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Objective Well C902, located in the Ganchaigou area of the western Qaidam Basin, achieved a breakthrough in shale oil exploration as indicated by the high-production oil flow in the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers of the Upper Member of the Palaeogene Xiaganchaigou Formation. However, ambiguities in evaluation criteria and resource potential limit the efficiency of shale oil development in the Upper Member of the Xiaganchaigou Formation in the Ganchaigou area. Methods Thus, the exploration potential of shale oil in the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers of the Upper Member of the Xiaganchaigou Formation in the Ganchaigou area was comprehensively evaluated by comparing the lithology, physical properties, pore structure, and organic geochemistry between Well C902 and other wells. Results The complicated lithofacies of laminar/lamellar dolostone, laminar/lamellar limestone, laminar clay shale, and lamellar mudstone suggest the mixed carbonate and siliciclastic deposition of the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers. The high brittleness index implies the good fracability of the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers. The intergranular pores and laminar fractures, with a total proportion of 85% in the pore system, were dominant in the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers that can be roughly classified as low-porosity and ultralow-permeability reservoirs. The organic matter, dominated by type Ⅰ-Ⅱ1, shows an average TOC content of more than 0.9% in the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers. Both chloroform asphalt "A" and S1+S2 indicate a high hydrocarbon generation capacity. Conclusion Summarily, the widely deposited the Ⅳ-Ⅵ layers of the Upper Member of the Xiaganchaigou Formation have the characteristic of source-reservoir integration and show not only good quality of source rock but also strong fracability of the shale oil reservoir. The excellent source-reservoir-caprock assemblage is also widely developed, which ensures good sealing ability and favors improving oil and gas recovery after fracturing. This study can theoretically improve the development efficiency of shale oil in the Ganchaigou area.

Yutai Sag is a Mesozoic synsedimentary fault basin. It is characterized by much fault intersection and massive Ordovician carbonate rock in the deep, which indicates a good prospect of geothermal development. To study the characteristics of carbonate thermal reservoirs in this fault basin and evaluate its geothermal resource potential, a hole with a depth of 2 309.31 m was drilled in Yutai Sag. Through comprehensive logging, productivity testing, hydrochemical analysis, gas composition analysis, and geothermal water 14C age determination, the sources and supply of thermal fluid, heat source storage, and ion migration in the interior of the basin are analyzed.The result shows that the temperature anomaly presented in the geothermal well temperature curve and the fault position characterized by many fractures are consistent, indicating the source direction of geothermal water.The geothermal water with high content of Cl- and Na- is related to halite dissolution. The apparent age of geothermal water is 43.5 ka BP near the confluence of faults in the southeastern Yutai Sag, and the corrected age is 10.752 ka BP which is from the late Quaternary Pleistocene to the early Holocene.The study shows that there are relatively active or young geological structures in Yutai Sag, which are one of the thermal sources of thermal reservoirs. The recoverable geothermal resources of the Ordovician thermal reservoir in the area are approximately 2.12×109 GJ, equivalent to 7.27×107 t of standard coal, implying great resource potential and good prospects for development and utilization.

AbstractThe reservoir property of tight sandstones is closely related to the provenance and diagenesis, and multiprovenance system and complex diagenesis are developed in Hangjinqi area. However, the relationship between provenance, diagenesis, and physical characteristics of tight reservoirs in Hangjinqi area has not yet been reported. The Middle Permian Lower Shihezi Formation is one of the most important tight gas sandstone reservoirs in the Hangjinqi area of Ordos Basin. This research compared the diagenesis-porosity quantitative evolution mechanisms of Lower Shihezi Formation sandstones from various provenances in the Hangjinqi area using thin-section descriptions, cathodoluminescence imaging, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions, along with general physical data and high-pressure mercury intrusion (HPMI) data. The sandstones mainly comprise quartzarenite, sublitharenite, and litharenite with low porosity and low permeability and display obvious zonation in the content of detrital components as a result of multiprovenance. Pore space of those sandstone mainly consists of primary pores, secondary pores, and microfractures, but their proportion varies in different provenances. According to HPMI, the order of the pore-throat radius from largest to smallest is central provenance, eastern provenance, and western provenance, which is consistent with the change tend of porosity (middle part>northern part>western part) in Hangjinqi region. The diagenetic evolution path of those sandstones is comparable, with compaction, cementation, dissolution, and fracture development. The central provenance has the best reservoir quality, followed by the eastern provenance and the western provenance, and this variation due to the diverse diagenesis (diagenetic stage and intensity) of different provenances. These findings reveal that the variations in detrital composition and structure caused by different provenances are the material basis of reservoir differentiation, and the main rationale for reservoir differentiation is varying degrees of diagenesis during burial process.

Exploration of hot dry rock in China has just started. In order to accurately evaluate the amount of hot dry rock geothermal resources in China, high-quality hot dry rock drilling cores are needed. However, there are few researches on coring drilling of hot dry rock under the conditions of high temperature, high hardness and high grinding, which seriously restricts the accurate evaluation of hot dry rock geothermal resources. Therefore, independent research and development of the turbodrill Φ127 mm are carried out. The HDR-1 well in Zhangzhou of Fujian and the GR1 well in Gonghe of Qinghai were drilled and the research and application of hot dry rock drilling coring were performed to verify the research and development of turbodrill and the suitability of the KT-140 coring drilling tools and the matching of turbodrill and diamond core bit. The high temperature and hard rock characteristics of turbodrill working under the well conditions are revealed, the test of high temperature of 236 ℃ at the bottom of the bore is withstood, and the application test of turbodrill parameters is obtained. Compared with the conventional coring drilling technology, the turbodrill composite coring drilling technology not only plays an important role in the performance of high rotating speed of the turbodrill, but also makes full use of the characteristics of high temperature resistance, grinding resistance, high ground stress resistance, long service life and low on-site labor intensity, which greatly improves the drilling speed of hot dry rock. The method is of high temperature deep hole hot dry rock underground rotary drill driving core bit coring drilling and is the first successful attempt for hot dry rock of turbodrill coring drilling technology. The field test and application may provide valuable construction experience. The results will also provide a new technical support for hot dry rock scientific drilling and deep geothermal resource exploration in China.

AbstractThe Xiagou Formation is the main tight oil reservoir in Qingxi Sag of Jiuquan Basin. Given the poor physical properties and other factors restricting tight oil exploitation and production in this area, studies should focus on microscopic pore structure characteristics. In this study, a nano-CT scanner, a SEM, and an NMR were used to study the pore structure characteristics of a tight carbonate reservoir in Qingxi Sag, Jiuquan Basin. The Xiagou Formation reservoir mainly consists of gray argillaceous dolomite and dolomitic mudstone. The pore categories are mainly elliptic, irregular, intergranular, and intragranular and mostly filled with clay and carbonate cement. Pore space is small, the intergranular or organic pores are mostly separated, and pore-throat is weakly connected. The throats mostly develop with lamellar and tube bundle-like characteristics and with poor seepage ability. The pore-throats mostly span from nanometer to micrometer sizes, and pore diameters are mainly concentrated in the range of 0.01–0.1 and 1–10 μm. It is a unimodal pattern mainly composed of micropores, or a bimodal regular allocation dominated by micropores supplemented by macropores. The relationship between micropore (1 μm) content allocation and mean pore diameter strongly controls the permeability of reservoir rocks. When macropore content reaches more than 85%, or when pore content totals less than 3%, the permeability of a reservoir remarkably increases. At a higher ratio of the average finest throat sectional area and throat-pore of reservoir rock, the throat radius lies closer to the connecting pore radius, pore and throat connectivity improves, and reservoir seepage ability becomes stronger. Based on reservoir capacity and seepage ability, pore structures of the tight carbonate reservoirs in study area are classified into type I (small-pore–thin-throat), type II (thin-pore–thin-throat), and type III (microporous-microthroat) with rock permeability>0.1 mD, 0.05–0.1 mD, and

AbstractThe physical property heterogeneity of tight sandstones was mainly caused by complex alteration of various diagenesis combinations during burial process. However, diagenetic evolution of different diagenesis combinations which generally result in the strong difference and heterogeneity of physical property and pore structure is rarely well understood. The Middle Permian lower Shihezi Formation is one of the most important tight gas sandstone reservoirs in the Hangjinqi area of Ordos Basin, China. The reservoir heterogeneity of lower Shihezi Formation, which was caused by the differential diagenesis combination, is crucial to efficient exploration and development. Evolution mechanism of differential diagenesis combination and its effect on the reservoir quality in the tight lower Shihezi Formation sandstone in the Hangjinqi area of Ordos Basin was investigated by means of thin-section description, cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions. The lower Shihezi Formation sandstones can be divided into four diagenesis combination types according to the reservoir characteristics and diagenetic relationship. The main diagenetic sequence was mechanical compaction-chlorite rim-early pore-filling calcite cementation-dissolution-authigenic kaolinite-quartz cementation-late calcite cementation. Differential diagenesis combination was mainly controlled by the petrological characteristics, microfacies, and fault. Low content of rock fragment and high content of detrital quartz were beneficial to the compaction resistance and cementation. The moderate content of pore-filling calcite was conducive to pore space protection and feldspar dissolution. The faults control dissolution and differential diagenesis combination by influencing the migration of acid fluids. Moderate compaction-moderate cementation-moderate dissolution type (BBB type) and weak compaction-moderate cementation-strong dissolution type (CBA type) were in favour of high-quality reservoir development.

The Longmaxi and Niutitang Formations are typical shale reservoirs in southeastern Chongqing. Since the Paleozoic, southeastern Chongqing has experienced multistage tectonic movement and diagenesis, resulting in the formation of a large number of natural fractures. In shale reservoirs, fractures not only provide seepage channels for oil and gas migration but also play an important role in the oil and gas reservoir space. Natural fractures provide a flow path from source rock to reservoir during oil filling and connect hydraulic fractures, matrix pores, and boreholes during production. Therefore, identifying the main factors that control the development of natural fractures in the Longmaxi and Niutitang Formations in southeastern Chongqing has a guiding significance for the efficient development of shale reservoirs in this area. By considering the Longmaxi and Niutitang Formation shales as case studies, using field outcrops, drilling cores, and other data, and conducting X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis as well as total organic carbon (TOC) measurements, the quantitative parameter characteristics and main factors that control the development of natural fractures in reservoir shales were examined in detail. The results obtained showed that there are three types of fractures in the lower Paleozoic shale in southeastern Chongqing, which are structural, diagenetic, and abnormal high-pressure fractures. Among them, the fractures in the Longmaxi Formation shale, which are relatively abundant, predominantly consist of low-angle and high-angle inclined fractures, while the Niutitang Formation predominantly consists of high-angle fractures. Additionally, the investigation of fracture size and fracture density, as well as correlation analyses, showed that the fractures of the Lower Paleozoic shale are predominantly micro fractures that play a key role in improving reservoir seepage. It was also noted that the development of fractures is affected by several factors, including tectonic stress, mineral composition, organic carbon content, and rock thickness. The degree of fracture development was found to be positively correlated with brittle mineral and quartz contents, and high organic matter contents also significantly favored the formation micro fractures.

The dolostone reservoir of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation in Eastern Sichuan has good prospects for oil and gas exploration. Study of dolomitizing genesis of the Maokou Formation is essential for predicting the distribution of the dolostone reservoir. Petrography, in situ geochemistry, Sr-Mg isotopes, and fluid inclusions were carried out on samples from the Maokou Formation in Eastern Sichuan in order to discuss the dolomitizing process. Based on mineral and textural characteristics, dolomites were divided into four components: partially clouded dolomite (PCD), mosaic-like dolomite (MLD), cloudy-centered and clear-rimmed dolomite (CACD), and saddle dolomite (SDD). Results indicate that the Maokou Formation in Eastern Sichuan mainly experienced two stages of dolomitization. PCD, MLD, and cloudy-centered dolomite (CCD) were formed during the early dolomitization. They all show turbid crystal planes and bright orange-red CL and have similar trace element contents, 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and rare-earth patterns, indicating that they might be formed in the same fluid. This is a period when dolomitizing fluids mainly migrated along pores or microcracks and replaced protogenetic calcites, which occurred in the shallow burial stage of the Maokou Formation before the Late Permian. Clear-rimmed dolomite (CRD) and SDD were formed in the late stage of dolomitization. They all have clean crystal planes and darkly red CL. CRD of the ERY profile has trace element contents, 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and rare-earth patterns similar to SDD of the HLCH profile and Well TL6, inferring that both may be formed in the same fluid. Combined with high SrO contents and homogenous temperatures of fluid inclusions of CRD and SDD and Mg-isotopic compositions, they were generated by hydrothermal dolomitization. The hydrothermal fluid stage is related to the movement of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province, which was made up of basaltic magmatic fluids mixing with the surface water. The hydrothermal fluid mainly migrated upwards along structural fractures or faults and filled in structural fractures, occurring in the Late Permian to Middle-Late Triassic.

Microfractures are key for migrating and aggregating hydrocarbon source rocks and fracturing oil-gas exploitation in tight reservoirs. In this study, rock samples from the Lucaogou Formation tight reservoirs in Xinjiang, China, were studied using multidisciplinary techniques to investigate the genetic types and main control factors of microfractures. Results indicated that the Lucaogou Formation mainly developed diagenetic microfractures followed by tectonic microfractures, with slight formations of granular microfractures. These observations were used to clarify the relationship between the development of microfractures and the pore fluid content, lithology, mineral composition, and stratum thickness. A higher pore fluid content corresponded to a lower compressive strength of the rocks and a larger ring count, resulting in a higher probability of failure and microfracture formation. Tight reservoirs containing more quartz and carbonate minerals were found to develop more microfractures. Quartz grains showed fractures at the margins under stress, which increased the pore permeability of rocks. Carbonate minerals tended to form microfractures owing to corrosion. Microfracture formation mechanisms differed depending on lithology, and microfractures were found to develop most in dolomite and dolomitic siltstones and least in mudstone. Muddy rocks developed fewer tectonic fractures because they can easily absorb stress and undergo plastic deformation. Within a certain stratum thickness range, the average single-well fracture space and stratum thickness showed positive correlations. Moreover, the fracture space increased and the fracture density decreased as the stratum thickness increased. When the stratum thickness was less than 2.5 m, the fracture space increased linearly with the stratum thickness, and when the stratum thickness was greater than 2.5 m, the fracture space remained constant. This study will provide an essential scientific basis for enhancing tight oil recovery.