Research on the direction of secondary migration of oil by making use of nitrogen compounds as tracers in the No. 6 area of the Melut Basin

This paper discussed the direction of secondary migration of oil in the No. 6 area of the Melut Basin by making use of nitrogen compounds as secondary oil migration tracers. From the results, we have found that the occurrence and compositional characteristics of isomeric-nitrogen compounds in crude oil precisely manifest the fractionation effect of oil migration: with increasing secondary migration distance, the absolute concentrations tend to decrease, and the ratio of nitrogen-shielded isomers to nitrogen-exposed isomers tends to increase. It is considered that the main direction of oil migration in the No. 6 area of the Melut Basin is from north to south.

Reservoir Characteristics of Lacustrine Shale and Marine Shale:Examples from the Songliao Basin,Bohai Bay Basin and Qiannan Depression

Lacustrine shale from the Qingshankou Formatin of Songliao basin and the Shahejie Formation of Bohai Bay basin, and marine shale from the lower Cambrian Jinmenchong Formation of Qiannan depression were analysed by using rock pyrolysis, TOC （total organic carbon）, XRD （X-ray diffraction）, SEM （scanning electron microscope）, FE-SEM （field emission scanning electron microscope）, high pressure mercury intrusion, and low pressure N2 and CO2 gas adsorption experiments, in aim to reveal their reservoir features. The results show that： （1） the width of micro-pores of all the studied samples mainly ranges from 0.45 to 0.7 nm indicated by CO2 isotherms, and the width of meso-pores is less than 10 nm, with type IV adsorption isotherms and type H2 hysteresis loop, indicative of ＂ink-bottle＂-shaped pores. Good correlations exist among pore volume, surface area and averaged pore diameter, and a good positive correlation exists between micro-pore volume and TOC content; however, there is no obvious correlation between meso-pore volume and TOC content; （2） interparticle pores, pores among the edge of mineral grains and organic matter pores were all identified in marine and lacustrine shale, among which the interparticle pores may be influence by dissolution effect. Not all bitumen develops organic matter pore, and only high to over mature bitumen present pores. Now the description methods of micrometer scale pores developed in shale are very lack. Micro- fractures developed in Jiyang depression and dissolution interparticle pores developed in Songliao Basin should be the accumulation sites for shale oil in lacustrine shale, and can be as sweet spots.

Geochemical characteristics of noble gases in natural gas and their application in tracing natural gas migration in the middle part of the western Sichuan Depression, China

Noble gases in natural gas, from Xiaoquan, Xinchang, Hexingchang and Fenggu gas reservoirs in the middle part of the western Sichuan Depression, China, were analysed. Results show that the volume content of crustal noble gases accounts for 97.9% to 99.7% of the total noble gas content, indicating that the noble gases in the study area are very largely derived from the crust. Moreover, the 40Ar time-accumulating effect of source rocks is used to determine the complex relationship between gases and source rocks in this area, and the results agree well with that from analysis of source rock light hydrocarbons. Due to the short migration distance, the separation of 4He and 40Ar is not significant in Xujiahe natural gas and Lower and Middle Jurassic natural gas, so it is difficult to trace natural gas migration. However, this separation characteristic of 4He and 40Ar in Middle and Upper Jurassic natural gas is significant, which indicates that natural gas migration was from the Middle Jurassic to Upper Jurassic formations. In addition, the variation trends of 3He/4He ratio and δ13C1 value indicates that natural gas migration is from the Xujiahe formation to the Jurassic layer in the study area.

Discrimination of Natural Fractures Using Well Logging Curve Unit

It is very difficult to discriminate natural fractures using conventional well log data, especially for most of the matured oilfields in China, because the raw data were acquired with relatively obsolete tools. The raw data include only GR and SP curves, indicative of lithology, AC curves, used to calculate the porosity of the formation, and a set of logging curves from various electrode length resistivity by laterolog. On the other hand, these oilfields usually have a large amount of core data which directly display the characteristics of the formation, and enough information of injection and production. This paper describes an approach through which logging curves are calibrated in terms of the raw data, and then a prototype model of natural fractures is established based on the investigation of core data from 43 wells, totaling 4 000 m in length. A computer program has been developed according to this method. Through analysis and comparison of the features of logging curves, this paper proposes a new concept, the well logging curve unit. By strictly depicting its shape through mathematical methods, the natural facture can be discriminated. This work also suggests an equation to estimate the probability of fracture occurrence, and finally other fracture parameters are calculated using some experimental expressions. With this methodology, logging curves from 100 wells were interpreted, the results of which agree with core data and field information.

Nonlinear flow numerical simulation of low-permeability reservoir

A nonlinear flow reservoir mathematical model was established based on the flow characteristic of low-permeability reservoir.The well-grid equations were deduced and the dimensionless permeability coefficient was introduced to describe the permeability variation of nonlinear flow.The nonlinear flow numerical simulation program was compiled based on black-oil model.A quarter of five-spot well unit was simulated to study the effect of nonlinear flow on the exploitation of low-permeability reservoir.The comprehensive comparison and analysis of the simulation results of Darcy flow,quasi-linear flow and nonlinear flow were provided.The dimensionless permeability coefficient distribution was gained to describe the nonlinear flow degree.The result shows that compared with the results of Darcy flow,when considering nonlinear flow,the oil production is low,and production decline is rapid.The fluid flow in reservoir consumes more driving energy,which reduces the water flooding efficiency.Darcy flow model overstates the reservoir flow capability,and quasi-linear flow model overstates the reservoir flow resistance.The flow ability of the formation near the well and artificial fracture is strong while the flow ability of the formation far away from the main streamline is weak.The nonlinear flow area is much larger than that of quasi-linear flow during the fluid flow in low-permeability reservoir.The water propelling speed of nonlinear flow is greatly slower than that of Darcy flow in the vertical direction of artificial fracture,and the nonlinear flow should be taken into account in the well pattern arrangement of low-permeability reservoir.

A novel redox indicator based on relative abundances of C_(31) and C_(32) homohopanes in the Eocene lacustrine Dongying Depression, East China

A suite of oils and bitumens from the Eocene Shahejie Formation(Es) in Dongying Depression was geochemically characterized to illustrate impact of source input and redox conditions on distributions of pentacyclic terpanes. The Es_(4) developed under highly reducing, sulfidic hypersaline conditions, while Es_(3) formed under dysoxic, brackish to freshwater conditions. Oils derived from Es_(4) are enriched in C_(32) homohopanes(C_(32) H), while those from Es_(3) are prominently enriched in C_(31) homohopanes(C_(31) H). The C_(32) H/C_(31) H ratio shows positive correlation with homohopane index(HHI), gammacerane index, and negative correlation with pristane/phytane ratio, and can be used to evaluate oxic/anoxic conditions during deposition. High C32 H/C_(31) H ratio(> 0.8) is an important characteristic of oils derived from anoxic environments, while low values(< 0.8) indicate dysoxic conditions and extremely low values(< 0.4)indicate strong oxic conditions. The C_(32) H/C_(31) H ratio can be applied for deposition condition diagnosis because carboxyl group of C_(32) hopanoic acids might be reduced to C_(32) homohopanes under anoxic conditions, and oxidized to C_(31) homohopane under oxic conditions. Advantages to use C_(32) H/C_(31) H ratio as redox condition proxy compared to the HHI and gammacerane indexes are wider valid maturity range,less sensitive to biodegradation influence and better differentiating reducing from oxic environments.

The technology and application of the quantitative characterization of different occurrences of shale oil

Shale oil has a variety of modes of occurrence, Free state shale oil makes a major contribution to production, and there is no good way to quantitative characterization the free state shale oil and adsorbedstate shale oil as well as the relationship with surrounding media.This study used Rock-Eval 6 （RE6）to develop a technology of thermal release analysis method.

Lacustrine Shale Oil Resource Potential of Es3L Sub-Member of Bonan Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, Eastern China

Following shale gas, shale oil has become another highlight in unconventional hydrocarbon exploration and development. A large amount of shale oil has been produced from a host of marine shale in North America in recent years. In China, lacustrine shale, as the main source rock of conventional oil and gas, should also have abundant oil retained in place. In this study, geochemical and geologic characteristics of lacustrine shale from Es3L sub-member in Bonan sag were characterized by using total organic carbon（TOC）, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, X-ray diffraction, and ？log R method. The results show that the Es3L sub-member shale have TOC contents ranging from 0.5 wt.% to 9.3 wt.%, with an average of 2.9 wt.%. The organic matter is predominantly Type I kerogen, with minor amounts of Type II1 kerogen. The temperature of maximum yield of pyrolysate（Tmax） values ranges from 424 to 447 ℃, with an average of 440 ℃, and vitrinite reflectance（Ro%） ranges from 0.7% to 0.9%, indicating most of shales are thermally mature. The dominant minerals of Es3L shale in Bonan sag are carbonates（including calcite and dolomite）, averaging 51.82 wt.%, and the second minerals are clay（mostly are montmorillonite-illite-mixed layer and illite） and quartz, averaging about 18 wt.%. Finally, its shale oil resources were evaluated by using the volumetric method, and the evaluation result shows that the shale oil resource is up to 5.94 billion tons, and mostly Class I resource. Therefore, the exploration of the lacustrine shale oil of Es3L in Bonan sag should be strengthened.

Quantification and implications of two types of soluble organic matter from brackish to saline lake source rocks

Two types of soluble organic matter, the free and adsorbed, were obtained and quantified from the brack- ish to saline lake source rocks. The adsorbed type was ex- tracted with chloroform, solvent mixtures of methanol: acetone:chloroform (MAC) and CS2:N-methyl-2-pyrroli- dinone (CS2/NMP). The total amounts of the two types of soluble organic matter from some immature source rocks are >830 mg/g TOC, more than 63% of the total organic matter in these samples. This result indicates that the majority of the organic matter in the immature source rocks in the brackish to saline lake basin is soluble, and is significant for study of petroleum formation and helpful for petroleum exploration in the brackish to saline lake basin.

Relationship between heterogeneity of source rocks and genetic mechanism of abnormally high pressure

Based on the micro-fluorescence observation of polished sections of source rocks,two types of micro-layers with different wetting properties formed in thermal evolution,i.e.,oil-wetting and water-wetting micro-layers,are distinguished.The wetting property is found closely related to the abundance of organic matter and its occurrences with inorganic minerals.The alternating distribution and intercrossing of two types of micro-layers formed many separated spaces with different wettabilities.The strong capillary forces in these separated spaces with different wettibilities obstruct the cross flows of pore fluids and result in nearly independent and closed fluid systems.As a consequence,these spatially superposed spaces in source rocks bear the overburden pressure and then abnormally high pressures have developed in the whole source rock unit.Therefore,the abundance and occurrences of organic matter are the main inner factors influencing the formation of abnormally high pressures,whereas the formation,distribution and development of micro-layers with different wettabilities during the evolution of source rock determine the intensity and spatial distribution of abnormally high pressures.