Nuclear magnetic resonance T_2 spectrum:multifractal characteristics and pore structure evaluation

Pore structure characteristics are important to oil and gas exploration in complex low-permeability reservoirs. Using multifractal theory and nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR）, we studied the pore structure of low-permeability sandstone rocks from the 4th Member （Es4） of the Shahejie Formation in the south slope of the Dongying Sag. We used the existing pore structure data from petrophysics, core slices, and mercury injection tests to classify the pore structure into three categories and five subcategories. Then, the T2 spectra of samples with different pore structures were interpolated, and the one- and three-dimensional fractal dimensions and the multifractal spectrum were obtained. Parameters a （intensity of singularity） andf（a） （density of distribution） were extracted from the multifractal spectra. The differences in the three fractal dimensions suggest that the pore structure types correlate with a andf（a）. The results calculated based on the multifractal spectrum is consistent with that of the core slices and mercury injection. Finally, the proposed method was applied to an actual logging profile to evaluate the pore structure of low-permeability sandstone reservoirs.

Lower Es3 in Zhanhua Sag, Jiyang Depression： a case study for lithofacies classification in lacustrine mud shale

Oil and gas exploration in lacustrine mud shale has focused on laminated calcareous lithofacies rich in type Ⅰ or type Ⅱ1 organic matter, taking into account the mineralogy and bedding structure, and type and abundance of organic matter. Using the lower third member of the Shahejie Formation, Zhanhua Sag, Jiyang Depression as the target lithology, we applied core description, thin section observations, electron microscopy imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance, and fullbore formation microimager （FMI） to study the mud shale lithofacies and features. First, the lithofacies were classified by considering the bedding structure, lithology, and organic matter and then a lithofacies classification scheme of lacustrine mud shale was proposed. Second, we used optimal filtering of logging data to distinguish the lithologies. Because the fractals of logging data are good indicators of the bedding structure, gamma-ray radiation was used to optimize the structural identification. Total organic carbon content （TOC） and pyrolyzed hydrocarbons （S2） were calculated from the logging data, and the hydrogen index （HI） was obtained to identify the organic matter type of the different strata （HI vs Tmax）. Finally, a method for shale lithofacies identification based on logging data is proposed for exploring mud shale reservoirs and sweet spots from continuous wellbore profiles.

Discovery and prediction of high natural gamma sandstones in Chang 73 Submember of Triassic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin, China

The large scale development of high natural gamma sandstones has been discovered in the Chang 73 Submember of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, China. High natural gamma sandstones consist of terrigenous detrital rocks with particle sizes ranging from silt to sand. They represent turbidite deposits characterized by high gamma ray values that are more than 180 American Petroleum Institute (API) units on a natural gamma ray log profile. For a long time, very high natural gamma sandstones had been identified as high-quality source rocks, such as oil shales, from conventional well log profiles, such as natural gamma ray well logs. Therefore, predicting the distribution of high natural gamma sandstones was studied. The sedimentary, lithological, and well log characteristics, as well as the genesis of the high radioactivity of high natural gamma sandstones were analyzed in the Chang 73 Submember. Thorium (Th), uranium (U) and other radioactive elements were found, carried by deep hydrothermal activity, and probably resulted in the formation of a relatively high radioactive zone in the cross-section, where high natural gamma sandstones usually develop in large quantities. This caused many turbidite sand bodies, which should have a continuous distribution in the cross-section, to appear to have a discontinuous distribution, when using conventional well log profiles, such as natural gamma ray well logs. From the above mentioned apparent discontinuous distribution of turbidite sand bodies in the cross-section, a continuous distribution can be predicted. It is obvious that the prediction of areas of continuous turbidite sand bodies in the cross-section usually corresponds with areas where high natural gamma sandstones are developed in large quantities. Exploration and development practice demonstrated that the developed method is fast and effective in predicting high natural gamma sandstones in the Chang 73 Submember.

Discovery and identification of clay-sized tuffaceous rocks in Chang 7 Member of Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin,China

This study for the first time demonstrates that some of the so-called clay-sized mudstones observed by the naked eye,such as clay-sized black mudstones and clay-sized oil shales,which are rich in black organic matter(including oil and asphaltene),in the Chang 73 Submember of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin of China are actually clay-sized tuffaceous rocks(including tuff,sedimentary tuff and tuffaceous sedimentary rock)with high hydrocarbon generation capacities.Thus,these rocks can be defined as clay-sized tuffaceous source rocks.Identification of this lithology has important theoretical and practical significance for the exploration and development of shale oil in the Chang 7 Member.Through the macroscopic observation of drill cores and outcrop profiles,microscopic observation of electron probe thin sections and whole-rock inorganic geochemical analysis(including major,trace and rare earth elements),this work demonstrates that the organic matter-rich clay-sized tuffaceous rocks,especially clay-sized tuffs,have the following characteristics.First,the clay-sized tuffaceous rocks with little black organic matter are mainly greyish white,yellowish brown and purplish grey,and mixed colors occur in areas with strong bentonite lithification.Second,the clay-sized tuffaceous rocks have experienced strong devitrification and recrystallization,forming abundant flaky aluminosilicate minerals with directional arrangement.In thin sections under a polarizing microscope,the interference colors generally show regular alternation between the lowest interference color of first-order yellow and the highest interference color of second-order blue-green.Third,the rock samples plot in the igneous rock field in the TiO2-SiO2 cross-plot and exhibit similar trace element and rare earth element patterns on spider diagrams,indicating that the samples are derived from the same source.The results prove that clay-sized tuffaceous rocks may be widespread in the Chang 73 Submember of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin,China.

Numerical simulation of non-Archie electrophysical property of saturated rock with lattice Boltzmann method

The electrophysical property of saturated rocks is very important for reservoir identification and evaluation. In this paper, the lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） was used to study the electrophysical property of rock saturated with fluid because of its advantages over conventional numerical approaches in handling complex pore geometry and boundary conditions. The digital core model was constructed through the accumulation of matrix grains based on their radius distribution obtained by the measurements of core samples. The flow of electrical current through the core model saturated with oil and water was simulated on the mesoscopic scale to reveal the non-Archie relationship between resistivity index and water saturation （I-Sw）. The results from LBM simulation and laboratory measurements demonstrated that the I-Sw relation in the range of low water saturation was generally not a straight line in the log-log coordinates as described by the Archie equation. We thus developed a new equation based on numerical simulation and physical experiments. This new equation was used to fit the data from laboratory core measurements and previously published data. Determination of fluid saturation and reservoir evaluation could be significantly improved by using the new equation.

Ultrasonic tomography and its applications in oilfield

UTT （Ultrasonic Tomography Tool） is widely used in the oil industry and can be used to inspect corrosion, casing wall damage, casing breakoff, and casing distortion in the well borehole with the maximum environment temperature being 125 ℃, and the pressure being 60 MPa. UTT consists of tool head, upper centralization, electronic section, lower centralization, transmitters, and receivers. Its outer diameter is 4.6 cm and length is 320 cm. The measured casing diameter ranges from 60 mm to 254 mm. The tomography resolution is 512×512. The borehole measurement accuracy is 2 mm. It can supply 3D pipe tomography, including horizontal and vertical profile. This paper introduces its specification, measurement principle, and applications in oilfield.