Key technologies and practice for gas field storage facility construction of complex geological conditions in China

In view of complex geological characteristics and alternating loading conditions associated with cyclic large amount of gas injection and withdrawal in underground gas storage(UGS) of China, a series of key gas storage construction technologies were established, mainly including UGS site selection and evaluation, key index design, well drilling and completion, surface engineering and operational risk warning and assessment, etc. The effect of field application was discussed and summarized. Firstly, trap dynamic sealing capacity evaluation technology for conversion of UGS from the fault depleted or partially depleted gas reservoirs. A key index design method mainly based on the effective gas storage capacity design for water flooded heterogeneous gas reservoirs was proposed. To effectively guide the engineering construction of UGS, the safe well drilling, high quality cementing and high pressure and large flow surface injection and production engineering optimization suitable for long-term alternate loading condition and ultra-deep and ultra-low temperature formation were developed. The core surface equipment like high pressure gas injection compressor can be manufactured by our own. Last, the full-system operational risk warning and assessment technology for UGS was set up. The above 5 key technologies have been utilized in site selection, development scheme design, engineering construction and annual operations of 6 UGS groups, e.g. the Hutubi UGS in Xinjiang. To date, designed main indexes are highly consistent with actural performance, the 6 UGS groups have the load capacity of over 7.5 billion cubic meters of working gas volume and all the storage facilities have been running efficiently and safely.

Genesis of the Sinian Solid Bitumen and its Significance for Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Anyue Gas Field of the Sichuan Basin

Objective Bitumen is generally associated with oil and gas, which was originally used as an indicator of hydrocarbon reservoirs. With the progress of organic geochemical measuring and testing techniques, bitumen, especially solid bitumen sampled from reservoirs, has been proved to be closely related to the evolution of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The Sinian cores collected from the Anyue gas field contain abundant pores, vugs and fractures, which are filled with a mass of solid bitumen of two epochs and dolomite in between. This work focused on the characteristics of different generations of bitumen and the genesis, in an effort to better understand the process of the Sinian gas accumulation in the Anyue gas field.

The progress and prospects of shale gas exploration and development in southern Sichuan Basin, SW China

The Ordovician Wufeng Formation-Silurian Longmaxi Formation organic-rich shales distributed widely and stably in Southern Sichuan Basin were investigated based on drilling data.Geological evaluation of wells show that the shale reservoirs have good properties in the Yibin,Weiyuan,Zigong,Changning,Luzhou,Dazu areas,with key parameters such as TOC,porosity,gas content similar to the core shale gas production zones.Moreover,these areas are stable in structure,good in preservation conditions and highly certain in resources.The shale reservoirs have a burial depth of 4 500 m or shallow,a total area of over 2×10~4 km^2 and estimated resource of over10×10^(12) m^3,so they are the most resource-rich and practical areas for shale gas exploitation in China.Through construction of the Changning-Weiyuan national demonstration region,the production and EUR of shale gas wells increased significantly,the cost of shale gas wells decreased remarkable,resulting in economic benefit better than expected.Moreover,the localized exploration and development technologies and methods are effective and repeatable,so it is the right time for accelerating shale gas exploitation.Based on the production decline pattern of horizontal wells at present and wells to be drilled in the near future,at the end of the 13th Five Year Plan,the production of shale gas in southern Sichuan Basin is expected to reach or exceed 10 billion cubic meters per year.The resources are sufficient for a stable production period at 30 billion cubic meters per year,which will make the South Sichuan basin become the largest production base of shale gas in China.

Carbon Isotope Reversals of Changning-Weiyuan Region Shale Gas,Sichuan Basin

1 Introduction Many high yield shale gas areas in the World are discovered carbon isotope reversals： Barnett, Fayetteville （Zumberge et al., 2012）, Marcellus （Tilley et al., 2013）, Haynesville （Ferwom et al., 2008）, Albany shale gas （Gao et al., 2014）, Utica shale gas （Xia et al., 1999; Xia et al., 2012; Xia et al., 2013）, the Foothills （Tilley et al., 2011）, Horn River （Tilley et al., 2013） and Ordos basin shale gas （Wang et al., 2015; Dai et al., 2005）.

A Model of Hydrothermal Dolomite Reservoir Facies in Precambrian Dolomite, Central Sichuan Basin, SW China and its Geochemical Characteristics

Hydrothermal mineral assemblages and related hydrothermally enhanced fracturing are common in the Precambrian Dengying Formation of Central Sichuan Basin. Petrographic and geochemical analyses of core samples show that the hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs of Dengying Formation consist of four main types of pores in the reservoir facies. These include: 1) hydrothermal dissolution vug(or pore), 2) intercrystalline pore, 3) residual inter-breccia vug(or pore), and 4) enlarged dissolved-fracture. There are three different fabrics dolomite in hydrothermal dolomite reservoirs, namely, saddle dolomite, fine-medium dolomite and micritic dolomite. Micritic dolomite is the original lithology of host rock. Saddle dolomite with curved or irregular crystal faces was directly crystallized from hydrothermal fluids(average temperature 192°C). Fine-medium dolomites are the products of recrystallization of micritic dolomite, resulting in abnormal geochemical characteristics, such as slight depletion of δ^(18)O, significant enrichment of Mn-Fe and ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr, and positive Eu anomaly. A model for the distribution of various hydrothermal dolomite reservoir facies is proposed here, which incorporates three fundamental geological controls: 1) extensional tectonics and tectono-hydrothermal events(i.e., the Xingkai Taphrogenesis of Late Sinian-Early Cambrian, and Emei Taphrogenesis of Late Permian), 2) hydrothermal fluid storage in clastic rocks with large thickness(e.g., Nanhua System of Chengjiang Formation and part of Doushantuo Formation), and 3) confining bed for hydrothermal fluids(such as, the shale in Qiongzhusi Formation). The supply of hydrothermal fluid is critical. Large basement-rooted faults and associated grid-like fracture system may function as the channels for upward migration of hydrothermal fluid flow. The intersection of the above-mentioned faults(including the conversion fault), especially transtensional sags above negative flower structures on wrench faults can serve as a key target for future hydrocarbon exploration.

Type and distribution of Mid-Permian Maokou Formation karst reservoirs in southern Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on the analysis of the responses of conventional logs such as natural gamma(GR), density(DEN), acoustic interval transit time(AC), compensated neutron(CNL), dual lateral resistivity(Rlld, Rlls), and caliper log(CAL), combined with drilling data,cores, thin section and productivity of 65 wells, the reservoirs in the Mid-Permian Maokou Formation of southern Sichuan Basin were divided into four types, fractured-vuggy, pore-vuggy, fractured and fractured-cavity. The main reservoirs in high productivity wells are fractured-vuggy and pore-vuggy. The reservoirs of Maokou Formation are generally thin, and can be divided into the upper reservoir segment(layer a of the second member to the third member of Maokou Formation, P_2 m^2 a-P_2 m^3) and the lower segment(layer b of the second member of Maokou Formation, P_2 m^2 b). The two reservoir segments are mainly controlled by two grain beaches during the sedimentation of P_2 m^2 a-P_2 m^3 and P_2 m^2 b, the vertical zonation of karst, and the fractures. The upper reservoir segment is generally better than the lower one in development degree and single well productivity, and is much thicker than the lower one. It is thicker in the Yibin-Zigong-Weiyuan-Dazu area, the southwestern area of Chongqing and the southeastern area of Luzhou, while the lower segment is thicker in the Neijiang-Zigong-Luzhou area and the Dazu-Luzhou area. The areas with big reservoir thickness at tectonic slope or syncline parts are the favorable exploration areas.

Reservoir micro structure of Da'anzhai Member of Jurassic and its petroleum significance in Central Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on the qualitative study of microscopic reservoir features using core analysis,cast and fluorescence thin sections inspection,scanning electron microscope(SEM)and field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM)and quantitative examination of pore size and geometry using mercury injection,nano-CT and nitrogen adsorption,reservoir rock of Da’anzhai Member were divided into 9 types,while storage spaces were divided into 4 types and 14 sub-types.The study shows that sparry coquina is the most promising reservoir type.Pores that smaller than 1μm in diameter contribute 91.27%of storage space volume.Most of them exhibit slot-like geometry with good connectivity.By building up storage space models,it was revealed that micron scale storage spaces mainly composed of fractures and nanometer scale pores and fractures form multi-scale dual porosity system.Low resource abundance,small single well controlled reserve,and low production are related to the nano-scale pore space in Da’anzhai Memer,whereas the dual-porosity system composed of pores and fractures makes for long-term oil yield.Due to the existence of abundant slot-like pore space and fractures,economic tight oil production was achieved without stimulations.

The pre-Sinian rift in central Sichuan Basin and its control on hydrocarbon accumulation in the overlying strata

Based on the latest seismic data, resistivity profile, outcrop evidence and logging data, the structural features of basement in Sichuan Basin and its control on the hydrocarbon accumulation in the Sinian-Cambrian strata was discussed. It was found that a NE striking pre-Sinian rift was developed across the whole basin. Controlled by a series of rift-parallel normal faults, horst-graben structures were developed inside the rift, large horst-graben structures and later activity of their boundary faults controlled the distribution of beach facies of the overlying strata. The horst-graben structures induced the formation of local highs of ancient landform and controlled the successive development of overlapped bioherm beach facies in long-term marine setting from the Sinian period to the Permian period, and as a result a widely distributed favorable sedimentary facies belt was developed. The pre-Sinian rift and later activities of related normal faults controlled the development of the grain beach and karst reservoirs and the deposition of high quality source rock, which form structural-lithologic traps. Through comprehensive evaluation, two large structural-lithologic composite trap favorable exploration areas in the south and north of the Gaoshiti-Moxi area, were selected.