Experimental study of the influencing factors and mechanisms of the pressure-reduction and augmented injection effect by nanoparticles in ultra-low permeability reservoirs

Nanoparticles(NPs)have gained significant attention as a functional material due to their ability to effectively enhance pressure reduction in injection processes in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.NPs are typically studied in controlled laboratory conditions,and their behavior in real-world,complex environments such as ultra-low permeability reservoirs,is not well understood due to the limited scope of their applications.This study investigates the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of NPs in decreasing injection pressure under various injection conditions(25—85℃,10—25 MPa).The results reveal that under optimal injection conditions,NPs effectively reduce injection pressure by a maximum of 22.77%in core experiment.The pressure reduction rate is found to be positively correlated with oil saturation and permeability,and negatively correlated with temperature and salinity.Furthermore,particle image velocimetry(PIV)experiments(25℃,atmospheric pressure)indicate that the pressure reduction is achieved by NPs through the reduction of wall shear resistance and wettability change.This work has important implications for the design of water injection strategies in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.

Response characteristics of gas pressure under simultaneous static and dynamic load:Implication for coal and gas outburst mechanism

Coal and gas outbursts are dynamic disasters in which a large mass of gas and coal suddenly emerges in a mining space within a split second.The interaction between the gas pressure and stress environment is one of the key factors that induce coal and gas outbursts.In this study,first,the coupling relationship between the gas pressure in the coal body ahead of the working face and the dynamic load was investigated using experimental observations,numerical simulations,and mine-site investigations.It was observed that the impact rate of the dynamic load on the gas-bearing coal can significantly change the gas pressure.The faster the impact rate,the speedier the increase in gas pressure.Moreover,the gas pressure rise was faster closer to the impact interface.Subsequently,based on engineering background,we proposed three models of stress and gas pressure distribution in the coal body ahead of the working face:static load,stress disturbance,and dynamic load conditions.Finally,the gas pressure distribution and outburst mechanism were investigated.The high concentration of gas pressure appearing at the coal body ahead of the working face was caused by the dynamic load.The gas pressure first increased gradually to a peak value and then decreased with increasing distance from the working face.The increase in gas pressure plays a major role in outburst initiation by resulting in the ability to more easily reach the critical points needed for outburst initiation.Moreover,the stronger the dynamic load,the greater the outburst initiation risk.The results of this study provide practical guidance for the early warning and prevention of coal and gas outbursts.

Optimization of Gas-Flooding Fracturing Development in Ultra-Low Permeability Reservoirs

Ultra-low permeability reservoirs are characterized by small pore throats and poor physical properties, which areat the root of well-known problems related to injection and production. In this study, a gas injection floodingapproach is analyzed in the framework of numerical simulations. In particular, the sequence and timing of fracturechanneling and the related impact on production are considered for horizontal wells with different fracturemorphologies. Useful data and information are provided about the regulation of gas channeling and possible strategiesto delay gas channeling and optimize the gas injection volume and fracture parameters. It is shown that inorder to mitigate gas channeling and ensure high production, fracture length on the sides can be controlled andlonger fractures can be created in the middle by which full gas flooding is obtained at the fracture location in themiddle of the horizontal well. A Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm is provided by which the gas injectionvolume and the fracture parameters of gas injection flooding can be optimized. It is shown that an improvedoil recovery factor as high as 6% can be obtained.

Rock mass response for lined rock caverns subjected to high internal gas pressure

The storage of hydrogen gas in underground lined rock caverns(LRCs)enables the implementation of the first fossil-free steelmaking process to meet the large demand for crude steel.Predicting the response of rock mass is important to ensure that gas leakage due to rupture of the steel lining does not occur.Analytical and numerical models can be used to estimate the rock mass response to high internal pressure;however,the fitness of these models under different in situ stress conditions and cavern shapes has not been studied.In this paper,the suitability of analytical and numerical models to estimate the maximum cavern wall tangential strain under high internal pressure is studied.The analytical model is derived in detail and finite element(FE)models considering both two-dimensional(2D)and three-dimensional(3D)geometries are presented.These models are verified with field measurements from the LRC in Skallen,southwestern Sweden.The analytical model is inexpensive to implement and gives good results for isotropic in situ stress conditions and large cavern heights.For the case of anisotropic horizontal in situ stresses,as the conditions in Skallen,the 3D FE model is the best approach.

Experimental investigations on effects of gas pressure on mechanical behaviors and failure characteristic of coals

The mechanical behavior of coal is the key factor affecting underground coal mining and coalbed methane extraction.In this study,triaxial compression and seepage tests were carried out on coal at different gas pressures.The mechanical properties and failure process of coal were studied,as well as the acoustic emission(AE)and strain energy.The influence of gas pressure on the mechanical parameters of this coal was analyzed.Based on the conventional energy calculation formula,the pore pressure was introduced through the effective stress formula,and each energy component of coal containing gas was refined innovatively.The contribution of gas pressure to the total energy input and dissipation during loading was quantitatively described.Finally,the influence of gas pressure on coal strength was theo-retically analyzed from the perspectives of MohreCoulomb criterion and fracture mechanics.The results show that the total absorbed energy comprises the absorbed energy in the axial pressure direction(positive)and in the confining pressure direction(negative),as well as that induced by the pore pressure(initially negative and then positive).The absorbed energy in the axial pressure direction accounts for the main proportion of the total energy absorbed by coal.The quiet period of AE in the initial stage shortens,and AE activity increases during the pre-peak stage under high gas pressure.The fractal characteristics of AE in three stages are studied using the correlation dimension.The AE process has different forms of self-similarity in various deformation stages.

Self-absorption effects of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy under different gases and gas pressures

The self-absorption effect is one of the main factors affecting the quantitative analysis accuracy of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.In this paper,the self-absorption effects of laserinduced 7050 Al alloy plasma under different pressures in air,Ar,and N2have been studied.Compared with air and N2,Ar significantly enhances the spectral signal.Furthermore,the spectral self-absorption coefficient is calculated to quantify the degree of self-absorption,and the influences of gas species and gas pressure on self-absorption are analyzed.In addition,it is found that the spectral intensity fluctuates with the change of pressure of three gases.It can also be seen that the fluctuation of spectral intensity with pressure is eliminated after correcting,which indicates that the self-absorption leads to the fluctuation of spectral intensity under different pressures.The analysis shows that the evolution of optical thin spectral lines with pressure in different gases is mainly determined by the gas properties and the competition between plasma confinement and Rayleigh–Taylor instability.

Prediction on Failure Pressure of Pipeline Containing Corrosion Defects Based on ISSA-BPNNModel

Oil and gas pipelines are affected by many factors,such as pipe wall thinning and pipeline rupture.Accurate prediction of failure pressure of oil and gas pipelines can provide technical support for pipeline safety management.Aiming at the shortcomings of the BP Neural Network(BPNN)model,such as low learning efficiency,sensitivity to initial weights,and easy falling into a local optimal state,an Improved Sparrow Search Algorithm(ISSA)is adopted to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of BPNN,and an ISSA-BPNN failure pressure prediction model for corroded pipelines is established.Taking 61 sets of pipelines blasting test data as an example,the prediction model was built and predicted by MATLAB software,and compared with the BPNN model,GA-BPNN model,and SSA-BPNN model.The results show that the MAPE of the ISSA-BPNN model is 3.4177%,and the R2 is 0.9880,both of which are superior to its comparison model.Using the ISSA-BPNN model has high prediction accuracy and stability,and can provide support for pipeline inspection and maintenance.

Revaluating coal permeability-gas pressure relation under various gas pressure differential conditions

Identifying changes in coal permeability with gas pressure and accurately codifying mean efective stresses in laboratory samples are crucial in predicting gas-fow behavior in coal reservoirs. Traditionally, coal permeability to gas is assessed using the steady-state method, where the equivalent gas pressure in the coal is indexed to the average of upstream and downstream pressures of the coal, while ignoring the nonlinear gas pressure gradient along the gas fow path. For the fow of a compressible gas, the traditional method consistently underestimates the length/volume-averaged pressure and overestimates mean efective stress. The higher the pressure diferential within the sample, the greater the error between the true mean pressure for a compressible fuid and that assumed as the average between upstream and downstream pressures under typical reservoir conditions. A correction coefcient for the compressible fuid pressure asymptotes to approximately 1.3%, representing that the error in mean pressure and efective stress can be on the order of approximately 30%, particularly for highly pressure-sensitive permeabilities and compressibilities, further amplifying errors in evaluated reservoir properties. We utilized this volume-averaged pressure and efective stress to correct permeability and compressibility data reported in the literature. Both the corrected initial permeability and the corrected pore compressibility were found to be smaller than the uncorrected values, due to the underestimation of the true mean fuid pressure, resulting in an overestimation of reservoir permeability if not corrected. The correction coefcient for the initial permeability ranges from 0.6 to 0.1 (reservoir values are only approximately 40% to 90% of laboratory values), while the correction coefcient for pore compressibility remains at approximately 0.75 (reservoir values are only approximately 25% of laboratory value). Errors between the uncorrected and corrected parameters are quantifed under various factors, such as confning pressure, gas sorption, and temperature. By analyzing the evolutions of the initial permeability and pore compressibility, the coupling mechanisms of mechanical compression, adsorption swelling, and thermal expansion on the pore structure of the coal can be interpreted. These fndings can provide insights that are useful for assessing the sensitivity of coal permeability to gas pressure as truly representative of reservoir conditions.

Accumulation and exploration enlightenment of shallow normal-pressure shale gas in southeastern Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on the drilling, logging, experimental and testing data of Well PD1, a shallow normal-pressure shale gas well in the Laochangping anticline in southeastern Sichuan Basin, the shallow shale gas reservoirs of the Ordovician Wufeng Formation to Silurian Longmaxi Formation (Wufeng-Longmaxi) were investigated in terms of geological characteristics, occurrence mechanism, and adsorption-desorption characteristics, to reveal the enrichment laws and high-yield mechanism of shallow normal-pressure shale gas in complex structure areas. First, the shallow shale gas reservoirs are similar to the medium-deep shale gas reservoirs in static indicators such as high-quality shale thickness, geochemistry, physical properties and mineral composition, but the former is geologically characterized by low formation pressure coefficient, low gas content, high proportion of adsorbed gas, low in-situ stress, and big difference between principal stresses. Second, shallow shales in the complex structure areas have the gas occurrence characteristics including low total gas content (1.1-4.8 m3/t), high adsorbed gas content (2.5-2.8 m3/t), low sensitive desorption pressure (1.7-2.5 MPa), and good self-sealing. Third, the adsorbed gas enrichment of shales is mainly controlled by organic matter abundance, formation temperature and formation pressure: the higher the organic matter abundance and formation pressure, the lower the formation temperature and the higher the adsorption capacity, which is more beneficial for the adsorbed gas occurrence. Fourth, the shallow normal-pressure shale gas corresponds to low sensitive desorption pressure. The adsorbed gas can be rapidly desorbed and recovered when the flowing pressure is reduced below the sensitive desorption pressure. Fifth, the exploration breakthrough of Well PD1 demonstrates that the shallow complex structure areas with adsorbed gas in dominance can form large-scale shale reservoirs, and confirms the good exploration potential of shallow normal-pressure shale gas in the margin of the Sichuan Basin.

Effect of rock joints on lined rock caverns subjected to high internal gaspressure

The storage of hydrogen gas in lined rock caverns(LRCs)may enable the implementation of the firstlarge-scale fossil-free steelmaking process in Sweden,but filling such storage causes joints in the rockmass to open,concentrating strains in the lining.The structural interaction between the LRC componentsmust be able to reduce the strain concentration in the sealing steel lining;however,this interaction iscomplex and difficult to predict with analytical methods.In this paper,the strain concentration in LRCsfrom the opening of rock joints is studied using finite element(FE)analyses,where the large-and small-scale deformation behaviors of the LRC are coupled.The model also includes concrete crack initiation anddevelopment with increasing gas pressure and rock joint width.The interaction between the jointed rockmass and the reinforced concrete,the sliding layer,and the steel lining is demonstrated.The results showthat the rock mass quality and the spacing of the rock joints have the greatest influence on the straindistributions in the steel lining.The largest effect of rock joints on the maximum strains in the steellining was observed for geological conditions of“good”quality rock masses.

Design and theoretical analysis of test system for propellants' gas pressure in warhead

Aiming at harsh environment of cluster bombs center tube explosion dispersion and difficulties in installation of traditional test systems,a storage test system based on 16-bit ultra-low power microcontroller MSP430 is designed in order to acquire gas pressure during cluster bombs dispersion.To meet the requirement of low power consumption,the working states of system＇s modules during data acquisition are elaborated and the equation to calculate the gas pressure change during cylindrical center tube opening the hatch is deduced.The field test is conducted and good test results are obtained.

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.

Calculation analysis of sustained casing pressure in gas wells

Sustained casing pressure （SCP） in gas wells brings a serious threat to worker safety and environmental protection. According to geological conditions, wellbore structure and cement data of gas wells in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, China, the position, time, environmental condition and the value of SCP have been analyzed. On this basis, the shape of the pressure bleed-down plot and pressure buildup plot were diagnosed and the mechanism of SCP has been clarified. Based on generalized annular Darcy percolation theory and gas-liquid two-phase fluid dynamics theory, a coupled mathematical model of gas migration in a cemented annulus with a mud column above the cement has been developed. The volume of gas migrated in the annulus and the value of SCP changing with time in a gas well in Sichuan have been calculated by this model. Calculation results coincided well with the actual field data, which provide some reference for the following security evaluation and solution measures of SCP.

Pressure Tight Piston Corer—A New Approach on Gas Hydrate Investigation

A pressure tight sediment sampling technology, which can be introduced into the modification of the piston corer to accommodate the investigation of gas hydrate, is put forward. In this paper, the three basic rules of the technology are analyzed in detail: specimen transferring rule, seal self-tightening rule and semi-active pressure holding rule. Based on these, the structure of the pressure tight piston corer is put forward and its working principle is analyzed. Finally, a pressure tight sediment sampler, to which the same technology is applied, is researched through experiments. Results show that the sampler based on the above-mentioned theory has a good ability in sampling and in -situ pressure holding.

Research on Pressure Tight Sampling Technique of Deep-Sea Shallow Sediment—A New Approach to Gas Hydrate Investigation

Analyzed and calculated are pressure changes and body deformation of the sample inside of the corer in the process of sampling of deep-sea shallow sediment with a non-piston corer for gas hydrate investigation, Two conclusions are drawn： （1） the stress increments associated with the corer through the sampling process do not affect the stabilization of the gas hydrate; （2） the body deformation of the sample is serious and the ＂incremental filling ratio＂ （IFR） is less than unit, For taking samples with in-situ pressure and structure, combining with the design theories of the pressure tight corer, we have designed a kind of piston corer, named the gas hydrate pressure tight piston corer, Several tests on the sea have been conducted. Test results indicate that the piston corer has a good ability of taking sediment samples on the seafloor and maintaining their original in-situ pressure, meeting the requirement of exploration of gas hydrate in deep-sea shallow sediment layers.

Determination of the maximum allowable gas pressure for an underground gas storage salt cavern——A case study of Jintan,China

Increasing the allowable gas pressure of underground gas storage(UGS) is one of the most effective methods to increase its working gas capacity. In this context, hydraulic fracturing tests are implemented on the target formation for the UGS construction of Jintan salt caverns, China, in order to obtain the minimum principal in situ stress and the fracture breakdown pressure. Based on the test results, the maximum allowable gas pressure of the Jintan UGS salt cavern is calibrated. To determine the maximum allowable gas pressure, KING-1 and KING-2 caverns are used as examples. A three-dimensional(3D)geomechanical model is established based on the sonar data of the two caverns with respect to the features of the target formation. New criteria for evaluating gas penetration failure and gas seepage are proposed. Results show that the maximum allowable gas pressure of the Jintan UGS salt cavern can be increased from 17 MPa to 18 MPa(i.e. a gradient of about 18 k Pa/m at the casing shoe depth). Based on numerical results, a field test with increasing maximum gas pressure to 18 MPa has been carried out in KING-1 cavern. Microseismic monitoring has been conducted during the test to evaluate the safety of the rock mass around the cavern. Field monitoring data show that KING-1 cavern is safe globally when the maximum gas pressure is increased from 17 MPa to 18 MPa. This shows that the geomechanical model and criteria proposed in this context for evaluating the maximum allowable gas pressure are reliable.

Quick determination of gas pressure before uncovering coal in cross-cuts and shafts

The determination of gas pressure before uncovering coal in cross-cuts and in shafts is one of the important steps in pre- dicting coal and gas outbursts. However, the time spent for testing gas pressure is, at present, very long, seriously affecting the ap- plication of outburst prediction techniques in opening coal seams in cross-cuts and shafts. In order to reduce the time needed in gas pressure tests and to improve the accuracy of tests, we analyzed the process of gas pressure tests and examined the effect of the length of boreholes in coal seams in tests. The result shows that 1) the shorter the borehole, the easier the real pressure value of gas can be obtained and 2) the main factors affecting the time spent in gas pressure tests are the length of the borehole in coal seams, the gas emission time after the borehole has been formed and the quality of the borehole-sealing. The longer the length of the bore- hole, the longer the gas emission time and the larger the pressure-relief circle formed around the borehole, the longer the time needed for pressure tests. By controlling the length of the borehole in a test case in the Huainan mining area, and adopting a quick sealing technique using a sticky liquid method, the sealing quality was clearly improved and the gas emission time as well as the amount of gas discharged greatly decreased. Before the method described, the time required for the gas pressure to increase during the pressure test process, was more than 10 days. With our new method the required time is only 5 hours. In addition, the accuracy of the gas pressure test is greatly improved.

Simulation of mold filling and prediction of gas entrapment on practical high pressure die castings

Element parameters including volume filled ratio,surface dimensionless distance,and surface filled ratio for DFDM(direct finite difference method)were proposed to describe shape and location of free surfaces in casting mold filling processes.A mathematical model of the filling process was proposed specially considering the mass,momentum and heat transfer in the vicinity of free surfaces.Furthermore,a method for gas entrapment was established by tracking flow of entrapped gas.The model and method were applied to practical ADC1 high pressure die castings.The gas entrapment prediction was compared with the fraction and maximum size of porosities in the different casting parts.The comparison shows validity of the proposed model and method.The study indicates that final porosities in high pressure die castings are dependent on both gas entrapment during mold filling process and pressure transfer within solidification period.

Anisotropic Rock Poroelasticity Evolution in Ultra-low Permeability Sandstones under Pore Pressure,Confining Pressure,and Temperature:Experiments with Biot's Coefficient

This study aimed to show anisotropic poroelasticity evolution in ultra-low permeability reservoirs under pore pressure,confining pressure,and temperature.Several groups of experiments examining Biot's coefficient under different conditions were carried out.Results showed that Biot's coefficient decreased with increased pore pressure,and the variation trend is linear,but the decreasing rate is variable between materials.Biot's coefficient increased with increased confining pressure;the variation trend is linear,but the increasing rate varies by material as well.Generally,Biot's coefficient remains stable with increased temperature.Lithology,clay mineral content,particle arrangement,and pore arrangement showed impacts on Biot's coefficient.For strong hydrophilic clay minerals,expansion in water could result in a strong surface adsorption reaction,which could result in an increased fluid bulk modulus and higher Biot's coefficient.For skeleton minerals with strong lipophilicity,such as quartz and feldspar,increased oil saturation will also result in an adsorption reaction,leading to increased fluid bulk modulus and a higher Biot's coefficient.The study's conclusions provide evidence of poroelasticity evolution of ultra-low permeability and help the enhancing oil recovery(EOR)process.

The pressure compensation technology of deep-sea sampling based on the real gas state equation

Compressed gas is usually used for the pressure compensation of the deep-sea pressure-maintaining sampler.The pressure and volume of the recovered fluid sample are highly related to the precharged gas. To better understand the behavior of the gas under high pressure, we present a new real gas state equation based on the compression factor Z which was derived from experimental data. Then theoretical calculation method of the pressure and volume of the sample was introduced based on this empirical gas state equation. Finally, the proposed calculation method was well verified by the high-pressure vessel experiment of the sampler under 115 MPa.