Petroleum geological characteristics and exploration targets of the oil-rich sags in the Central and West African Rift System

Based on seismic,drilling,and source rock analysis data,the petroleum geological characteristics and future exploration direction of the oil-rich sags in the Central and West African Rift System(CWARS)are discussed.The study shows that the Central African Rift System mainly develops high-quality lacustrine source rocks in the Lower Cretaceous,and the West African Rift System mainly develops high-quality terrigenous organic matter-rich marine source rocks in the Upper Cretaceous,and the two types of source rocks provide a material basis for the enrichment of oil and gas in the CWARS.Multiple sets of reservoir rocks including fractured basement and three sets of regional cap rocks in the Lower Cretaceous,the Upper Cretaceous,and the Paleogene are developed in the CWARS.Since the Late Mesozoic,due to the geodynamic factors including the dextral strike-slip movement of the Central African Shear Zone,the basins in different directions of the CWARS differ in terms of rifting stages,intervals of regional cap rocks,trap types and accumulation models.The NE-SW trending basins have mainly preserved one stage of rifting in the Early Cretaceous,with regional cap rocks developed in the Lower Cretaceous strata,forming traps of reverse anticlines,flower-shaped structures and basement buried hill,and two types of hydrocarbon accumulation models of"source and reservoir in the same formation,and accumulation inside source rocks"and"up-source and down-reservoir,and accumulation below source rocks".The NW–SE basins are characterized by multiple rifting stages superimposition,with the development of regional cap rocks in the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene,forming traps of draping anticlines,faulted anticlines,antithetic fault blocks and the accumulation model of"down-source and up-reservoir,and accumulation above source rocks".The combination of reservoir and cap rocks inside source rocks of basins with multiple superimposed rifting stages,as well as the lithologic reservoirs and the shale oil inside source rocks of strong inversion basins are important fields for future exploration in basins of the CWARS.

Development,challenges and strategies of natural gas industry under carbon neutral target in China

In the mid-21st century,natural gas will enter its golden age,and the era of natural gas is arriving.This paper reviews the development stages of global natural gas industry and the enlightenment of American shale gas revolution,summarizes the development history and achievements of the natural gas industry in China,analyzes the status and challenges of natural gas in the green and low-carbon energy transition,and puts forward the natural gas industry development strategies under carbon neutral target in China.The natural gas industry in China has experienced three periods:start,growth,and leap forward.At present,China has become the fourth largest natural gas producer and third largest natural gas consumer in the world,and has made great achievements in natural gas exploration and development theory and technology,providing important support for the growth of production and reserves.China has set its goal of carbon neutrality to promote green and sustainable development,which brings opportunities and challenges for natural gas industry.Natural gas has significant low-carbon advantages,and gas-electric peak shaving boosts new energy development;the difficulty and cost of development are more prominent.For the national energy security and harmonious development between economy and ecology under the carbon neutral goal,based on the principle of"comprehensive planning,technological innovation,multi-energy complementarity,diversified integration,flexibility and efficiency,optimization and upgrading",the construction of the production-supplystorage-marketing system has to be improved so as to boost the development of the natural gas industry.First,it is necessary to strengthen efforts in the exploration and development of natural gas,making projects and arrangement in key exploration and development areas,meanwhile,it is urgent to make breakthroughs in key science theories and technologies,so as to increase reserve and production.Second,it should promote green and innovative development of the natural gas by developing new techniques,expanding new fields and integrating with new energy.Third,there is a demand to realize transformation and upgrading of the supply and demand structure of natural gas by strengthening the layout of pipeline gas,liquefied natural gas and the construction of underground gas storage,establishing reserve system for improving abilities of emergency response and adjustment,raising the proportion of natural gas in the primary energy consumption and contributing to the transformation of energy consumption structure,realizing low-carbon resources utilization and clean energy consumption.

Depositional model of the Member Deng-2 marginal microbial mound-bank complex of the Dengying Formation in the southwestern Sichuan Basin, SW China: Implications for the Ediacaran microbial mound construction and hydrocarbon exploration

Recent advances in hydrocarbon exploration have been made in the Member Deng-2 marginal microbial mound-bank complex reservoirs of the Dengying Formation in the western Sichuan Basin, SW China,where the depositional process is regarded confusing. The microfacies, construction types, and depositional model of the Member Deng-2 marginal microbial mound-bank complex have been investigated using unmanned aerial vehicle photography, outcrop section investigation, thin section identification,and seismic reflections in the southwestern Sichuan Basin. The microbialite lithologic textures in this region include thrombolite, dendrolite, stromatolite, fenestral stromatolite, spongiostromata stone,oncolite, aggregated grainstone, and botryoidal grapestone. Based on the comprehensive analysis of“depositional fabrics-lithology-microfacies”, an association between a fore mound, mound framework,and back mound subfacies has been proposed based on water depth, current direction, energy level and lithologic assemblages. The microfacies of the mound base, mound core, mound flank, mound cap, and mound flat could be recognized among the mound framework subfacies. Two construction types of marginal microbial mound-bank complex have been determined based on deposition location, mound scale, migration direction, and sedimentary facies association. Type Jinkouhe microbial mound constructions(TJMMCs) develop along the windward margin owing to their proximity to the seaward subfacies fore mound, with a northeastwardly migrated microbial mound on top of the mud mound,exhibiting the characteristics of large-sized mounds and small-sized banks in the surrounding area. Type E'bian microbial mound constructions(TEMMCs) primarily occur on the leeward margin, resulting from the presence of onshore back mound subfacies, with the smaller southwestward migrated microbial mounds existing on a thicker microbial flat. The platform margin microbial mound depositional model can be correlated with certain lateral comparison profile and seismic reflection structures in the 2D seismic section, which can provide references for future worldwide exploration. Microbial mounds with larger buildups and thicker vertical reservoirs are typically targeted on the windward margin, while small-sized microbial mounds and flats with better lateral connections are typically focused on the leeward margin.

Development characteristics and controlling factors of fractures in lacustrine shale and their geological significance for evaluating shale oil sweet spots in the third member of the Shahejie Formation in the Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin

Natural fractures are critical for shale oil and gas enrichment and development. Due to the extremely high heterogeneity of shale, the factors controlling the formation of internal fractures, especially horizontal fractures, remain controversial. In this study, we integrate thin section analysis and microcomputed tomography(CT) data from several lacustrine shale samples from the third member(Es3) of the Shahejie Formation, Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, to assess the fractures in detail. The goal is to reveal the development characteristics, controlling factors, and geological significance for evaluating sweet spots in a shale oil play. The fractures in the Es3contain high-angle structural and horizontal bed-parallel fractures that are mostly shear and extensional. Various factors influence fracture development,including lithofacies, mineral composition, organic matter content, and the number of laminae. Structural fractures occur predominantly in siltstone, whereas bed-parallel fractures are abundant in laminated shale and layered mudstone. A higher quartz content results in higher shale brittleness, causing fractures, whereas the transformation between clay minerals contributes to the development of bedparallel fractures. Excess pore pressure due to hydrocarbon generation and expulsion during thermal advance can cause the formation of bed-parallel fractures. The density of the bed-parallel and structural fractures increases with the lamina density, and the bed-parallel fractures are more sensitive to the number of laminae. The fractures are critical storage spaces and flow conduits and are indicative of sweet spots. The laminated shale in the Es3with a high organic matter content contains natural fractures and is an organic-rich, liquid-rich, self-sourced shale play. Conversely, the siltstone, massive mudstone, and argillaceous carbonate lithofacies contain lower amounts of organic matter and do not have bed-parallel fractures. However, good reservoirs can form in these areas when structural fractures are present and the source, and storage spaces are separated.

Research status and application of artificial intelligence large models in the oil and gas industry

This article elucidates the concept of large model technology,summarizes the research status of large model technology both domestically and internationally,provides an overview of the application status of large models in vertical industries,outlines the challenges and issues confronted in applying large models in the oil and gas sector,and offers prospects for the application of large models in the oil and gas industry.The existing large models can be briefly divided into three categories:large language models,visual large models,and multimodal large models.The application of large models in the oil and gas industry is still in its infancy.Based on open-source large language models,some oil and gas enterprises have released large language model products using methods like fine-tuning and retrieval augmented generation.Scholars have attempted to develop scenario-specific models for oil and gas operations by using visual/multimodal foundation models.A few researchers have constructed pre-trained foundation models for seismic data processing and interpretation,as well as core analysis.The application of large models in the oil and gas industry faces challenges such as current data quantity and quality being difficult to support the training of large models,high research and development costs,and poor algorithm autonomy and control.The application of large models should be guided by the needs of oil and gas business,taking the application of large models as an opportunity to improve data lifecycle management,enhance data governance capabilities,promote the construction of computing power,strengthen the construction of“artificial intelligence+energy”composite teams,and boost the autonomy and control of large model technology.

Research progress and key issues of ultra-deep oil and gas exploration in China

Based on the recent oil and gas discoveries and geological understandings on the ultra-deep strata of sedimentary basins, the formation and occurrence of hydrocarbons in the ultra-deep strata were investigated with respect to the processes of basin formation, hydrocarbon generation, reservoir formation and hydrocarbon accumulation, and key issues in ultra-deep oil and gas exploration were discussed. The ultra-deep strata in China underwent two extensional-convergent cycles in the Meso-Neoproterozoic Era and the Early Paleozoic Era respectively, with the tectonic-sedimentary differentiation producing the spatially adjacent source-reservoir assemblages. There are diverse large-scale carbonate reservoirs such as mound-beach, dolomite, karst fracture-vug, fractured karst and faulted zone, as well as over-pressured clastic rock and fractured bedrock reservoirs. Hydrocarbons were accumulated in multiple stages, accompanied by adjusting and finalizing in the late stage. The distribution of hydrocarbons is controlled by high-energy beach zone, regional unconformity, paleo-high and large-scale fault zone. The ultra-deep strata endow oil and gas resources as 33% of the remaining total resources, suggesting an important successive domain for hydrocarbon development in China. The large-scale pool-forming geologic units and giant hydrocarbon enrichment zones in ultra-deep strata are key and promising prospects for delivering successive discoveries. The geological conditions and enrichment zone prediction of ultra-deep oil and gas are key issues of petroleum geology.

Petroleum geology features and research developments of hydrocarbon accumulation in deep petroliferous basins

As petroleum exploration advances and as most of the oil-gas reservoirs in shallow layers have been explored, petroleum exploration starts to move toward deep basins, which has become an inevitable choice. In this paper, the petroleum geology features and research progress on oil-gas reservoirs in deep petroliferous basins across the world are characterized by using the latest results of worldwide deep petroleum exploration. Research has demonstrated that the deep petroleum shows ten major geological features. （1） While oil-gas reservoirs have been discovered in many different types of deep petroliferous basins, most have been discovered in low heat flux deep basins. （2） Many types of petroliferous traps are developed in deep basins, and tight oil-gas reservoirs in deep basin traps are arousing increasing attention. （3） Deep petroleum normally has more natural gas than liquid oil, and the natural gas ratio increases with the burial depth. （4） The residual organic matter in deep source rocks reduces but the hydrocarbon expulsion rate and efficiency increase with the burial depth. （5） There are many types of rocks in deep hydrocarbon reservoirs, and most are clastic rocks and carbonates. （6） The age of deep hydrocarbon reservoirs is widely different, but those recently discovered are pre- dominantly Paleogene and Upper Paleozoic. （7） The porosity and permeability of deep hydrocarbon reservoirs differ widely, but they vary in a regular way with lithology and burial depth. （8） The temperatures of deep oil-gas reservoirs are widely different, but they typically vary with the burial depth and basin geothermal gradient. （9） The pressures of deep oil-gas reservoirs differ significantly, but they typically vary with burial depth, genesis, and evolu- tion period. （10） Deep oil-gas reservoirs may exist with or without a cap, and those without a cap are typically of unconventional genesis. Over the past decade, six major steps have been made in the understanding of deep hydrocarbon reservoir formation. （1） Deep petroleum in petroliferous basins has multiple sources and many dif- ferent genetic mechanisms. （2） There are high-porosity, high-permeability reservoirs in deep basins, the formation of which is associated with tectonic events and subsurface fluid movement. （3） Capillary pressure differences inside and outside the target reservoir are the principal driving force of hydrocarbon enrichment in deep basins. （4） There are three dynamic boundaries for deep oil-gas reservoirs; a buoyancy-controlled threshold, hydrocarbon accumulation limits, and the upper limit of hydrocarbon generation. （5） The formation and distribution of deep hydrocarbon res- ervoirs are controlled by free, limited, and bound fluid dynamic fields. And （6） tight conventional, tight deep, tight superimposed, and related reconstructed hydrocarbon reservoirs formed in deep-limited fluid dynamic fields have great resource potential and vast scope for exploration. Compared with middle-shallow strata, the petroleum geology and accumulation in deep basins are more complex, which overlap the feature of basin evolution in different stages. We recommend that further study should pay more attention to four aspects： （1） identification of deep petroleum sources and evaluation of their relative contributions; （2） preservation conditions and genetic mechanisms of deep high-quality reservoirs with high permeability and high porosity; （3） facies feature and transformation of deep petroleum and their potential distribution; and （4） economic feasibility evaluation of deep tight petroleum exploration and development.

Distribution characteristics, exploration and development, geological theories research progress and exploration directions of shale gas in China

The shale gas resources in China have great potential and the geological resources of shale gas is over 100×10^(12)m^(3),which includes about 20×10^(12)m^(3) of recoverable resources.Organic-rich shales can be divided into three types according to their sedimentary environments,namely marine,marine-continental transitional,and continental shales,which are distributed in 13 stratigraphic systems from the Mesoproterozoic to the Cenozoic.The Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas have the highest geological resources of shale gas,and the commercial development of shale gas has been achieved in the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in these areas,with a shale gas production of up to 20×10^(9)m^(3) in 2020.China has seen rapid shale gas exploration and development over the last five years,successively achieving breakthroughs and important findings in many areas and strata.The details are as follows.(1)Large-scale development of middle-shallow shale gas(burial depth:less than 3500 m)has been realized,with the productivity having rapidly increased;(2)breakthroughs have been constantly made in the development of deep shale gas(burial depth:3500-4500 m),and the ultradeep shale gas(burial depth:greater than 4500 m)is under testing;(3)breakthroughs have been made in the development of normal-pressure shale gas,and the assessment of the shale gas in complex tectonic areas is being accelerated;(4)shale gas has been frequently discovered in new areas and new strata,exhibiting a great prospect.Based on the exploration and development practice,three aspects of consensus have been gradually reached on the research progress in the geological theories of shale gas achieved in China.(1)in terms of deep-water fine-grained sediments,organic-rich shales are the base for the formation of shale gas;(2)in terms of high-quality reservoirs,the development of micro-nano organic matter-hosted pores serves as the core of shale gas accumulation;(3)in terms of preservation conditions,weak structural transformation,a moderate degree of thermal evolution,and a high pressure coefficient are the key to shale gas enrichment.As a type of important low-carbon fossil energy,shale gas will play an increasingly important role in achieving the strategic goals of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality.Based on the in-depth study of shale gas geological conditions and current exploration progress,three important directions for shale gas exploration in China in the next five years are put forward.

“Component flow”conditions and its effects on enhancing production of continental medium-to-high maturity shale oil

Based on the production curves,changes in hydrocarbon composition and quantities over time,and production systems from key trial production wells in lacustrine shale oil areas in China,fine fraction cutting experiments and molecular dynamics numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of changes in shale oil composition on macroscopic fluidity.The concept of“component flow”for shale oil was proposed,and the formation mechanism and conditions of component flow were discussed.The research reveals findings in four aspects.First,a miscible state of light,medium and heavy hydrocarbons form within micropores/nanopores of underground shale according to similarity and intermiscibility principles,which make components with poor fluidity suspended as molecular aggregates in light and medium hydrocarbon solvents,such as heavy hydrocarbons,thereby decreasing shale oil viscosity and enhancing fluidity and outflows.Second,small-molecule aromatic hydrocarbons act as carriers for component flow,and the higher the content of gaseous and light hydrocarbons,the more conducive it is to inhibit the formation of larger aggregates of heavy components such as resin and asphalt,thus increasing their plastic deformation ability and bringing about better component flow efficiency.Third,higher formation temperatures reduce the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon components,such as wax,thereby improving their fluidity.Fourth,preservation conditions,formation energy,and production system play important roles in controlling the content of light hydrocarbon components,outflow rate,and forming stable“component flow”,which are crucial factors for the optimal compatibility and maximum flow rate of multi-component hydrocarbons in shale oil.The component flow of underground shale oil is significant for improving single-well production and the cumulative ultimate recovery of shale oil.

Modeling of multiphase flow in low permeability porous media:Effect of wettability and pore structure properties

Multiphase flow in low permeability porous media is involved in numerous energy and environmental applications.However,a complete description of this process is challenging due to the limited modeling scale and the effects of complex pore structures and wettability.To address this issue,based on the digital rock of low permeability sandstone,a direct numerical simulation is performed considering the interphase drag and boundary slip to clarify the microscopic water-oil displacement process.In addition,a dual-porosity pore network model(PNM)is constructed to obtain the water-oil relative permeability of the sample.The displacement efficiency as a recovery process is assessed under different wetting and pore structure properties.Results show that microscopic displacement mechanisms explain the corresponding macroscopic relative permeability.The injected water breaks through the outlet earlier with a large mass flow,while thick oil films exist in rough hydrophobic surfaces and poorly connected pores.The variation of water-oil relative permeability is significant,and residual oil saturation is high in the oil-wet system.The flooding is extensive,and the residual oil is trapped in complex pore networks for hydrophilic pore surfaces;thus,water relative permeability is lower in the water-wet system.While the displacement efficiency is the worst in mixed-wetting systems for poor water connectivity.Microporosity negatively correlates with invading oil volume fraction due to strong capillary resistance,and a large microporosity corresponds to low residual oil saturation.This work provides insights into the water-oil flow from different modeling perspectives and helps to optimize the development plan for enhanced recovery.

Whole petroleum system in Jurassic coal measures of Taibei Sag in Tuha Basin,NW China

Based on the latest results of near-source exploration in the Middle and Lower Jurassic of the Tuha Basin,a new understanding of the source rocks,reservoir conditions,and source-reservoir-cap rock combinations of the Jurassic Shuixigou Group in the Taibei Sag is established using the concept of the whole petroleum system,and the coal-measure whole petroleum system is analyzed thoroughly.The results are obtained in three aspects.First,the coal-measure source rocks of the Badaowan Formation and Xishanyao Formation and the argillaceous source rocks of the Sangonghe Formation in the Shuixigou Group exhibit the characteristics of long-term hydrocarbon generation,multiple hydrocarbon generation peaks,and simultaneous oil and gas generation,providing sufficient oil and gas sources for the whole petroleum system in the Jurassic coal-bearing basin.Second,multi-phase shallow braided river delta–shallow lacustrine deposits contribute multiple types of reservoirs,e.g.sandstone,tight sandstone,shale and coal rock,in slope and depression areas,providing effective storage space for the petroleum reservoir formation in coal-measure strata.Third,three phases of hydrocarbon charging and structural evolution,as well as effective configuration of multiple types of reservoirs,result in the sequential accumulation of conventional-unconventional hydrocarbons.From high structural positions to depression,there are conventional structural and structural-lithological reservoirs far from the source,low-saturation structural-lithological reservoirs near the source,and tight sandstone gas,coal rock gas and shale oil accumulations within the source.Typically,the tight sandstone gas and coal rock gas are the key options for further exploration,and the shale oil and gas in the depression area is worth of more attention.The new understanding of the whole petroleum system in the coal measures could further enrich and improve the geological theory of the whole petroleum system,and provide new ideas for the overall exploration of oil and gas resources in the Tuha Basin.

Relationship between Natural Fracture and Structural Style and its Implication for Tight Gas Enrichment:A Case Study of Deep Ahe Formation in the Dibei–Tuzi Area,Kuqa Depression

The deep Lower Jurassic Ahe Formation(J_(1a))in the Dibei–Tuzi area of the Kuqa Depression has not been extensively explored because of the complex distribution of fractures.A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the natural fracture distribution and structural style.The J_(1a)fractures in this area were mainly high-angle shear fractures.A backward thrust structure(BTS)is favorable for gas migration and accumulation,probably because natural fractures are more developed in the middle and upper parts of a thick competent layer.The opposing thrust structure(OTS)was strongly compressed,and the natural fractures in the middle and lower parts of the thick competent layer around the fault were more intense.The vertical fracture distribution in the thick competent layers of an imbricate-thrust structure(ITS)differs from that of BTS and OTS.The intensity of the fractures in the ITS anticline is similar to that in the BTS.Fracture density in monoclinic strata in a ITS is controlled by faulting.Overall,the structural style controls the configuration of faults and anticlines,and the stress on the competent layers,which significantly affects deep gas reservoir fractures.The enrichment of deep tight sandstone gas is likely controlled by two closely spaced faults and a fault-related anticline.

Geological reservoir and resource potential(10^(13)m^(3))of gas hydrates in the South China Sea

A detailed understanding of the distribution and potential of natural gas hydrate(NGHs)resources is crucial to fostering the industrialization of those resources in the South China Sea,where NGHs are abundant.In this study,this study analyzed the applicability of resource evaluation methods,including the volumetric,genesis,and analogy methods,and estimated NGHs resource potential in the South China Sea by using scientific resource evaluation methods based on the factors controlling the geological accumulation and the reservoir characteristics of NGHs.Furthermore,this study compared the evaluation results of NGHs resource evaluations in representative worldwise sea areas via rational analysis.The results of this study are as follows:(1)The gas hydrate accumulation in the South China Sea is characterized by multiple sources of gas supply,multi-channel migration,and extensive accumulation,which are significantly different from those of oil and gas and other unconventional resources.(2)The evaluation of gas hydrate resources in the South China Sea is a highly targeted,stratified,and multidisciplinary evaluation of geological resources under the framework of a multi-type gas hydrate resource evaluation system and focuses on the comprehensive utilization of multi-source heterogeneous data.(3)Global NGHs resources is n×10^(15)m^(3),while the NGHs resources in the South China Sea are estimated to be 10^(13)m^(3),which is comparable to the abundance of typical marine NGHs deposits in other parts of the world.In the South China Sea,the NGHs resources have a broad prospect and provide a substantial resource base for production tests and industrialization of NGHs.

Characteristics and main controlling factors of intra-platform shoal thin-layer dolomite reservoirs:A case study of Middle Permian Qixia Formation in Gaoshiti-Moxi area of Sichuan Basin,SW China

Based on the study of the distribution of intra-platform shoals and the characteristics of dolomite reservoirs in the Middle Permian Qixia Formation in the Gaoshiti–Moxi area of the Sichuan Basin,SW China,the controlling factors of reservoir development were analyzed,and the formation model of“intra-platform shoal thin-layer dolomite reservoir”was established.The Qixia Formation is a regressive cycle from bottom to top,in which the first member(Qi1 Member)develops low-energy open sea microfacies,and the second member(Qi2 Member)evolves into intra-platform shoal and inter-shoal sea with decreases in sea level.The intra-platform shoal is mainly distributed near the top of two secondary shallowing cycles of the Qi2 Member.The most important reservoir rock of the Qixia Formation is thin-layer fractured-vuggy dolomite,followed by vuggy dolomite.The semi-filled saddle dolomite is common in fracture-vug,and intercrystalline pores and residual dissolution pores combined with fractures to form the effective pore-fracture network.Based on the coupling analysis of sedimentary and diagenesis characteristics,the reservoir formation model of“pre-depositional micro-paleogeomorphology controlling shoal,sedimentary shoal controlling dolomite,penecontemporaneous dolomite benefiting preservation of pores,and late hydrothermal action effectively improving reservoir quality”was systematically established.The“first-order high zone”micro-paleogeomorphology before the deposition of the Qixia Formation controlled the development of large area of intra-platform shoals in Gaoshiti area during the deposition of the Qi2 Member.Shoal facies is the basic condition of early dolomitization,and the distribution range of intra-platform shoal and dolomite reservoir is highly consistent.The grain limestone of shoal facies is transformed by two stages of dolomitization.The penecontemporaneous dolomitization is conducive to the preservation of primary pores and secondary dissolved pores.The burial hydrothermal fluid enters the early dolomite body along the fractures associated with the Emeishan basalt event,makes it recrystallized into medium–coarse crystal dolomite.With the intercrystalline pores and the residual vugs after the hydrothermal dissolution along the fractures,the high-quality intra-platform shoal-type thin-layer dolomite reservoirs are formed.The establishment of this reservoir formation model can provide important theoretical support for the sustainable development of Permian gas reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin.

Distribution patterns of tight sandstone gas and shale gas

Based on an elaboration of the resource potential and annual production of tight sandstone gas and shale gas in the United States and China,this paper reviews the researches on the distribution of tight sandstone gas and shale gas reservoirs,and analyzes the distribution characteristics and genetic types of tight sandstone gas reservoirs.In the United States,the proportion of tight sandstone gas in the total gas production declined from 20%-35%in 2008 to about 8%in 2023,and the shale gas production was 8310×10^(8)m^(3)in 2023,about 80%of the total gas production,in contrast to the range of 5%-17%during 2000-2008.In China,the proportion of tight sandstone gas in the total gas production increased from 16%in 2010 to 28%or higher in 2023.China began to produce shale gas in 2012,with the production reaching 250×10^(8)m^(3)in 2023,about 11%of the total gas production of the country.The distribution of shale gas reservoirs is continuous.According to the fault presence,fault displacement and gas layer thickness,the continuous shale gas reservoirs can be divided into two types:continuity and intermittency.Most previous studies believed that both tight sandstone gas reservoirs and shale gas reservoirs are continuous,but this paper holds that the distribution of tight sandstone gas reservoirs is not continuous.According to the trap types,tight sandstone gas reservoirs can be divided into lithologic,anticlinal,and synclinal reservoirs.The tight sandstone gas is coal-derived in typical basins in China and Egypt,but oil-type gas in typical basins in the United States and Oman.

Geochronology and Geochemistry of the Xingxingxia Triassic A-type Granites in Central Tianshan,NW China:Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications

The Triassic granitoids in Central Tianshan play a key role in determining the petrogenesis and tectonic evolution on the southern margin of the Central Asian orogenic belt.In this study,we present SHRIMP zircon U-Pb ages,Hf isotopic and geochemical data on the Xingxingxia biotite granite,amazonite granite and granitic pegmatite in Central Tianshan,NW China.Zircon U-Pb dating yielded formation ages of 242 Ma for the biotite granite and 240 Ma for the amazonite granite.These granitoid rocks have high K_(2)O with low MgO and CaO contents.They are enriched in Nb,Ta,Hf and Y,while being depleted in Ba and Sr,showing flat HREE patterns and negative Eu anomalies.They have typical A-type granite geochemical signatures with high Ga/A_(1)(8–13)and TFeO/(TFeO+MgO)ratios,showing an A_(2) affinity for biotite granite and an A_(1) affinity for amazonite granite and granitic pegmatite.Zircon ε_(Hf)(t)values of the granitoids are 0.45–2.66,with Hf model ages of 0.99–1.17 Ga.This suggests that these A-type granites originated from partial melting of the lower crust.We propose that Xingxingxia Triassic A-type granites formed under lithospheric extension from post-orogenic to anorogenic intraplate settings and NE-trending regional strike-slip fault-controlled magma emplacement in the upper crust.

Microfacies and diagenetic alteration in a semi-deep to deep lacustrine shale: The Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, China

The mineralogical development and diagenetic sequence of lacustrine shales in the Chang 7 Member of the Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin are detailed studied.A model of their depositional system and a diagenetic diagram are proposed in this study.Through detailed petrographic,mineralogical,and elemental analyses,four distinct shale types are identified:argillaceous shale,siliceous shale,calcareous shale,and carbonate,clay,and silt-bearing shale.The main diagenetic process in argillaceous shale is the transformation of illite to smectite,negatively impacting shale porosity.Siliceous shale undergoes carbonate cementation and quartz dissolution,contributing to increased porosity,particularly in mesopores.Calcareous shale experiences diagenesis characterised by carbonate formation and dissolution,with a prevalence of siderite.In carbonate,clay,and silt-bearing shale,the dissolution of K-feldspar contributes to illitization of kaolinite.Argillaceous shale,characterised by more clay minerals and lower mesopore volume,is identified as a potential hydrocarbon seal.Siliceous shale,with the highest pore volume and abundant inter-mineral pores,emerges as a promising shale oil reservoir.These findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of shale properties,aiding in the prediction of shale oil exploration potential in the studied area.

Hydrodynamic resistance of pore–throat structures and its effect on shale oil apparent permeability

Oil transport is greatly affected by heterogeneous pore–throat structures present in shale.It is therefore very important to accurately characterize pore–throat structures.Additionally,it remains unclear how pore–throat structures affect oil transport capacity.In this paper,using finite element(FE)simulation and mathematical modeling,we calculated the hydrodynamic resistance for four pore–throat structure.In addition,the influence of pore throat structure on shale oil permeability is analyzed.According to the results,the hydrodynamic resistance of different pore throat structures can vary by 300%.The contribution of additional resistance caused by streamline bending is also in excess of 40%,even without slip length.Fur-thermore,Pore–throat structures can affect apparent permeability by more than 60%on the REV scale,and this influence increases with heterogeneity of pore size distribution,organic matter content,and organic matter number.Clearly,modeling shale oil flow requires consideration of porous–throat structure and additional resistance,otherwise oil recovery and flow capacity may be overestimated.

Fracturing timing of Jurassic reservoirs in the Dibei-Tuziluoke gas field,Kuqa foreland basin:Evidence from petrography,fluid inclusions,and clumped isotopes

Determining the timing of fracturing is crucial for understanding reservoir evolution and hydrocarbon accumulation in foreland basins.Using fracturing data from cores,borehole images,and outcrops,combined with the clumped isotope(D47)and fluid inclusion analyses of carbonate minerals filled in pores and fractures,this study ascertained the fracturing timing of the Jurassic reservoirs in the Dibei-Tuziluoke Gas Field,Kuqa Foreland Basin.Data from outcrops and borehole images show two dominant fracture sets in the study area:W-E and NE-SW striking fractures.Some W-E striking fractures are carbonate-filled,while NE-SW striking fractures lack mineral fillings.Bitumen veins,not easy to be identified in borehole images,are prevalent in cores.The petrographic analysis reveals that these bitumen veins formed before the calcite cementation in pores and display high viscosity and low maturity.Homogenization temperatures(T_(h))from primary fluid inclusion assemblages in two representative calcite vein samples were notably lower than T_(△47) values from corresponding samples.This suggests the △_(47) signature underwent alteration due to partial reordering during burial.Thus,△_(47)-derived temperatures(apparent temperatures)may not faithfully represent the mineral precipitation temperatures.When plotting these apparent temperatures vs.the burial history,only the possible latest ages of fracturing emerged.These ages were further refined by considering petroleum charging,tectonic evolution,and stress orientation.Bitumen-filled fractures likely resulted from the Late Cretaceous uplift,marking the migration of low-maturity hydrocarbons in the study area.Carbonate-filled E-W striking fractures emerged during the late Miocene(~13-6.5 Ma)alongside fold development.NE-striking fractures that crosscut W-E ones possibly formed recently due to stress reorientation.

A seismic elastic moduli module for the measurements of low-frequency wave dispersion and attenuation of fluid-saturated rocks under different pressures

Knowledge about the seismic elastic modulus dispersion,and associated attenuation,in fluid-saturated rocks is essential for better interpretation of seismic observations taken as part of hydrocarbon identification and time-lapse seismic surveillance of both conventional and unconventional reservoir and overburden performances.A Seismic Elastic Moduli Module has been developed,based on the forced-oscillations method,to experimentally investigate the frequency dependence of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio,as well as the inferred attenuation,of cylindrical samples under different confining pressure conditions.Calibration with three standard samples showed that the measured elastic moduli were consistent with the published data,indicating that the new apparatus can operate reliably over a wide frequency range of f∈[1-2000,10^(6)]Hz.The Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the shale and the tight sandstone samples were measured under axial stress oscillations to assess the frequency-and pressure-dependent effects.Under dry condition,both samples appear to be nearly frequency independent,with weak pressure dependence for the shale and significant pressure dependence for the sandstone.In particular,it was found that the tight sandstone with complex pore microstructure exhibited apparent dispersion and attenuation under brine or glycerin saturation conditions,the levels of which were strongly influenced by the increased effective pressure.In addition,the measured Young's moduli results were compared with the theoretical predictions from a scaled poroelastic model with a reasonably good agreement,revealing that the combined fluid flow mechanisms at both mesoscopic and microscopic scales possibly responsible for the measured dispersion.