Estimated Ultimate Recovery and Productivity of Deep Shale Gas Horizontal Wells

Pressure control in deep shale gas horizontal wells can reduce the stress sensitivity of hydraulic fractures and improve the estimated ultimate recovery(EUR).In this study,a hydraulic fracture stress sensitivity model is proposed to characterize the effect of pressure drop rate on fracture permeability.Furthermore,a production prediction model is introduced accounting for a non-uniform hydraulic fracture conductivity distribution.The results reveal that increasing the fracture conductivity leads to a rapid daily production increase in the early stages.However,above 0.50 D·cm,a further increase in the fracture conductivity has a limited effect on shale gas production growth.The initial production is lower under pressure-controlled conditions than that under pressure-release.For extended pressure control durations,the cumulative production initially increases and then decreases.For a fracture conductivity of 0.10 D·cm,the increase in production output under controlled-pressure conditions is~35%.For representative deep shale gas wells(Southern Sichuan,China),if the pressure drop rate under controlled-pressure conditions is reduced from 0.19 to 0.04 MPa/d,the EUR increase for 5 years of pressure-controlled production is 41.0 million,with an increase percentage of~29%.

A novel framework for predicting non-stationary production time series of shale gas based on BiLSTM-RF-MPA deep fusion model

Shale gas, as an environmentally friendly fossil energy resource, has gained significant commercial development and shows immense potential. However, accurately predicting shale gas production faces substantial challenges due to the complex law of decline, nonlinear and non-stationary features in production data, which greatly repair the robustness of current models in predicting shale gas production time series. To address these challenges and improve accuracy in production forecasting, this paper introduces a novel and innovative approach: a hybrid proxy model that combines the bidirectional long short-term memory(BiLSTM) neural network and random forest(RF) through deep learning. The BiLSTM neural network is adept at capturing long-term dependencies, making it suitable for understanding the intricate relationships between input and output variables in shale gas production.On the other hand, RF serves a dual purpose: reducing model variance and addressing the concept drift problem that arises in non-stationary time series predictions made by BiLSTM. By integrating these two models, the hybrid approach effectively captures the inherent dependencies present in long and nonstationary production time series, thereby reducing model uncertainty. Furthermore, the combination of BiLSTM and RF is optimized using the recently-proposed marine predators algorithm(MPA) to fine-tune hyperparameters and enhance the overall performance of the proxy model. The results demonstrate that the proposed BiLSTM-RF-MPA model achieves higher prediction accuracy and demonstrates stronger generalization capabilities by effectively handling the complex nonlinear and non-stationary characteristics of shale gas production time series. Compared to other models such as LSTM, BiLSTM, and RF, the proposed model exhibits superior fitting and prediction performance, with an average improvement in performance indicators exceeding 20%. This innovative framework provides valuable insights for forecasting the complex production performance of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, which sheds light on the development of data-driven proxy models in the field of subsurface energy utilization.

Optimizing the Diameter of Plugging Balls in Deep Shale Gas Wells

Deep shale gas reserves that have been fractured typically have many relatively close perforation holes. Due to theproximity of each fracture during the formation of the fracture network, there is significant stress interference,which results in uneven fracture propagation. It is common practice to use “balls” to temporarily plug fractureopenings in order to lessen liquid intake and achieve uniform propagation in each cluster. In this study, a diameteroptimization model is introduced for these plugging balls based on a multi-cluster fracture propagationmodel and a perforation dynamic abrasion model. This approach relies on proper consideration of the multiphasenature of the considered problem and the interaction force between the involved fluid and solid phases. Accordingly,it can take into account the behavior of the gradually changing hole diameter due to proppant continuousperforation erosion. Moreover, it can provide useful information about the fluid-dynamic behavior of the consideredsystem before and after plugging. It is shown that when the diameter of the temporary plugging ball is1.2 times that of the perforation hole, the perforation holes of each cluster can be effectively blocked.

Evaluation and Application of Flowback Effect in Deep Shale Gas Wells

The pivotal areas for the extensive and effective exploitation of shale gas in the Southern Sichuan Basin have recently transitioned from mid-deep layers to deep layers.Given challenges such as intricate data analysis,absence of effective assessment methodologies,real-time control strategies,and scarce knowledge of the factors influencing deep gas wells in the so-called flowback stage,a comprehensive study was undertaken on over 160 deep gas wells in Luzhou block utilizing linear flow models and advanced big data analytics techniques.The research results show that:(1)The flowback stage of a deep gas well presents the characteristics of late gas channeling,high flowback rate after gas channeling,low 30-day flowback rate,and high flowback rate corresponding to peak production;(2)The comprehensive parameter AcmKm1/2 in the flowback stage exhibits a strong correlation with the Estimated Ultimate Recovery(EUR),allowing for the establishment of a standardized chart to evaluate EUR classification in typical shale gas wells during this stage.This enables quantitative assessment of gas well EUR,providing valuable insights into production potential and performance;(3)The spacing range and the initial productivity of gas wells have a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of gas wells.Therefore,it is crucial to further explore rational well patterns and spacing,as well as optimize initial drainage and production technical strategies in order to improve their performance.

Electrical structure identification of deep shale gas reservoir in complex structural area using wide field electromagnetic method

To fully exploit the technical advantages of the large-depth and high-precision artificial source electromagnetic method in the complex structure area of southern Sichuan and compensate for the shortcomings of the conventional electromagnetic method in exploration depth,precision,and accuracy,the large-depth and high-precision wide field electromagnetic method is applied to the complex structure test area of the Luochang syncline and Yuhe nose anticline in the southern Sichuan.The advantages of the wide field electromagnetic method in detecting deep,low-resistivity thin layers are demonstrated.First,on the basis of the analysis of physical property data,a geological–geoelectric model is established in the test area,and the wide field electromagnetic method is numerically simulated to analyze and evaluate the response characteristics of deep thin shale gas layers on wide field electromagnetic curves.Second,a wide field electromagnetic test is conducted in the complex structure area of southern Sichuan.After data processing and inversion imaging,apparent resistivity logging data are used for calibration to develop an apparent resistivity interpretation model suitable for the test area.On the basis of the results,the characteristics of the electrical structure change in the shallow longitudinal formation of 6 km are implemented,and the transverse electrical distribution characteristics of the deep shale gas layer are delineated.In the prediction area near the well,the subsequent data verification shows that the apparent resistivity obtained using the inversion of the wide field electromagnetic method is consistent with the trend of apparent resistivity revealed by logging,which proves that this method can effectively identify the weak response characteristics of deep shale gas formations in complex structural areas.This experiment,it is shown shows that the wide field electromagnetic method with a large depth and high precision can effectively characterize the electrical characteristics of deep,low-resistivity thin layers in complex structural areas,and a new set of low-cost evaluation technologies for shale gas target layers based on the wide field electromagnetic method is explored.

A deep-learning-based prediction method of the estimated ultimate recovery(EUR)of shale gas wells

The estimated ultimate recovery(EUR)of shale gas wells is influenced by many factors,and the accurate prediction still faces certain challenges.As an artificial intelligence algorithm,deep learning yields notable advantages in nonlinear regression.Therefore,it is feasible to predict the EUR of shale gas wells based on a deep-learning algorithm.In this paper,according to geological evaluation data,hydraulic fracturing data,production data and EUR evaluation results of 282 wells in the WY shale gas field,a deep-learning-based algorithm for EUR evaluation of shale gas wells was designed and realized.First,the existing EUR evaluation methods of shale gas wells and the deep feedforward neural network algorithm was systematically analyzed.Second,the technical process of a deep-learning-based algorithm for EUR prediction of shale gas wells was designed.Finally,by means of real data obtained from the WY shale gas field,several different cases were applied to testify the validity and accuracy of the proposed approach.The results show that the EUR prediction with high accuracy.In addition,the results are affected by the variety and number of input parameters,the network structure and hyperparameters.The proposed approach can be extended to other shale fields using the similar technic process.

Enrichment characteristics and exploration directions of deep shale gas of Ordovician-Silurian in the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas,China

The enrichment characteristics of deep shale gas in the Ordovician Wufeng-Silurian Longmaxi formations in the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas are investigated through experiments under high temperature and high pressure,including petrophysical properties analyses,triaxial stress test and isothermal adsorption of methane experiment.(1)The deep shale reservoirs drop significantly in porosity and permeability compared with shallower shale reservoirs,and contain mainly free gas.(2)With higher deviatoric stress and axial strain,the deep shale reservoirs have higher difficulty fracturing.(3)Affected by structural location and morphology,fracture characteristics,geofluid activity stages and intensity,deep shale gas reservoirs have more complicated preservation conditions.(4)To achieve the commercial development of deep shale gas reservoirs,deepening geological understanding is the basis,and exploring reservoir simulation technology befitting the geological features is the key.(5)The siliceous shale and limestone-bearing siliceous shale in the Metabolograptus persculptus-Parakidograptus acuminatus zones(LM1-LM3 graptolite zones)are the high-production intervals for deep shale gas and the most favorable landing targets for horizontal drilling.Deeps water areas such as Jiaoshiba,Wulong,Luzhou and Changning with deep shale reservoirs over 10 m thickness are the most favorable areas for deep shale gas enrichment.It is recommended to carry out exploration and development practice in deep-water shale gas areas deposited deep with burial depth no more than 5000 m where the geological structure is simple and the shale thickness in the LM1-LM3 graptolite zone is greater than 10 m.It is better to increase the lateral length of horizontal wells,and apply techniques including high intensity of perforations,large volume of proppant,far-field and near-wellbore diversions to maximize the stimulated deep reservoir volume.

Adsorbed and free gas occurrence characteristics and controlling factors of deep shales in the southern Sichuan Basin,China

Deep shale gas(3500-4500 m)will be the important succeeding field for the growth of shale gas production in China.Under the condition of high temperature and high pressure in deep shale gas reservoirs,its gas occurrence characteristics are markedly different from those of medium and shallow layers.To elucidate the gas occurrence characteristics and controlling factors of deep shales in the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation,methane adsorption,low-temperature N2,and cO2 adsorption experi-ments were conducted.The results show that in deep shales,the mesopores provide approximately 75%of the total specific surface area(SA)and 90%of the total pore volume(PV).Based on two hypotheses and comparing the theoretical and actual adsorption capacity,it is speculated that methane is adsorbed in deep shale in the form of micropore filling,and free gas is mainly stored in the mesopores.Correlation analysis demonstrated that ToC is the key material constraint for the adsorption capacity of deep shale,and micropore SSA is the key spatial constraint.Other minerals and mesopore parameters have limited effect on the amount of adsorbed gas.Moreover,the free gas content ranges from 2.72 m^(3)/t to 6.20 m^(3)/t,with an average value of 4.60 m^(3)/t,and the free gas content ratio is approximately 58%,suggesting that the deep shale gas reservoirs are dominated by free gas.This ratio may also increase to approximately 70%when considering the formation temperature effect on adsorbed gas.Gas density,porosity,and gas saturation are the main controlling factors of free gas content,resulting in significantly larger free gas content in deep shale than in shallower formations.

Enlightenment of calcite veins in deep Ordovician Wufeng-Silurian Longmaxi shales fractures to migration and enrichment of shale gas in southern Sichuan Basin, SW China

The relationship between fracture calcite veins and shale gas enrichment in the deep Ordovician Wufeng Formation-Silurian Longmaxi Formation (Wufeng-Longmaxi) shales in southern Sichuan Basin was investigated through core and thin section observations, cathodoluminescence analysis, isotopic geochemistry analysis, fluid inclusion testing, and basin simulation. Tectonic fracture calcite veins mainly in the undulating part of the structure and non-tectonic fracture calcite veins are mainly formed in the gentle part of the structure. The latter, mainly induced by hydrocarbon generation, occurred at the stage of peak oil and gas generation, while the former turned up with the formation of Luzhou paleouplift during the Indosinian. Under the influence of hydrocarbon generation pressurization process, fractures were opened and closed frequently, and oil and gas episodic activities are recorded by veins. The formation pressure coefficient at the maximum paleodepth exceeds 2.0. The formation uplift stage after the Late Yanshanian is the key period for shale gas migration. Shale gas migrates along the bedding to the high part of the structure. The greater the structural fluctuation is, the more intense the shale gas migration activity is, and the loss is more. The gentler the formation is, the weaker the shale gas migration activity is, and the loss is less. The shale gas enrichment in the core of gentle anticlines and gentle synclines is relatively higher.

Technical Challenges and Countermeasures for Deep Shale Gas Drilling by SINOPEC

Deep shale gas reservoirs being developed by SINOPEC are characterized by significant buried depths, high rock strengths, high temperatures and pressures, multiple layers, low ROPs, prolonged drilling time and prohibitoryhigh costs. All of these factors may negatively affect the economic and effective development of shale gas. Under such circumstances, existing drilling techniques for deep shale gas around the world have been reviewed to highlight technical challenges in deep shale gas drilling in China. With consideration to the previous drilling operations of SINOPEC for deep shale gas, technical solutions for deep shale gas drilling have been proposed with regard to the optimization of casing programs, enhanced drilling, trajectory control, high-density oil-based drilling fluid, cementation for deep shale gas development and other aspects. Some of these research findings have been deployed with great successes in Pingqiao, Jiangdong Block in the 2nd Phase of Fuling Project, Dingshan Block and other blocks with deep shale gas development. Among them, Well JY-74-2HF has had a drilling time of only 54.25d, whereas Well JY-187-2HF has a TVD up to 4024.14m. Relevant research results may provide valuable guidance and references for the optimization of drilling programs andthe enhancement ofdrilling ef^ciency for deep shale gas development.

A numerical investigation on deep shale gas recovery

In recent years,exploration and development of deep shale gas(at a burial depth of 3,500-4,500 m)has become a hotspot in the industry.However,the state of gas storage and transporting mechanism for deep shale gas under high pressure and temperature have not been thoroughly explored,compared with its shallower counterpart.A numerical model for deep shale gas recovery considering multi-site nonisothermal excess adsorption has been established and applied using Finite Element Method.Results from the simulation reveal the following.(1)Excess desorption significantly impacts early-stage performance of deep shale gas well;the conventional way for shallower shale gas development,in which the density of adsorbed gas is not distinguished from that of free gas,overestimates the gas in place(GIP).(2)Although thermal stimulation can speed up the desorption and transporting of deep shale gas,the incremental volume of produced gas,which is impacted not only by seepage velocity but also density of gas,is insignificant,far from expectation.Only an additional 2.03%of cumulative gas would be produced under treatment temperature of 190C and initial reservoir temperature of 90C in a period of 5 years.(3)Matrix porosity,which can be measured on cores in laboratory and/or estimated by using well logging and geophysical data,is the most favorable parameter for deep shale gas recovery.With 60%increase in matrix porosity,an extra 67.25%shale gas on a daily base would be recovered even after 5-year depletion production;(4)Production rate for gas wells in shale reservoirs at 3,500 m and 4,500 m deep would be raised by 5.4%in a 5-year period if the depth of target interval would increase by 340 m without thermal treatment according to the numerical model proposed in the study.

The construction of technical standard system for ultra deep and high sour gas fields in Northeast Sichuan

To deal with the exploitation difficulties of gas fields in Northeast Sichuan with deep marine strata, after researching the relative standards domestic and abroad extensively, summarizing and promoting the successful experiences and failure lessons of project construction technology application scientifically, Sinopec has established an integrated technical standard system for the exploration and development of ultra deep and high sour gas fields. The system consists of 51 enterprise standards and covers 7 professions including geophysical prospecting, drilling, drilling log, well logging, gas formation test and production, sour gas gathering and transferring system, and HSE (health,safety,environment). It guides and guarantees the safe, high-quality and high-efficiency project construction effectively by means of enhancing the engineering design criterion, recommending the data processing and interpretation methods, identifying the requirements of operation and field inspection and standardizing the application of technical equipments.

Possible link between long-term and short-term water injections and earthquakes in salt mine and shale gas site in Changning,south Sichuan Basin, China

Late at night on 17 June 2019,a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Shuanghe Town and its surrounding area in Changning County,Sichuan,China,becoming the largest earthquake recorded within the southern Sichuan Basin.A series of earthquakes with magnitudes up to 5.6 occurred during a short period after the mainshock,and we thus refer to these earthquakes as the Changning M6 earthquake sequence(or swarm).The mainshock was located very close to a salt mine,into which for^3 decades fresh water had been extensively injected through several wells at a depth of 2.7–3 km.It was also near(within^15 km)the epicenter of the 18 December 2018 M5.7 Xingwen earthquake,which is thought to have been induced by shale gas hydraulic fracturing(HF),prompting questions about the possible involvement of industrial activities in the M6 sequence.Following previous studies,this paper focuses on the relationship between injection and seismicity in the Shuanghe salt field and its adjacent Shangluo shale gas block.Except for a period of serious water loss after the start of cross-well injection in 2005–2006,the frequency of earthquakes shows a slightly increasing tendency.Overall,there is a good correlation between the event rate in the Shuanghe area and the loss of injected water.More than 400 M≥3 earthquakes,including 40 M≥4 and 5 M≥5 events,had been observed by the end of August 2019.Meanwhile,in the Shangluo area,seismicity has increased during drilling and HF operations(mostly in vertical wells)since about 2009,and dramatically since the end of 2014,coincident with the start of systematic HF in the area.The event rate shows a progressively increasing background with some fluctuations,paralleling the increase in HF operations.More than 700 M≥3 earthquakes,including 10 M≥4 and 3 M≥5 in spatially and temporally clustered seismic events,are correlated closely with active fracturing platforms.Well-resolved centroid moment tensor results for M≥4 earthquakes were shown to occur at very shallow depths around shale formations with active HF,in agreement with some of the clusters,which occurred within the coverage area of temporary or new permanent monitoring stations and thus have been precisely located.After the Xingwen M5.7 earthquake,seismic activity in the salt well area increased significantly.The Xingwen earthquake may have created a unidirectional rupture to the NNW,with an end point close to the NW-trending fault of the Shuanghe earthquake.Thus,a fault in the Changning anticline might have terminated the fault rupture of the Xingwen earthquake,possibly giving the Xingwen earthquake a role in promoting the Changning M6 event.

Geological characteristics and high production control factors of shale gas reservoirs in Silurian Longmaxi Formation, southern Sichuan Basin, SW China

Marine shale gas resources have great potential in the south of the Sichuan Basin in China.At present,the high-quality shale gas resources at depth of 2000–3500 m are under effective development,and strategic breakthroughs have been made in deeper shale gas resources at depth of 3500–4500 m.To promote the effective production of shale gas in this area,this study examines key factors controlling high shale gas production and presents the next exploration direction in the southern Sichuan Basin based on summarizing the geological understandings from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale gas exploration combined with the latest results of geological evaluation.The results show that:(1)The relative sea depth in marine shelf sedimentary environment controls the development and distribution of reservoirs.In the relatively deep water area in deep-water shelf,grade-I reservoirs with a larger continuous thickness develop.The relative depth of sea in marine shelf sedimentary environment can be determined by redox conditions.The research shows that the uranium to thorium mass ratio greater than 1.25 indicates relatively deep water in anoxic reduction environment,and the uranium to thorium mass ratio of 0.75–1.25 indicates semi-deep water in weak reduction and weak oxidation environment,and the uranium to thorium mass ratio less than 0.75 indicates relatively shallow water in strong oxidation environment.(2)The propped fractures in shale reservoirs subject to fracturing treatment are generally 10–12 m high,if grade-I reservoirs are more than 10 m in continuous thickness,then all the propped section would be high-quality reserves;in this case,the longer the continuous thickness of penetrated grade-I reservoirs,the higher the production will be.(3)The shale gas reservoirs at 3500–4500 m depth in southern Sichuan are characterized by high formation pressure,high pressure coefficient,well preserved pores,good pore structure and high proportion of free gas,making them the most favorable new field for shale gas exploration;and the pressure coefficient greater than 1.2 is a necessary condition for shale gas wells to obtain high production.(4)High production wells in the deep shale gas reservoirs are those in areas where Long11-Long13 sub-beds are more than 10 m thick,with 1500 m long horizontal section,grade-I reservoirs penetration rate of over 90%,and fractured by dense cutting+high intensity sand injection+large displacement+large liquid volume.(5)The relatively deep-water area in the deep-water shelf and the area at depth of 3500–4500 m well overlap in the southern Sichuan,and the overlapping area is the most favorable shale gas exploration and development zones in the southern Sichuan in the future.With advancement in theory and technology,annual shale gas production in the southern Sichuan is expected to reach 450×108 m3.

Porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation deep shale under temperature-pressure coupling in the Sichuan Basin, SW China

To investigate the porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of deep shale under temperature-pressure coupling, we selected the core samples of deep shale from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Weirong and Yongchuan areas of the Sichuan Basin for porosity and permeability experiments and a triaxial compression and sound wave integration experiment at the maximum temperature and pressure of 120 ℃ and 70 MPa. The results show that the microscopic porosity and permeability change and the macroscopic rock deformation are mutually constrained, both showing the trend of steep and then gentle variation. At the maximum temperature and pressure, the porosity reduces by 34%–71%, and the permeability decreases by 85%–97%. With the rising temperature and pressure, deep shale undergoes plastic deformation in which organic pores and clay mineral pores are compressed and microfractures are closed, and elastic deformation in which brittle mineral pores and rock skeleton particles are compacted. Compared with previous experiments under high confining pressure and normal temperature,the experiment under high temperature and high pressure coupling reveals the effect of high temperature on stress sensitivity of porosity and permeability. High temperature can increase the plasticity of the rock, intensify the compression of pores due to high confining pressure, and induce thermal stress between the rock skeleton particles, allowing the reopening of shale bedding or the creation of new fractures along weak planes such as bedding, which inhibits the decrease of permeability with the increase of temperature and confining pressure. Compared with the triaxial mechanical experiment at normal temperature, the triaxial compression experiment at high temperature and high pressure demonstrates that the compressive strength and peak strain of deep shale increase significantly due to the coupling of temperature and pressure. The compressive strength is up to 435 MPa and the peak strain exceeds 2%, indicating that high temperature is not conducive to fracture initiation and expansion by increasing rock plasticity. Lithofacies and mineral composition have great impacts on the porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of deep shale. Shales with different lithologies are different in the difficulty and extent of brittle failure. The stress-strain characteristics of rocks under actual geological conditions are key support to the optimization of reservoir stimulation program.

Mechanics and fracturing techniques of deep shale from the Sichuan Basin, SW China

Deep shale gas exploration and production in Fuling(Sichuan Basin,SW China)are confronted with hydraulic fracturing challenges owing to high stress,high fracture pressure,low pump rate and proppant concentration,as well as high closing pressure in deep strata.This study focused on the mechanical properties of shale core samples from Fuling through high-temperature triaxial rock mechanical tests and in-situ stress tests based on the Kessel effect of acoustic emission.Their mechanical property var-iations with depth were delineated using brittleness index calculated via simulating different depths and different confining pressures for the samples.The results showed that several parameters of deep shale reservoirs,i.e.brittleness index,fracture density,performance of self-propping,and flow conductivity,are lower than that of shale reservoirs with moderate burial depth.Thus,the current operating pressure in deep shale reservoir stimulation should be taken full advantage of,rather than channeling the focus on the propagation of fracture length.The objective is to increase the complexity of the near-hole fracture network for enhancing self-propping and flow conductivity of the fractures.This can be achieved by reducing the number of perforation clusters and cluster spacing,adopting variable-rate fracturing,decreasing proppant size,increasing sand volume,and optimizing the fracturing parameters.A field application showed that,compared with the neighboring wells,the test well had larger drainage area,doubling the gas yield.

“Rigid-elastic chimera” pore skeleton model and overpressure porosity measurement method for shale: A case study of the deep overpressure siliceous shale of Silurian Longmaxi Formation in southern Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on analysis of pore features and pore skeleton composition of shale,a“rigid elastic chimeric”pore skeleton model of shale gas reservoir was built.Pore deformation mechanisms leading to increase of shale porosity due to the pore skeleton deformation under overpressure were sorted out through analysis of stress on the shale pore and skeleton.After reviewing the difficulties and defects of existent porosity measurement methods,a dynamic deformed porosity measurement method was worked out and used to measure the porosity of overpressure Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale under real formation conditions in southern Sichuan Basin.The results show:(1)The shale reservoir is a mixture of inorganic rock particles and organic matter,which contains inorganic pores supported by rigid skeleton particles and organic pores supported by elastic-plastic particles,and thus has a special“rigid elastic chimeric”pore structure.(2)Under the action of formation overpressure,the inorganic pores have tiny changes that can be assumed that they don’t change in porosity,while the organic pores may have large deformation due to skeleton compression,leading to the increase of radius,connectivity and ultimately porosity of these pores.(3)The“dynamic”deformation porosity measurement method combining high injection pressure helium porosity measurement and kerosene porosity measurement method under ultra-high variable pressure can accurately measure porosity of unconnected micro-pores under normal pressure conditions,and also the porosity increment caused by plastic skeleton compression deformation.(4)The pore deformation mechanism of shale may result in the"abnormal"phenomenon that the shale under formation conditions has higher porosity than that under normal pressure,so the overpressure shale reservoir is not necessarily“ultra-low in porosity”,and can have porosity over 10%.Application of this method in Well L210 in southern Sichuan has confirmed its practicality and reliability.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Geological and Engineering Sweet Spots of Shale Gas Reservoir: A Case Study of the Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin

There is a huge amount of marine shale gas resources in the southern Sichuan Basin in China, and most of the resources are at the buried depth of 3500 - 4500 meters. At present, deep shale gas is in the early stage of exploration and development. In order to achieve large-scale efficient development, in addition to optimizing favorable blocks, it is also to identify the optimal target in the vertical direction combine geology, drilling, and fracturing. Therefore, Taking the Longmaxi formation shale in the Luzhou block as the research object, based on drilling, logging, and core experiment data, through single well and 3D geomechanical modeling methods, analyze the characteristics of organic matter abundance, porosity, pore pressure, collapse pressure, mineral composition and in-situ stress of different layers of shale in Longmaxi formation. Systematically summarized the main controlling factors of the “sweet spot” of deep shale gas and establish the comprehensive evaluation system of deep shale gas “sweet spots”, to clarify the optimal “sweet spots” of geology, drilling, and fracturing in the Longmaxi reservoir. Results show that the total organic carbon content, porosity, and gas saturation of the long111 layer are higher than other layers. The Long111 layer has a low collapse pressure and a high compressive strength, the risk of wellbore instability is relatively low. The stress difference coefficient of All layers is less than 0.3, and the brittleness index of the Long111 layer is 62.35%. A complex fracture network is easier to form after fracturing. The conclusion shows that the Long111 layer is the optimal reservoir section of the Longmaxi Formation. Ensure the drilled rate of the Long111 layer and maximize the length of the horizontal section can obtain higher production.

Deep learning for pore-scale two-phase flow:Modelling drainage in realistic porous media

This paper introduces a deep learning workflow to predict phase distributions within complex geometries during two-phase capillary-dominated drainage.We utilize subsamples from Computerized Tomography(CT)images of rocks and incorporate pixel size,interfacial tension,contact angle,and pressure as inputs.First,an efficient morphology-based simulator creates a diverse dataset of phase distributions.Then,two commonly used convolutional and recurrent neural networks are explored and their deficiencies are highlighted,particularly in capturing phase connectivity.Subsequently,we develop a Higher-Dimensional Vision Transformer(HD-ViT)that drains pores solely based on their size,with phase connectivity enforced as a post-processing step.This enables inference for images of varying sizes,resolutions,and inlet-outlet setup.After training on a massive dataset of over 9.5 million instances,HD-ViT achieves excellent performance.We demonstrate the accuracy and speed advantage of the model on new and larger sandstone and carbonate images.We further evaluate HD-ViT against experimental fluid distribution images and the corresponding Lattice-Boltzmann simulations,producing similar outcomes in a matter of seconds.In the end,we train and validate a 3D version of the model.

“Extreme utilization”development of deep shale gas in southern Sichuan Basin,SW China

To efficiently develop deep shale gas in southern Sichuan Basin,under the guidance of“extreme utilization”theory,a basic idea and solutions for deep shale gas development are put forward and applied in practice.In view of multiple influencing factors of shale gas development,low single-well production and marginal profit of wells in this region,the basic idea is to establish“transparent geological body”of the block in concern,evaluate the factors affecting shale gas development through integrated geological-engineering research and optimize the shale gas development of wells in their whole life cycle to balance the relationship between production objectives and development costs.The solutions are as follows:(1)calculate the gold target index and pinpoint the location of horizontal well drilling target,and shale reservoirs are depicted accurately by geophysical and other means to build underground transparent geological body;(2)optimize the drilling and completion process,improve the adaptability of key tools by cooling,reducing density and optimizing the performance of drilling fluid,the“man-made gas reservoir”is built by comprehensively considering the characteristics of in-situ stress and fractures after the development well is drilled;(3)through efficient management,establishment of learning curve and optimization of drainage and production regime,the development quality and efficiency of the well are improved across its whole life cycle,to fulfil“extreme utilization”development of shale gas.The practice shows that the estimated ultimate recovery of single wells in southern Sichuan Basin increase by 10%-20%than last year.