陕北桥镇油田延长组长2、长1油层组沉积相及储层研究

The Ordos Basin is a large-scale craton superimposed basin locating on the west of the North China platform, which was the hotspot of interior basin exploration and development. Qiaozhen oil field located in the Ganquan region of south-central of Ordos Basin. The paper is based on the existing research data, combined with the new theory and progress of the sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, reservoir sedimentology, petroleum geology, etc, and analyzes systematically the sedimentary and reservoir characteristics in the chang2 and chang1 oil-bearing strata group of Yanchang formation On the basis of stratigraphic classification and comparison study, the strata chang2 and chang1 were divided into five intervals. Appling the method of cartography with single factor and dominance aspect, we have drawn contour line map of sand thickness, contour line map of ratio between sand thickness and stratum thickness. We discussed distribution characteristics of reservoir sand body and evolution of sedimentary facies and microfacies. And combining the field type section , lithologic characteristics, sedimentary structures, the sedimentary facies of single oil well and particle size analysis and according to the features of different sequence, the study area was divided into one sedimentary facies、three parfacies and ten microfacies. The author chew over the characteristics of every facies, parfacies and microfacies and spatial and temporal distribution. Comprehensive research on petrologic characteristics of reservoir , diagenesis types, pore types, distribution of sand bodies, physical properties, oiliness, reservoir heterogeneities, characteristics of interlayer, eventually research on synthetic classifying evaluation of reservoir.The reservoir is classified four types: Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ and pore type, fracture-porosity type. Take reservoir's average thickness, porosity, permeability, oil saturation and shale content as parameters, by using clustering analysis and discriminant analysis, the reservoir is classified three groups. Based on the evaluation, synthetizing the reservoir quality, the sealing ability of cap rock, trap types, reservoir-forming model ,in order to analyze the disciplinarian of accumulation oil&gas. Ultimately, many favorable zones were examined for chang23，chang223，chang222，chang221，chang212，chang12，chang11 intervals. There are twenty two favorable zones in the research area. Meanwhile deploy the next disposition scheme.

柴西南区下干柴沟组下段层序地层格架内沉积相展布及有利储集砂体分布研究

Lower member of the lower Ganchaigou Formation in the southwestern of Qaidam Basin is one of the main targeted exploration zones. With the advancement of exploration, the targets are gradually switching into the lithologic reservoirs and it is urgent to gain the more precise research results in distribution of sedimentary facies and sandstones. Guided by the theory of sequence stratigraphy and sedimentology as well as on the basis of many logging data, drillings, seismic data and chemical tests, the paper comprehensively analyzes the sedimentary facies and sandstones in the lower member of lower Ganchaigou Formation in the southern of Chaixi. According to the identification marks of the key interface in sequence stratigraphy, the key interfaces in lower member of lower Ganchaigou Formation in the southwestern of Qaidam Basin are identified as two third-order sequences SQ1、SQ2. By calibrating the synthetic seismogram, the seismic sequence, well drilling and logging sequences are united. Based on the works above, this paper chooses seven primary cross-sections and builds connecting-well stratigraphic correlation of seven main connecting-well sections. Ultimately, the high-resolution sequence stratigraphic frameworks in the lower member of the lower Ganchaigou Formation, which are uniform to logging and seismic data, are figured out. In terms of study on each sequence features, the main style of the base-level cycle overlay which forms the third-order sequence is confirmed. It contains asymmetric “becoming deep upward” style and symmetry style. Researching on the spreading characters of sequence stratigraphy indicates that SQ1 and SQ2 are rather thicker near northwest well Shashen 20 and Shaxin1 while they are quite thiner near Hongcan 1, Yuejin, Qie 4 and Dong8-Wu3, and the thickness of SQ1 is thicker than SQ2.Based on the deep analysis of the marks for depositional facies, it is proposed that the lake facies and braid river deltas facies mainly occurred in study areas. Besides, the sorts of sub-facies and micro-facies model are divided and described. Under the control of high-resolution sequence stratigraphic framework, three source directions from Arlarer Mountain、Qimantage Mountain and Dongchai Mountain are identified by using the features of heavy mineral assemblage and paleogeomorphy. In addition, regularities of distribution sedimentary facies in sequence stratigraphic framework are studied in accordance with research thinking of the "point" (single well) "line" (section) "face" (plane). In the stage of lower member in the lower Ganchaigou Formation in the southwestern of Qaidam Basin, it is at the early phrase of evolution of the lake basin with the gradual outspread and the rise of the lake level. Combined with physical analysis of reservoir sands formed in different sedimentary environment, the paper studies the style of favorable sandstone bodies that are underwater distributary channel of braided rive delta front, coarse sand in mouth bar and the sand body in sand flat of shore-shallow lacustrine facies. Finally, this article comprehensively analyzes the distribution relationship between sedimentary facies and favorable sandstone body and proposes the ideas that sequence SQ1 Yuejin area, well east 8-wu3 area, well qie4-qie1 area and well hongcan2 area are distributed areas of favorable sandstone.

胶东蓬家夼式金矿床矿床成因模型与找矿模型研究

The dynamic environments of mineralization in Mesozoic Jiaodong gold mine concentrated area can be devided into two types, compressive environment which related to intracontinental collision and extensional environment which related to intracontinental volcanic rift. The altered rock type (Jiaojia type) and quartz vein type (Linglong type) which related to the former one, were discovered for several years, and became the main types of gold deposits in recent years. A new type gold deposit, syn-detachment altered tectonic breccia type gold deposit, such as Pengjiakuang gold deposit and Songjiagou gold deposit has been discovered on the northeastern margin of Jiaolai Basin. In this paper, the new type of gold deposit has been studied in detail. The study area is located at the northeastern boundaries of Jiaolai Basin, and between the Taocun-Jimo Fault and Wji-Haiyang Fault, in the eastern part of the Jiaodong Block. Pengjiakuang gold deposit and Songjiagou gold deposit occur in a arc-shape detachment fault zone between conglomerate of Lower Cretaceous Laiyang Formation and metamorphic complex of Lower Proterozoic Jingshan Group. Regional geological studies show that Kunyuanshan and Queshan granite intrusions and Qingshanian volcanism were formed in different period of lithospheric thinning of East China in Mesozoic. Granite intrusions were formed in compressive environment, while Qingshanian volcanism were formed in extensional environment. They are all related to the detachment of Sulu Orogenic Belt and the sinistral motion of Tanlu Fault. The Pengjiakuang detachment systems which were formed in the the sinistral motion of Tanlu Fault are the important ore-controlling and ore-containing structure. The Pengjiakuang type gold deposit, controlled by detachment structure, was formed before Yanshanian volcanic period concerning with mixture of meteoric water and magmatic water found in fluid inclusions of gold ores. The minerogenetic epoch has been proposed in 90～120Ma. the host rocks have been extensively subjected to pyritization, silicification, sericitization and carbonatization. Individual ore-body has maximum length of 800m, oblique extension of 500～700m and gold grade of 1～43 * 10~(-6). Native gold is disseminated in silicified, phyllic or carbonatized tectonic breccia. Sulfur, carbon and lead isotope studies on gold ores and wall rocks show that the sulfur come from the metamorphic complex of Lower Proterozoic Jingshan Group, carbon comes from the marble in Jingshan Group, while a part of lead comes from the mantle. The mineralizing fluid is rich in Na~+ and Cl~-, but relatively impoverished in K~+ and F~-. According to the date from hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions (δ~(18)OH_2O = 0.59%～4.03%, δDH_2O = -89.5%～97.9%), the conclusion can be reached that the mineralizing fluid of Pengjiakuang gold deposit was a kind of mixed hydrothermal solution which was mainly composed of meteoric water and magmatic water. A genetical model has been formulated. Some apparent anomaly features which show low in the central part and high in the both sides corresponding to the gold-bearing structure, were sum up after analying a vast amount of date by prospecting the orebodies using gamma-ray spectrometer, electrogeochemical parameter technique, controlled source audio magnetic telluric (CSAMT) and shallow surface thermometry in Pengjiakuang gold deposit. The location forecasting problem of buried orebodies has been solved according to these features, and the successful rate is very high in well-drilling. The structural geological-geophysical-geochemical prospecting model has been formulated on the base of the study of geological, geophysical and geochemical characteristics of Pengjiakuang type gold deposit, and the optimum combinational process of geophysical and geochemical prospecting techniques has been summed up. A comparative study shows that the Pengjiakuang type gold deposit, the syn-detachment altered tectonic breccia type gold deposit, is different from Jiaojia type gold deposits and Linglong type gold deposits, in Jiaodong Block. In general, if formed under an extensional tectonic condition and located at detachment fault zone along the margin of Mesozoic Jiaolai basin, and the gold mineralization has also close genetic relationship with alkaline magamtism. Being a new type of gold deposit in Jiaodong gold mine concentrated area, it could be potential to explore in the same regions which processed the same ore-forming geological conditions and mineralization informations.

论大型拆离滑覆构造的特征、形成机制及其与油气成藏关系—以渤海湾盆地冀中坳陷饶阳凹陷为例

The studies of this paper is an important part of the "ninth five" science&technology-tackling project of CNPC -The oil and gas distribution regulation and the aims of explortion in jizhong depression. Basing on the former research results, with the materials of regional structural setting, major tectonic movements, bi-and tri-dimension seismic sections, oil well sections and reservoir sections, this paper involves studies of tectonic evolution, sedimentarv evolution, magma movement and reservoir prediction. The existence of huge stripping and gliding nappe is proved in the RaoYang Sag for the frist time. The properties, development, evolution and the relationship with reservoir of the stripping and gliding nappe are discussed in details in this paper. It is also talked about the affects of stripping and nappes to oil and gas exploration theoretically and practically in the paper. The marking attributes of the stripping and gliding nappe includes stripping and gliding plane, two deformation systems, stratigraphic repeat and hiatus close to the stripping and gliding plane, and the deformation attributes in the front and back of stripping and gliding nappe. The RaoYang stripping and gliding nappes can be divided into different belts in north-south direction and different zones in east-west direction. RaoYang Stripping and gliging nappes took place in the late Paleogene period and before the sedimentation of Neogene period. The sliding direction is NWW. The sliding distance is about 6km. The geothermal gradient in the separating slump area is low and stable. The formation of the stripping and gliding nappes is due to the regional structural setting, the sediments of Paleogene system, the soft roof and the uneven rising movement of structure units. The evolution of the stripping and gliding nappes can be divided into the following stages: regional differential elevation and subsidence, unstable gravity and gravitational sliding, the frist wholly stripping faults and sliding stage, and the following second and third stripping faults and sliding stages. The identification of RaoNan stripping and gliding nappes has an important role on the research of regional structure and oil and gas exploration. Basing on the properties of stripping and gliding nappes, we can identtify the gliding fractures, ductile compressional folds, the front and back structures of gliding nappes and gliding plane covered structures. Combination with different reservoir forming conditions, these structures can lead to different categories of reservoirs.

油气藏自然电位异常与油气赋存的相关性研究

The Stack Spontaneous Potential (SSP) is a direct hydrocarbon location technology and a new hydrocarbon detection method with independent intellectual property. A subsurface hydrocarbon accumulation associated with the upward hydrocarbon micro seepage induces a relatively strong negative potential abnormal zone, of which the anomaly can be measured on the surface with specially designed instruments through careful field measuring procedures. With special software programmed according to a unique geochemical and geophysical model, the original data are analyzed, processed and interpreted on the computer, and then on a series of resulting anomaly distribution maps and/or profiles, the favorable surface locations of the hydrocarbon accumulations can be easily identified. The study of the SSP has been started since 1989, and especially from 1996 to 1997, both profile and area tests were conducted in the Daqing Oilfield. On the testing line of 15kms, there are 6 wells in total, among which some are oil-producing wells, and some are water-producing wells. The final matching ratio of the favorable oil well locations and the possible water well locations predicted by the SSP to those of known wells was up to 83 percent. In the area test, of which the acreage is 800 km2, the matching ratio compared with the existing wells was 87 percent; furthermore, regarding to wells subsequently drilled after the test, the matching ratio was 85 percent. The matching ratio in the development area is more about 10 percent than those of in exploration area. The reason is that, comparing the exploration area, the development area acreage is less and the container rocks are more simplex. In development area there is not so much interference of SSP also. Since 1997 the SSP has been tested and applied all over China to a number of hydrocarbon bearing basins and known oil fields, including the Daqing, Jiangsu, Changqing, Shengli, Nanyang, Jianghan and Zhongyuan Oilfields, only to name a few. The SSP surveys in total areas of over 10,000km2 in more than 30 regions in China so far have been completed in various exploration and development stages, the satisfactory outcomes of which have further evidenced that the dependence between the SP anomaly and abundance of hydrocarbon. Up to date, a substantial amount of successful tests and actual surveys finished in exploration and development practices have evidenced that the SSP is significantly more reliable in comparison with any other similar direct hydrocarbon indication technique generally known to the oil industry, such as the Redox. The SSP can be applied to search for almost all kinds of hydrocarbon accumulations, regardless of the type of traps, such as structural, stratigraphic, buried hill traps, and so on; however, it is interesting to be noted that the SSP seems to be particularly effective in detecting the stratigraphic oil traps according to our practices. On the other hand, there is virtually no surface geographical constrains in terms of field data acquisition, except for those water covered areas, because of the inherent characteristics of the technology itself. Furthermore, utilizing the SSP requires no special considerations to subsurface geological conditions in regard to formation resistivity, since the SSP measurements will not be influenced by either overly high or overly low resistivity of formations lying above the hydrocarbon accumulations. There are two kind of theory, of which, as we know one is called hypbyssal theory such as "Redox"[61 the other is call plutonic theory such as cracking of hydrocarbon [8][9] and natural polarization [3], to describe the mechanism of SP anomaly of oil reservoir and to indicate that the dependence between the SP abnormality and abundance of hydrocarbon has be existed theoretically/The quantitative dependence, which has not been founded due to the complicity of container rocks, be discovered during the exploration and development practices is the crux to the quantitative analysis of SP Anomaly processing. Based on the thorough study of the complex of collector rocks, every kind of thickness of collector rock can be conversed to be a standard effective thickness; the thickness is called apparent effective thickness (AET). The conversation coefficient (ai, 1=1,2,3) could be determined by the variety of every collector rock storability (CRS). The discoveration of quantitative: dependence between AET and the amplitude of SSP, in the practices of exploration and development, is a promotion for the SSP supplied in the oil exploration, and make the data analysis forward to the quantitative stage.

油气勘探风险评价与决策技术研究

PetroChina and other national petroleum incorporations need rigorous procedures and practical methods in risk evaluation and exploration decision at home and abroad to safeguard their international exploration practice in exploration licence bidding, finding appropriate ratio of risk sharing with partners, as well as avoiding high risk projects and other key exploration activities. However, due to historical reasons, we are only at the beginning of a full study and methodology development in exploration risk evaluation and decision. No rigorous procedure and practical methods are available in our exercises of international exploration. Completely adopting foreign procedure, methods and tools by our national incorporations are not practical because of the differences of the current economic and management systems in China. The objective of this study is to establish a risk evaluation and decision system with independent intellectual property right in oil and gas exploration so that a smooth transition from our current practice into international norm can take place. The system developed in this dissertation includes the following four components: 1. A set of quantitative criteria for risk evaluation is derived on the basis of an anatomy of the parameters from thirty calibration regions national wide as well as the characteristics and the geological factors controlling oil and gas occurrence in the major petroleum-bearing basins in China, which provides the technical support for the risk quantification in oil and gas exploration. 2. Through analysis of existing methodology, procedure and methods of exploration risk evaluation considering spatial information are proposed. The method, utilizing Mahalanobis Distance (MD) and fuzzy logic for data and information integration, provides probabilistic models on the basis of MD and fuzzy logic classification criteria, thus quantifying the exploration risk using Bayesian theory. A projection of the geological risk into spatial domain provides a probability map of oil and gas occurrence in the area under study. The application of this method to the Nanpu Sag shows that this method not only correctly predicted the oil and gas occurrence in the areas where Beibu and Laoyemiao oil fields are found in the northwest of the onshore area, but also predicted Laopu south, Nanpu south and Hatuo potential areas in the offshore part where exploration maturity was very low. The prediction of the potential areas are subsequently confirmed by 17 exploration wells in the offshore area with 81% success, indicating this method is very effective for exploration risk visualization and reduction. 3. On the basis of “Methods and parameters of economic evaluation for petroleum exploration and development projects in China”, a ”pyramid” method for sensitivity analysis was developed, which meets not only the need for exploration target evaluation and exploration decision at home, but also allows a transition from our current practice to international norm in exploration decision. This provides the foundation for the development of a software product “Exploration economic evaluation and decision system of PetroChina” (EDSys). 4. To solve problem in methodology of exploration decision, effort was made on the method of project portfolio management. A drilling decision method was developed employing the concept of geologically risked net present value. This method overcame the dilemma of handling simultaneously both geological risk and portfolio uncertainty, thus casting light into the application of modern portfolio theory to the evaluation of high risk petroleum exploration projects.

Improved method makes a soft landing of well path

Research and field experience have shown that well-path control is important in many cases, not only to reach the desired coordinates, but also to arrive at the well completion target from the preferred trajectory.

Numerical approximation improves well survey calculation

It is now possible to improve the precision of well survey calculations by order of magnitude with numerical approximation.

Although the most precise method of simulating and calculating a wellbore trajectory generally requires more calculation than other, less-accurate methods, the wider use of computers in oil fields now eliminates this as an obstacle.

The results of various calculations show that there is a deviation of more than 10 m among the different methods of calculation for a directional well of 3,000 m.¹ Consequently, it is important to improve the precision and reliability of survey calculation-the fundamental, necessary work of quantitatively monitoring and controlling wellbore trajectories.

Finite Element Analysis of Deformed Legs of Offshore Platform Structures

The element stiffness matrix of the equivalent beam or pipe element of the deformed leg of the platform is derived by the finite element method. The stresses and displacements of some damaged components are calculated, and the numeri-cal solutions agree well with those obtained by the fine mesh finite element method. Finally, as an application of this method, the stresses of some platform structures are calculated and analyzed.

Energy of a polaron in a wurtzite nitride finite parabolic quantum well

The effects of electron-phonon interaction oil energy levels of a. polaron in a wurtzite nitride finite parabolic quantum well (PQW) are studied by using a modified Lee-Low-Pines variational method. The ground state, first excited state, and transition energy of the polaron in the GaN/Al0.3Ga0.7N wurtzite PQW are calculated by taking account of the influence of confined LO(TO)-like phonon modes and the half-space LO(TO)-like phonon modes and considering the anisotropy of all kinds of phonon modes. The numerical results are given and discussed. The results show that the electron phonon interaction strongly affects the energy levels of the polaron, and the contributions from phonons to the energy of a polaron hi a wurtzite nitride PQW are greater than that in all AlGaAs PQW. This indicates that the electron-phonon interaction in a wurtzite nitride PQW is not negligible.

Upgrading bio-oil over different solid catalysts

Solid acid 40SiO(2)/TiO2-SO42- and solid base 30K(2)CO(3)/Al2O3-NaOH were prepared and compared with catalytic esterification activity according to the model reaction. Upgrading bio-oil by solid acid and solid base catalysts in the conditioned experiment was investigated, in which dynamic viscosities of bio-oil was lowered markedly, although 8 months of aging did not show much viscosity to improve its fluidity and enhance its stability positively. Even the dehydration by 3A molecular sieve still kept the fluidity well. The density of upgraded bio-oil was reduced from 1.24 to 0.96 kg/m(3), and the gross calorific value increased by 50.7 and 51.8%, respectively. The acidity of upgraded bio-oil was alleviated by the solid base catalyst but intensified by the solid acid catalyst for its strong acidification. The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that the ester reaction in the bio-oil was promoted by both solid acid and solid base catalysts and that the solid acid catalyst converted volatile and nonvolatile organic acids into esters and raised their amount by 20-fold. Besides the catalytic esterification, the solid acid catalyst carried out the carbonyl addition of alcohol to acetals. Some components of bio-oil undertook the isomerization over the solid base catalyst.

Solid-state MAS NMR studies on the hydrothermal stability of the zeolite catalysts for residual oil selective catalytic cracking

By using the solid-state MAS NMR technique, the hydrothermal stabilities (under 100% steam at 1073 K) of HZSM-5 zeolites modified by lanthanum and phosphorus have been studied. They are excellent zeolite catalysts for residual oil selective catalytic cracking (RSCC) processes. It was indicated that the introduction of phosphorus to the zeolite via impregnation with orthophosphoric acid led to dealumination as well as formation of different Al species, which were well distinguished by Al-27 3Q MAS NMR. Meanwhile, the hydrothermal stabilities of the zeolites (P/HZSM-5, La-P/HZSM-5) were enhanced even after the samples were treated under severe conditions for a prolonged time. It was found that the Si-O-Al bonds were broken under hydrothermal conditions, while at the same time the phosphorous compounds would occupy the silicon sites to form (SiO)(x)Al(OP)(4 - x) species. With increasing time, more silicon sites around the tetrahedral coordinated Al in the lattice can be replaced till the aluminum is completely expelled from the framework. The existence of lanthanum can partially restrict the breaking of the Si-O-Al bonds and the replacement of the silicon sites by phosphorus, thus preventing dealumination under hydrothermal conditions. This was also proved by P-31 MAS NMR spectra. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seismic characteristics of a reef carbonate reservoir and implications for hydrocarbon exploration in deepwater of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Our analysis of approximately 40,000 km of multichannel 2-D seismic data, reef oil-field seismic data, and data from several boreholes led to the identification of two areas of reef carbonate reservoirs in deepwater areas (water depth >= 500 in) of the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB), northern South China Sea. High-resolution sequence stratigraphic analysis revealed that the transgressive and highstand system tracts of the mid-Miocene Meishan Formation in the Beijiao and Ledong-Lingshui Depressions developed reef carbonates. The seismic features of the reef carbonates in these two areas include chaotic bedding, intermittent internal reflections, chaotic or blank reflections, mounded reflections, and apparent amplitude anomalies, similar to the seismic characteristics of the LH11-1 reef reservoir in the Dongsha Uplift and Island Reef of the Salawati Basin, Indonesia, which house large oil fields. The impedance values of reefs in the Beijiao and Ledong-Lingshui Depressions are 8000-9000 g/cc x m/s. Impedance sections reveal that the impedance of the LH11-1 reef reservoir in the northern South China Sea is 800010000 g/cc x m/s, whereas that of pure limestone in BD23-1-1 is > 10000 g/cc x m/s. The mid-Miocene paleogeography of the Beijiao Depression was dominated by offshore and neritic environments, with only part of the southern Beijiao uplift emergent at that time. The input of terrigenous sediments was relatively minor in this area, meaning that terrigenous source areas were insignificant in terms of the Beijiao Depression: reef carbonates were probably widely distributed throughout the depression, as with the Ledong-Lingshui Depression. The combined geological and geophysical data indicate that shelf margin atolls were well developed in the Beijiao Depression, as in the Ledong-Lingshui Depression where small-scale patch or pinnacle reefs developed. These reef carbonates are promising reservoirs, representing important targets for deepwater hydrocarbon exploration. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comprehensive investigation of an offshore active fault in the Western Sagami Bay, central Japan

Offshore active faults, especially those in the deep sea, are very difficult to study because of the water and sedimentary cover. To characterize the nature and geometry of offshore active faults, a combination of methods must be employed. Generally, seismic profiling is used to map these faults, but often only fault-related folds rather than fracture planes are imaged. Multi-beam swath bathymetry provides information on the structure and growth history of a fault because movements of an active fault are reflected in the bottom morphology. Submersible and deep-tow surveys allow direct observations of deformations on the seafloor (including fracture zones and microstructures). In the deep sea, linearly aligned cold seep communities provide indirect evidence for active faults and the spatial migration of their activities. The Western Sagami Bay fault (WSBF) in the western Sagami Bay off central Japan is an active fault that has been studied in detail using the above methods. The bottom morphology, fractured breccias directly observed and photographed, seismic profiles, as well as distribution and migration of cold seep communities provide evidence for the nature and geometry of the fault. Focal mechanism solutions of selected earthquakes in the western Sagami Bay during the period from 1900 to 1995 show that the maximum compression trends NW-SE and the minimum stress axis strikes NE-SW, a stress pattern indicating a left-lateral strike-slip fault.

Effect of graded levels of rapeseed oil in isonitrogenous diets on the development of the gastrointestinal tract, and utilisation of protein, fat and energy in broiler chickens

The effect of feeding 0, 4, 8 and 16% rapeseed oil from 12-42 days of age was studied in broiler chickens on performance, digestibility of nutrients, and development of gastrointestinal tract, protein and energy metabolism. Thirty six female chickens (Ross 208) with initial body weight average 246 g were allocated to the four groups and kept pair-wise in metabolism cages. The chickens were fed similar amounts of metabolisable energy (ME) per day and similar amounts of essential amino acids relative to ME by adjusting with crystalline amino acids. The chickens were subjected to four balance periods each of five days with two 24 h measurements of gas exchange in two open-air-circuit respiration chambers inserted on the second and third day of each period. The addition of rapeseed oil increased the amount of gutfill indicating a reduced rate of passage and causing a hypertrophy of the gastrointestinal tract. There was a positive effect on feed utilisation as well as on digestibility especially of dietary fat together with higher utilisation of protein with addition of rapeseed oil. The partial fat digestibility of rapeseed oil estimated by regression was 91.1% and the partial metabolisability (ME/GE) of the rapeseed oil was estimated to 85% yielding an apparent metabolisable energy value of 34.30 MJ/kg.