Search

The lower Wuerhe formation reservoir of the 8th district is a blocky, ultra-low-permeability gravel reservoir with poor waterflooding development, and it is urgent to attack the gas injection gravity flooding. The barrier property of seepage barriers such as interlayers developed inside the reservoir is very important for the study of gas injection gravity flooding. The mineral composition, pore throat structure, and physical characteristics of the interlayer rocks were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) whole-rock analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The gas injection breakthrough pressure of the interlayer was studied by core breakthrough experiment and digital core simulation. Based on the determination of the interlayer criteria, logging was used to interpret and characterize the interlayer. The effects of different types of interlayer combinations on gas injection were studied by combining the physical model and numerical simulation methods. The results showed that the lithology of the interlayer in the lower Wuerhe formation of the 8th district was mainly mud-bearing fine gravel with microporosity, average porosity of 6.1% and permeability of 0.0043 mD. The interlayer gas injection breakthrough pressure and permeability were in a logarithmic linear relationship, and the lower limit of gas injection breakthrough under reservoir conditions was 0.003 mD. Initially, it is difficult to flood the upper remaining oil of the gas injection due to the blockage of the interlayer, while in the middle and late stage, the gas-liquid interface gradually reached stability with the increase in injected gas, which has little impact on the final recovery. These results indicate that it is feasible to carry out gas injection gravity flooding in this reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main target for hydrocarbon exploration of terrestrial strata in Sichuan Basin is the tight gas sandstone reservoir of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation. Xujiahe Formation in YB area is a major discovery of hydrocarbon exploration in recent years, which is characterized as tight with ultralow porosity, ultralow permeability, and intensive heterogeneity. The tectonic fractures have important influence on accumulation and productivity of gas in the area. In the paper, analysis data of outcrop, core, imaging logging and other experiments were used to determine the characteristics, formation periods and genetic mechanisms of tectonic fractures. There are mainly high-angle and low-angle shear fractures in the area, which caused by tectonic stress. The length of the fractures is mainly 0–4 m from the outcrop and 10–20 cm from the cores and fracture frequencies (number per meter) is mostly 2-7 m−1, 2-4 m−1 respectively. The fracture fillings are mainly calcite, argillaceous and carbonaceous, about 60% of the fractures is unfilled or incompletely filled. Without considering the diagenetic fractures, there are three periods of the fractures: the middle-late Yanshanian tectonic movement, the early-middle Himalaya tectonic movement and the late Himalaya tectonic movement. The first period of the fractures are mainly filled with fine calcite, homogenization temperature of inclusion is 75–85 °C and the maximum effective principal stress of paleostress is 71.64 Mpa. The second period of the fractures are half-filled (or unfilled) with coarse calcite, homogenization temperature of inclusion is 150–175 °C and the maximum effective principal stress of paleostress is 74.91 Mpa. The third period of the fractures are low filling degree and cuts formed fractures clearly, the maximum effective principal stress of paleostress is 86.52 Mpa. For these tectonic movement, there are four sets of the plane "X" shear fractures in the area: NE strike fractures, NW strike fractures, NEE strike fractures, S N strike fractures. There are one set of the profile shear fractures of NWW strike. Finally, the complex fault system of nearly N S, NW and NE strike are formed in YB area. • A new method for comprehensive study of the fracture formation period is provided. • The main fracture formation dating of Xujiahe Formation in YB area as follows: 36–176 Ma and 0.2–36.4 Ma. • There are 3 periods tectonic fractures of Xujiahe Formation and formation period of different fracture types is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]