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.

Petroleum System in Deepwater Basins of the Northern South China Sea

The northern South China Sea margin has experienced a rifting stage and a post-rifting stage during the Cenozoic. In the rifting stage, the margin received lacustrine and shallow marine facies sediments. In the post-rifting thermal subsidence, the margin accumulated shallow marine facies and hemipelagic deposits, and the deepwater basins formed. Petroleum systems of deepwater setting have been imaged from seismic data and drill wells. Two kinds of source rocks including Paleogene lacustrine black shale and Oligocene-Early Miocene mudstone were developed in the deepwater basin of the South China Sea. The deepwater reservoirs are characterized by the deep sea channel rill, mass flow complexes and drowned reef carbonate platform. Profitable capping rocks on the top are mudstones with huge thickness in the post-rifting stage. Meanwhile, the faults developed during the rifting stage provide a migration path favourable for the formation of reservoirs. The analysis of seismic and drilling data suggests that the joint structural and stratigraphic traps could form giant hydrocarbon fields and hydrocarbon reservoirs including syn-rifting graben subaqueous delta, deepwater submarine fan sandstone and reef carbonate reservoirs.

束鹿凹陷泥灰岩储层综合评价与加砂压裂技术研究与应用

Luo Ning ( Mineralogy, Petrology, Deposit Mineralogy) Directed by Fu Liyun With the increase of the level of exploration and development, North China field, as one of the maturing fields in the east, has gradually turned their prospecting targets to frontiers such as deep zones, lithologic hydrocarbon reservoirs, low permeable layers, special lithostromes, etc, which propose new challenges to mating technique of exploration engineering. In it, the special lithostrome of clay carbonate in Shu-Lu cave in Middle Flank exploration area locates in Es_3 generating rock. The area distribution is large, formation thickness is over 100 meters, the oil accumulation condition is excellent, prognostic reserves is over 80,000,000 tons, but how to effectively stimulate the special low permeable and fractured reservoir has become the bottle neck problem of stimulation and stable yields. In this thesis, through comprehensive evaluation and analysis of lithology, lithomechanics, hydrocarbon reservoir characteristics, the characteristics of fluid flow through porous medium and the stimulation measures in the past, we acquire new cognition of clay carbonate reservoirs, in addition, the research and application of first hydraulic fracturing has gained positive effect and formed commensurable comprehensive reservoir evaluation technique and mating engineering technique of hydraulic fracturing. The main cognitions and achievements are as follows: 1.Study of geological information such as lithololy analysis and nuclear magnetic logging, etc, indicates that clay carbonate formation of Shu-Lu cave is anisotropic, low permeable with high shale content, whose accumulation space gives priority to microcracks. 2.The analysis of lithomechanics of clay carbonate indicates that the hardness is moderate, Young’s modulus is between that of sandstone and limestone, clay carbonate presents plastic property and its breakdown pressure is high because of the deep buried depth. 3.The analysis of the drillstem test curves indicates that the flow and build-up pressure curve of clay carbonate of Shu-Lu cave mainly has three types: formation contamination block-up type, low permeable type, formation energy accumulation slowness type; the reservoir characteristics presents double porosity media, radial compounding, uniform flow vertical fracture, isotropy, moniliform reservoir type. The target well Jingu 3 belongs to moniliform reservoir type. 4.Through recognition and re-evaluation of the treatment effect and technologic limitations of acidizing, acid fracturing and gelled acidizing in the past, based on the sufficient survey and study of hydraulic fracturing home and abroad, combined with comprehensive formation study of target well, we launched the study of the optimization of hydraulic fracturing technique, forming the principal clue and commensurable mating technology aimed at clay carbonate formation, whose targets are preventing leak off, preventing sand bridge, preventing embedment, controlling fracture height, forming long fracture. 5. Recognition of stimulation effect evaluation.

塔里木盆地奥陶系不整合面岩溶作用特征与油气储层研究

Based on the principle and methods of carbonate sedimentology and reservoir geology, and guided by the theories of carbonate reservoir geology, the palaeokarst of Ordovician carbonate rocks in Tarim Basin has been comprehensively studied with multiple methods from different branches of geology. It is indicated that the features and distribution of palaeokarstification have developed in Ordovician carbonates. The controlling of karstification to Ordovician carbonate reservoirs has been discussed. Regional distribution of carbonate reservoirs controlled by karstification has been predicted within this basin. The main consents and conclusions of the this dissertation is as follows: Nine key indicators to the recognition of palaeokarst are proposed in terms of careful observation upon the well cores, lithological and geochemical analyses, and drilling and logging responses to the karst caves and fractures. The time and environment of cave filling are documented from careful research of lithofacies, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the physical and chemical fillings within karst caves. The caves in Ordovician carbonates were filled in Early Carboniferous in Lunnan area. The muddy filling in upper caves was deposited under subaerial fresh-water setting, while the muddy filling in lower caves was formed in the mixed water body of fresh-water and dominated sea water. Although most chemical fillings are suggested being precipated in the burial diagenetic environment after karstification but mineralogic and geochemical characteristics of some chemical fillings indicates they formed in meteoric environment during the karstification. It is obvious that the palaeokarst has been zoned in vertical profile. It can be divided into four units from top to bottom: surface karst, vadose karst, phreatic and tranquil flow zones. Between two types of limestone karst and dolostone karst are firstly differentiated in Tarim Basin, based on the comparison of features of each karst zone in limestone and dolostone regions. In Tabei area, the lowest depth of karstification is approximately 300 m below the Upper Ordovician unconformity interface, while the bottom depth of karstification in Tazhong area ranges commonly from 300 to 400 m, in rare cases may be up to 750 m below the upper Ordovician unconformity interface. In Lunnan and Tazhong areas, the palaeokarst morphology and the surface hydrosystem are firstly reconstructed based on the top of carboniferous "Shuangfeng limestone bed (Double-Peaks limestone)" as basal. According to the palaeomorphologic feature, karst topography can be divided into three units: karst upland, karst slope, and karst valley. Vadose zone was well developed in karst upland, and it can be found in a quite depth. Both vadose and phreatic zones were well developed in karst slope and upstream valley. In downstream valley, the karstification is not strong, the vadose and phreatic zones are thin in thickness. In Tazhong and Yingmaili areas, karstification is also developed in relict carbonate palaeo-hills which existed as isolated blocks admits clastic strata.

Numerical Solutions for the Transient Flow in the Homogenous Closed Circle Reservoirs

There are many fault block fields in China. A fault block field consists of fault pools. The small fault pools can be viewed as the closed circle reservoirs in some case. In order to know the pressure change of the developed formation and provide the formation data for developing the fault block fields reasonably, the transient flow should be researched. In this paper, we use the automatic mesh generation technology and the finite element method to solve the transient flow problem for the well located in the closed circle reservoir, especially for the well located in an arbitrary position in the closed circle reservoir. The pressure diffusion process is visualized and the well-location factor concept is first proposed in this paper. The typical curves of pressure vs time for the well with different well-location factors are presented. By comparing numerical results with the analytical solutions of the well located in the center of the closed circle reservoir, the numerical method is verified.

Effects of physical parameter range on dimensionless variable sensitivity in water flooding reservoirs

The similarity criterion for water flooding reservoir flows is concerned with in the present paper. When finding out all the dimensionless variables governing this kind of flow, their physical meanings are subsequently elucidated. Then, a numerical approach of sensitivity analysis is adopted to quantify their corresponding dominance degree among the similarity parameters. In this way, we may finally identify major scaling law in different parameter range and demonstrate the respective effects of viscosity, permeability and injection rate.

Effects of physical parameter range on dimensionless variable sensitivity in water flooding reservoirs

The similarity criterion for water flooding reservoir flows is concerned with in the present paper. When finding out all the dimensionless variables governing this kind of flow, their physical meanings are subsequently elucidated. Then, a numerical approach of sensitivity analysis is adopted to quantify their corresponding dominance degree among the similarity parameters. In this way, we may finally identify major scaling law in different parameter range and demonstrate the respective effects of viscosity, permeability and injection rate.

Simulation of Natural Gas Production in Hydrate Reservoirs

This paper simulates a one-dimensional physical model of natural gas production from hydrate dissociation in a reservoir by depressurization. According to the principles of solid hydrate decomposition in stratum and flow of natural gas in porous medium, the pressure governing equations for both gas zone and hydrate zone are set up based on the physical production model. Using the approximation reported by N. N. Verigin et al. (1980), the nonlinear governing equations are simplified and the self-similar solutions are obtained. Through calculation, for different reservoir parameters, the distribution characters of pressure are analyzed. The decline trend of natural gas production rate with time is also studied. The simulation results show that production of natural gas from a hydrate reservoir is very sensitive to several reservoir parameters, such as wellbore pressure and stratum porosity and permeability.

Microorganisms linked to Neoproterozoic microspar carbonate sedimentation in the Jilin-Liaoning area

Molar-tooth carbonate refers to a sort of rock that has ptygmatical folded structure comparable to the ivory. This kind of carbonate exists in a special time range (from Middle to Neoproterozoic). Its origin and the possibility to use it in stratigraphic correlation of the paleocontinent is the key task of the IGCP447, a project on Proterozoic molar tooth carbonates and the evolution of the earth (2001-2005). The importance lies in that the molar-tooth structure is the key to solving problems related to Precambrian biological and global geochemical events. The molar-tooth structure is associated with microorganisms. Development and recession of such carbonates have relations with the evolution process of early lives and abrupt changes in sea carbonate geochemistry. In recent years, based on researches on petrology, geochemistry and Sr isotope of molar-tooth carbonate in the Jilin-Liaoning and Xuzhou-Huaiyang area, the authors hold that it can be used as a marker for stratigraphic sequence and sedimentary facies analyses.

Influence of transverse interdot coupling on transport properties of an Aharonov-Bohm structure composed by two dots and two reservoirs

We derive the modified rate equations for an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring with two transversely coupled quantum dots (QD's) embedded in two arms in the presence of a magnetic field. We find that the interdot coupling between the two QD's can cause a temporal oscillation in electron occupation at the initial stage of the quantum dynamics, while the source-drain current decays monotonically to a stationary value. On the other hand, the interdot coupling equivalently divides the AB ring into two coupled subrings. That also destroys the normal AB oscillations with a period of 2pi, and generates new and complex periodic oscillations with their periods varying in a linear manner as the ratio between two magnetic fluxes (each penetrates one AB subring) increases. Furthermore, the interference between two subrings is also evident from the observation of the perturbed fundamental AB oscillation.

Control mechanisms for gas hydrate production by depressurization in different scale hydrate reservoirs

The methane hydrate was formed in a pressure vessel 38 mm in id and 500 mm in length. Experimental works on gas production from the hydrate-bearing core by depressurization to 0.1, 0.93, and 1.93 MPa have been carried out. The hydrate reservoir simulator TOUGH-Fx/Hydrate was used to simulate the experimental gas production behavior, and the intrinsic hydration dissociation constant (K-0) fitted for the experimental data was on the order of 104 mol m(-2) Pa-1 s(-1), which was one order lower than that of the bulk hydrate dissociation. The sensitivity analyses based on the simulator have been carried out, and the results suggested that the hydrate dissociation kinetics had a great effect on the gas production behavior for the laboratory-scale hydrate-bearing core. However for a field-scale hydrate reservoir, the flow ability dominated the gas production behavior and the effect of hydrate dissociation kinetics on the gas production behavior could be neglected.

Microorganisms linked to Neoproterozoic microspar carbonate sedimentation in the Jilin-Liaoning area

Molar-tooth carbonate refers to a sort of rock that has ptygmatical folded structure comparable to the ivory. This kind of carbonate exists in a special time range (from Middle to Neoproterozoic). Its origin and the possibility to use it in stratigraphic correlation of the paleocontinent is the key task of the IGCP447, a project on Proterozoic molar tooth carbonates and the evolution of the earth (2001-2005). The importance lies in that the molar-tooth structure is the key to solving problems related to Precambrian biological and global geochemical events. The molar-tooth structure is associated with microorganisms. Development and recession of such carbonates have relations with the evolution process of early lives and abrupt changes in sea carbonate geochemistry. In recent years, based on researches on petrology, geochemistry and Sr isotope of molar-tooth carbonate in the Jilin-Liaoning and Xuzhou-Huaiyang area, the authors hold that it can be used as a marker for stratigraphic sequence and sedimentary facies analyses.