs are too complicated to be accurately delineated by general structural-facies-reservoir modelling. In view of the special geological features, such as the vertical architecture of sandstone and mudstone interbeds, the lateral stable sedimentation and the strong heterogeneity of reservoir poroperm and fluid distribution, we developed a new three-stage and six-phase procedure for 3D characterization of multi-layer sandstone reservoirs. The procedure comprises two-phase structural modelling, two-phase facies modelling and modelling of two types of reservoir properties. Using this procedure, we established models of the formation structure, sand body structure and microfacies, reservoir facies and properties including porosity, permeability and gas saturation and provided a 3D fine-scale, systematic characterization of the Sebei multi-layer sandstone gas field, China. This new procedure, validated by the Sebei gas field, can be applied to characterize similar multi-layer sandstone reservoirs.

K-Ar Dating of Authigenic Illites and Its Applications to the Study of Hydrocarbon Charging Histories of Typical Sandstone Reservoirs in Tarim Basin, China

The Tarim Basin in China comprises eight sets of sandstone reservoirs, five of which are investigated in detail in this study. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the hydrocarbon charging histories of reservoirs by applying K-Ar dating of authigenic illites. The ages of authigenic illites from the Lower Silurian bituminous sandstones in the Central Uplift area range from 383.5 to 235.2 Ma, suggesting that the Silurian oil accumulations were formed from the late Caledonian till the late Hercynian. The ages of authigenic illites from the Upper Devonian Donghe Sandstone reservoirs range from 263.8 to 231.3 Ma, indicating that hydrocarbon accumulations within the Donghe sandstone were formed mainly in the late Hercynian. The authigenic illites ages from the Lower Jurassic Yangxia Group sandstones in the Yinan-2 gas reservoir (Yinan-2, Kuqa Depression) range from 28.1 to 23.9 Ma, suggesting that the initial hydrocarbon charging occurred in the Miocene. The ages of the authigenic illites from the Lower Cretaceous sandstones in the Akemomu gas field (Ake-1, Kashi Sag, Southwest Depression) range from 22.6 to 18.8 Ma, indicating a probable early oil accumulation or early migration of hydrocarbon within this area. The illites from the Paleogene sandstones in the Dina-2 gas reservoir (Dina-201, Kuqa Depression) have a detrital origin; they cannot be used to study the hydrocarbon charging histories. The ages of authigenic illites in the underlying Cretaceous sandstones in the same well (Dina-201) range from 25.5 to 15.5 Ma, indicating that hydrocarbon charging in this reservoir probably occurred within the Miocene. This study highlights the potential of applying K-Ar dating of authigenic illites to investigate the timing of hydrocarbon charging histories of the Tarim Basin reservoir sandstones.

Donghe Sandstone Subtle Reservoir Exploration and Development Technology in Hade 4 Oilfield

Hade 4 oilfield is located on the Hadexun tectonic belt north of the Manjiaer depression in the Tarim basin, whose main target layer is the Donghe sandstone reservoir, with a burial depth over 5,000m and an amplitude below 34m, at the bottom of the Carboniferous. The Donghe sandstone reservoir consists of littoral facies deposited quartz sandstones of the transgressive system tract, overlapping northward and pinching out. Exploration and development confirms that water-oil contact tilts from the southeast to the northwest with a drop height of nearly 80m. The reservoir, under the control of both the stratigraphic overlap pinch-out and tectonism, is a typical subtle reservoir. The Donghe sandstone reservoir in Hade 4 oilfield also has the feature of a large oil-bearing area (over 130 km2 proved), a small thickness (average efficient thickness below 6m) and a low abundance (below 50 × 104t/km2). Moreover, above the target layer developed a set of igneous rocks with an uneven thickness in the Permian formation, thus causing a great difficulty in research of the velocity field. Considering these features, an combination mode of exploration and development is adopted, namely by way of whole deployment, step-by-step enforcement and rolling development with key problems to be tackled, in order to further deepen the understanding and enlarge the fruits of exploration and development. The paper technically focuses its study on the following four aspects concerning problem tackling. First, to strengthen the collecting, processing and explanation of seismic data, improve the resolution, accurately recognize the pinch-out line of the Donghe sandstone reservoir by combining the drilling materials in order to make sure its distribution law; second, to strengthen the research on velocity field, improve the accuracy of variable speed mapping, make corrections by the data from newly- drilled key wells and, as a result, the precision of tectonic description is greatly improved; third, to strengthen the research on sequence stratigraphy and make sure the distribution law of the Donghe sandstone; and fourth, with a step- by-step extrapolation method, to deepen the cognition of the leaning water-oil contact, and by combining the tectonic description and drilling results, to make sure little by little the law of change of the water-oil contact. The exploration and development of the Donghe sandstone subtle reservoir in Hade 4 oilfield is a gradually perfected process. From 1998 when it was discovered till now, the reservoir has managed to make a benign circle of exploration and development, in which its reserve has gradually been enlarged, its production scale increased, and, in a word, it has used techniques necessary for this subtle reservoir in the Tarim basin.

The tectonic fracture modeling of an ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoir based on an outcrop analogy: A case study in the Wangyao Oilfield of Ordos Basin, China

Due to inherent limits of data acquisition and geophysical data resolution, there are large uncertainties in the characterization of subsurface fractures. However, outcrop analogies can provide qualitative and quantitative information on a large number of fractures, based on which the accuracy of subsurface fracture characterization can be improved. Here we take the tectonic fracture modeling of an ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoir based on an outcrop analogy, a case study of the Chang6t~ Formation of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Group of the Wangyao Oilfield in the Ordos Basin of China. An outcrop at the edge of the basin is a suitable analog for the reservoir, but the prerequisite is that they must have equivalent previous stress fields, similar final structural characteristics, relative timing and an identical depositional environment and diagenesis. The relationship among fracture density, rock type and bed thickness based on the outcrop is one of the most important fracture distribution models, and can be used to interpret fracture density in individual wells quantitatively. Fracture orientation, dip, geometry and scale, also should be described and measured in the outcrop, and can be used together with structure restoration and single well fracture density interpretation to guide fracture intensity prediction on bed surfaces and to constrain the construction of the 3D fracture geometry model of the subsurface reservoir. The application of the above principles shows the outcrop-based tectonic fracture models of the target ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoir are consistent with fractures inferred from microseismic interpretation and tracer tests. This illustrated that the fracture modeling based on the outcrop analogy is reliable and can reduce the uncertainty in stochastic fracture modeling.

Genesis Types and Diagenesis Compaction Mechanisms of Sandstone Rreservoirs in Dynamic Environments in Oil/Gas Basins in China

The diversity of sandstone diagenesis mechanisms caused by the complex geological conditions of oil/gas basins in China could hardly be reasonably explained by the traditional concept of burial diagenesis. Three genesis types of thermal diagenesis, tectonic diagenesis and fluid diagenesis are presented on the basis of the dynamic environment of the oil/gas basins and.the controlling factors and mechanisms of sandstone diagenesis. Thermal diagenesis of sandstone reservoirs is related not only to the effect of formation temperature on diagenesis, but also to the significant changes in diagenesis caused by geothermal gradients. The concept of thermal compaction is presented. Thermal compaction becomes weaker with increasing depth and becomes stronger at a higher geothermal gradient. At the same formation temperature, the sandstone porosity in the region with a lower geothermal gradient is e^0.077＋0.0042T times higher than that in the region with a higher geothermal gradient. Both sudden and gradual changes are observed in diagenetic evolution caused by structural deformation. Average sandstone compaction increased by 0.1051% for every 1.0MPa increase of lateral tectonic compressional stress, while late tectonic napping helped to preserve a higher porosity of underlying sandstone reservoir. Fluid diagenesis is a general phenomenon. The compaction caused by fluid properties is significant. The coarser the grain size, the stronger the fluid effect on compaction. The greater the burial depth, the weaker the fluid effect on compaction for the specific reservoir lithology and the greater the difference in the fluid effects on compaction between different grain sizes.

The critical rate of horizontal wells in bottom-water reservoirs with an impermeable barrier

Barrier impacts on water cut and critical rate of horizontal wells in bottom water-drive reservoirs have been recognized but not investigated quantitatively. Considering the existence of impermeable barriers in oil formations, this paper developed a horizontal well flow model and obtained mathematical equations for the critical rate when water cresting forms in bottom-water reservoirs. The result shows that the barrier increases the critical rate and delays water breakthrough. Further study of the barrier size and location shows that increases in the barrier size and the distance between the barrier and oil-water contact lead to higher critical rates. The critical rate gradually approaches a constant as the barrier size increases. The case study shows the method presented here can be used to predict the critical rate in a bottom-water reservoir and applied to investigate the water cresting behavior of horizontal wells.