Impact of sedimentology,diagenesis, and solid bitumen on the development of a tight gas grainstone reservoir in the Feixianguan Formation,Jiannan area,China: Implications for gas exploration in tight carbonate reservoirs

Tight gas grainstone reservoirs in the third member of the Feixianguan Formation, Jiannan area, evolved from a paleo-oil accumulation as evidenced from abundant solid reservoir bitumen. Porosity evolution of the grainstones was studied by evaluating relative influences of sedimentology, diagenesis, and solid bitumen formed during cracking of accumulated oils. Grainstones exhibited regional-distinct effectiveness for paleo-oil and present-gas accumulations during oil window and subsequent gas window diagenesis. In the southern zone where grainstones were not subjected to subaerial exposure and meteoric diagenesis in the early diagenetic stage, paleoporosity at the time of oil charge was mainly controlled by sedimentologic factors (e.g., grain size, sorting, and grain type), and paleo-oil reservoirs only occurred in the ooid-dominated grainstones with good sorting and coarse grain size. In contrast, in the northern zone meteoric diagenesis was responsible for paleoporosity preservation due to the early mineral stabilization of grains and meteoric calcite cementation, which caused grainstones greater resistance to compaction. Hence, most of the grainstones in the northern zone, regardless of textural variables, formed effective reservoirs for paleo-oil accumulation. As the oil cracked to gas with increasing depth and temperature during the late oil window and initial gas window, solid bitumen occluded reservoir pores to varying degrees and caused paleo-oil reservoirs to be significantly heterogeneous or completely ineffective for gas accumulation. In contrast, most grainstones that were once ineffective oil reservoirs transformed into effective gas reservoirs due to no or minor influence of solid bitumen precipitation. The model of reservoir transformation development of tight grainstones provides a plausible explanation for key observations concerning the diagenetic and distribution differences between paleo-oil and present-gas reservoirs. It is useful in predicting the distribution of potential reservoirs in carbonate strata in future exploration.     

Impact of diagenesis on reservoir quality and heterogeneity of the Upper Triassic Chang 8 tight oil sandstones in the Zhenjing area,Ordos Basin,China

Reservoir quality and heterogeneity are critical risk factors in tight oil exploration. The integrated, analysis of the petrographic characteristics and the types and distribution of diagenetic alterations in the Chang 8 sandstones from the Zhenjing area using core, log, thin-section, SEM, petrophysical and stable isotopic data provides insight into the factors responsible for variations in porosity and permeability in tight sandstones. The results indicate that the Chang 8 sandstones mainly from subaqueous distributary channel facies are mostly moderately well to well sorted fine-grained feldspathic litharenites and lithic arkose. The sandstones have ultra-low permeabilities that are commonly less than 1 mD, a wide range of porosities from 0.3 to 18.1%, and two distinct porosity-permeability trends with a boundary of approximately 10% porosity. These petrophysical features are closely related to the types and distribution of the diagenetic alterations. Compaction is a regional porosity-reducing process that was responsible for a loss of more than half of the original porosity in nearly all of the samples. The wide range of porosity is attributed to variations in calcite cementation and chlorite coatings. The relatively high-porosity reservoirs formed due to preservation of the primary intergranular pores by chlorite coatings rather than burial dissolution; however, the chlorites also obstruct pore throats, which lead to the development of reservoirs with high porosity but low permeability. In contrast, calcite cementation is the dominant factor in the formation of low-porosity, ultra-low-permeability reservoirs by filling both the primary pores and the pore throats in the sandstones. The eogenetic calcites are commonly concentrated in tightly cemented concretions or layers adjacent to sandstone-mudstone contacts, while the mesogenetic calcites were deposited in all of the intervals and led to further heterogeneity. This study can be used as an analogue to understand the variations in the pathways of diagenetic evolution and their impacts on the reservoir quality and heterogeneity of sandstones and is useful for predicting the distribution of potential high-quality reservoirs in similar geological settings.     

High-resolution characterization and integrated study of a reservoir formation: the danian carbonate platform in the Aquitaine Basin (France)

This paper provides an example of an integrated multi-scale study of a carbonate reservoir. The Danian Lower R2 carbonate reservoir is located in the South of the Aquitaine Basin (France) and represents a potential underground gas storage site for Gaz de France. The Danian Lower R2 reservoir was deposited as a prograding carbonate platform bordered by a reef barrier. The effects of sedimentary and diagenetic events on the reservoir properties, particularly dolomitization, were evaluated. In this study, the reservoir quality has been assessed by seismic analyses at the basin scale, by log-analysis at the reservoir scale, by petrographic methods and by petrophysical tools at the pore-core scale.Two dolomitization stages, separated by a compaction event with associated fracturing and stylolites, have been identified. These diagenetic events have significantly improved the Lower R2 carbonate reservoir properties. It is demonstrated that the reservoir quality is mainly controlled by the pore-geometry, which is determined by various diagenetic processes. The permeability values of the reservoir range over 4 orders of magnitude, from 0.1 to 5600 mD and the porosity values range between 2 and 42%. Reservoir unit 4 (a karstic dolomite) shows the best reservoir properties with average porosity values ranging between 11.1% and 19.3% and an average permeability ranging between 379 and 766 mD. Reservoir unit 2 (a fine-grained limestone) shows the worst reservoir properties. The cementation factors range from 1.68 to 2.48. The dolomitic crystal carbonate texture (mainly units 3 and 4) shows the highest value of the cementation factor (1.98–2.48) and formation factor (9.54–36.97), which is due to its high degree of cementation. The saturation exponents vary between 1.2 and 3.4. Using these experimental electrical parameters and the resistivity laterolog tool we predicted the water saturation in the various reservoir units. The permeability was predicted by combining the formation factor with the micro-geometric characteristic length. The best fit is obtained with the Katz and Thompson's model and for a constant of 1/171.     

Impact of basin burial and exhumation on Jurassic carbonates diagenesis on both sides of a thick clay barrier (Paris Basin,NE France)

Several diagenetic models have been proposed for Middle and Upper Jurassic carbonates of the eastern Paris Basin. The paragenetic sequences are compared in both aquifers to propose a diagenetic model for the Middle and Late Jurassic deposits as a whole. Petrographic (optical and cathodoluminescence microscopy), structural (fracture orientations) and geochemical (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C, REE) studies were conducted to characterize diagenetic cements, with a focus on blocky calcite cements, and their connection with fracturation events. Four generations of blocky calcite (Cal1–Cal4) are identified. Cal1 and Cal2 are widespread in the dominantly grain-supported facies of the Middle Jurassic limestones (about 90% of the cementation), whereas they are limited in the Oxfordian because grain-supported facies are restricted to certain stratigraphic levels. Cal1 and Cal2 blocky spars precipitated during burial in a reducing environment from mixed marine-meteoric waters and/or buffered meteoric waters. The meteoric waters probably entered aquifers during the Late Cimmerian (Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary) and Late Aptian (Early Cretaceous) unconformities. The amount of Cal2 cement is thought to be linked to the intensity of burial pressure dissolution, which in turn was partly controlled by the clay content of the host rocks. Cal3 and Cal4 are associated with telogenetic fracturing phases. The succession of Cal3 and Cal4 calcite relates to the transition towards oxidizing conditions during an opening of the system to meteoric waters at higher water/rock ratios. These meteoric fluids circulated along Pyrenean, Oligocene and Alpine fractures and generated both dissolution and subsequent cementation in Oxfordian vugs in mud-supported facies and in poorly stylolitized grainstones. However, these cements filled only the residual porosity in Middle Jurassic limestones. In addition to fluorine inputs, fracturation also permitted inputs of sulphur possibly due to weathering of Triassic or Purbeckian evaporites or H₂S input during Paleogene times.     

Quantitative impact of diagenesis on reservoir quality of the Triassic Chang 6 tight oil sandstones,Zhenjing area,Ordos Basin,China

The Upper Triassic Chang 6 sandstone, an important exploration target in the Ordos Basin, is a typical tight oil reservoir. Reservoir quality is a critical factor for tight oil exploration. Based on thin sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), stable isotopes, and fluid inclusions, the diagenetic processes and their impact on the reservoir quality of the Chang 6 sandstones in the Zhenjing area were quantitatively analysed. The initial porosity of the Chang 6 sandstones is 39.2%, as calculated from point counting and grain size analysis. Mechanical and chemical compaction are the dominant processes for the destruction of pore spaces, leading to a porosity reduction of 14.2%–20.2% during progressive burial. The porosity continually decreased from 4.3% to 12.4% due to carbonate cementation, quartz overgrowth and clay mineral precipitation. Diagenetic processes were influenced by grain size, sorting and mineral compositions. Evaluation of petrographic observations indicates that different extents of compaction and calcite cementation are responsible for the formation of high-porosity and low-porosity reservoirs. Secondary porosity formed due to the burial dissolution of feldspar, rock fragments and laumontite in the Chang 6 sandstones. However, in a relatively closed geochemical system, products of dissolution cannot be transported away over a long distance. As a result, they precipitated in nearby pores and pore throats. In addition, quantitative calculations showed that the dissolution and associated precipitation of products of dissolution were nearly balanced. Consequently, the total porosity of the Chang 6 sandstones increased slightly due to burial dissolution, but the permeability decreased significantly because of the occlusion of pore throats by the dissolution-associated precipitation of authigenic minerals. Therefore, the limited increase in net-porosity from dissolution, combined with intense compaction and cementation, account for the low permeability and strong heterogeneity in the Chang 6 sandstones in the Zhenjing area.     

Linking early diagenesis and sedimentary facies to sequence stratigraphy on a prograding oolitic wedge: The Bathonian of western France (Aquitaine Basin)

To improve the understanding of the distribution of reservoir properties along carbonate platform margins, the connection between facies, sequence stratigraphy, and early diagenesis of discontinuities along the Bathonian prograding oolitic wedge of the northeastern Aquitaine platform was investigated. Eight facies are distributed along a 50 km-outcropping transect in (1) toe-of-slope, (2) infralittoral prograding oolitic wedge, (3) platform margin (shoal), (4) open marine platform interior, (5) foreshore, and (6) terrestrial settings. The transition from shallow platform to toe-of-slope facies is marked in the field by clinoforms hundred of meters long. Carbonate production was confined to the shallow platform but carbonates were exported basinward toward the breakpoint where they cascaded down a 20–25° slope. Ooid to intraclast grainstones to rudstones pass into alternating marl-limestone deposits at an estimated paleodepth of 40–75 m. Three sea-level falls of about 10 m caused the formation of discontinuities corresponding to sequence boundaries. Along these discontinuities, erosional marine hardgrounds formed in a high-hydrodynamic environment at a water depth of less than 10 m, displaying isopachous fibrous cements and meniscus-type cements. The cements pass landward into meniscus and microstalactitic forms along the same discontinuities, which are characteristic of subaerial exposure. During the deposition of transgressive systems tracts, carbonate accumulation remained located mostly on the shallow platform. Energy level increased and carbonates were exported during the deposition of highstand systems tracts forming the infralittoral prograding oolitic wedge. During the deposition of lowstand systems tracts, carbonate production fell to near zero and intraclast strata, derived from the erosion of hardgrounds on the shallow platform, prograded basinward. Early diagenetic cements are related exclusively to discontinuities that are not found within the prograding wedge because of the continuous high sedimentation rate under lower hydrodynamic conditions. This absence of early cementation within the infralittoral prograding oolitic wedge was conducive to porosity conservation, making such features good targets for carbonate reservoir exploration. This study proposes a novel sequence stratigraphy model for oolitic platform wedges, including facies and early diagenesis features.     

Numerical simulation of hydrocarbon migration in tight reservoir based on Artificial Immune Ant Colony Algorithm: A case of the Chang 81 reservoir of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Huaqing area,Ordos Basin,China

The hydrocarbon migration in tight reservoirs is a complex process, the fluid flow patterns of which are notably different from those of conventional reservoirs. Therefore, specific mathematical models are needed to simulate the secondary hydrocarbon migrations. This study presents a numerical simulation method based on Artificial Immune Ant Colony Algorithm (AIACA) to simulate the secondary hydrocarbon migrations in tight reservoirs. It consists of three core parts: (1) the release modes of artificial ants based on the intensity of hydrocarbon generation; (2) the wandering patterns of artificial ants under the control of the dynamic field and the distribution of pheromones; (3) the updating modes of pheromones based on the changes in reservoir wettability. The simulation of secondary migration can be realized by the observing the dynamic movements and accumulations of the artificial ants. The method has been tested in the Chang 8₁ tight sandstone reservoir, which is part of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Huaqing Area, Ordos Basin in China, and proved to be successful in matching the current data in exploration and development.     

A unique lacustrine mixed dolomitic-clastic sequence for tight oil reservoir within the middle Permian Lucaogou Formation of the Junggar Basin,NW China: Reservoir characteristics and origin

The middle Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Jimusaer Sag of the southeastern Junggar Basin, NW China, was the site of a recent discovery of a giant tight oil reservoir. This reservoir is unusual as it is hosted by lacustrine mixed dolomitic-clastic rocks, significantly differing from other tight reservoirs that are generally hosted by marine/lacustrine siliciclastic–calcitic sequences. Here, we improve our understanding of this relatively new type of tight oil reservoir by presenting the results of a preliminarily investigation into the basic characteristics and origin of this reservoir using field, petrological, geophysical (including seismic and logging), and geochemical data. Field and well core observations indicate that the Lucaogou Formation is a sequence of mixed carbonate (mainly dolomites) and terrigenous clastic (mainly feldspars) sediments that were deposited in a highly saline environment. The formation is divided into upper and lower cycles based on lithological variations between coarse- and fine-grained rocks; in particular, dolomites and siltstones are interbedded with organic-rich mudstones in the lower part of each cycle, whereas the upper part of each cycle contains few dolomites and siltstones. Tight oil accumulations are generally present in the lower part of each cycle, and dolomites and dolomite-bearing rocks are the main reservoir rocks in these cycles, including sandy dolomite, dolarenite, dolomicrite, and a few dolomitic siltstones. Optical microscope, back scattered electron, and scanning electron microscope imaging indicate that the main oil reservoir spaces are secondary pores that were generated by the dissolution of clastics and dolomite by highly acidic and corrosive hydrocarbon-related fluids.