Land subsidence and caprock dolines caused by subsurface gypsum dissolution and the effect of subsidence on the fluvial system in the Upper Tigris Basin (between Bismil–Batman, Turkey)

Karstification-based land subsidence was found in the Upper Tigris Basin with dimensions not seen anywhere else in Turkey. The area of land subsidence, where there are secondary and tertiary subsidence developments, reaches 140 km². Subsidence depth ranges between 40 and 70 m. The subsidence was formed as a result of subsurface gypsum dissolution in Lower Miocene formation. Although there are limestones together with gypsum and Eocene limestone below them in the area, a subsidence with such a large area is indicative of karstification in the gypsum. The stratigraphical cross-sections taken from the wells and the water analyses also verify this fact. The Lower Miocene gypsum, which shows confined aquifer features, was completely dissolved by the aggressive waters injected from the top and discharged through by Zellek Fault. This resulted in the development of subsidence and formation of caprock dolines on loosely textured Upper Miocene–Pliocene cover formations. The Tigris River runs through the subsidence area between Batman and Bismil. There are four terrace levels as T1 (40 m), T2 (30 m), T3 (10 m) and T4 (4–5 m) in the Tigris River valley. It was also found that there were some movements of the levels of the terraces in the valley by subsidence. The subsidence developed gradually throughout the Quaternary; however no terrace was formed purely because of subsidence.     

鄂尔多斯盆地CO2地质封存适宜性与潜力评价

针对目前利用层次分析法对CO₂地质封存进行适宜性评价过程中,极少结合研究区域实际计算低层次评价指标权重,对适宜性评价结果又缺少进一步的分析,结合鄂尔多斯盆地的地质特征,通过计算指标组成权重和适宜性得分对盆地开展了CO₂地质封存适宜性评价,并以适宜区杏子川油田长4+5盖层为例,开展了盖层封闭性评价实验研究。同时,采用相应的计算方法对鄂尔多斯盆地深部咸水层和油藏的CO₂地质封存潜力进行了计算。结果表明：鄂尔多斯盆地在三叠系开展CO₂地质封存的适宜性最好,石炭-二叠系和奥陶系则次之;杏子川油田三叠系延长组长4+5盖层对区域开展CO₂地质封存具备良好的封闭性;鄂尔多斯盆地深部咸水层和油藏的CO₂有效封存量分别为1.33×10 ¹⁰ t和1.91×10 ⁹ t,且在延长石油吴起、靖边及杏子川油田共有56个CO₂地质封存适宜区,其CO₂有效封存量可达1.77×10 ⁸ t。     

A laboratory study on capillary sealing efficiency of Iranian shale and anhydrite caprocks

Caprock has the most important role in the long term safety of formation gas storage. The caprocks trap fluid accumulated beneath, contribute to lateral migration of this fluid and impede its upward migration. The rapid upward passage of invasive plumes due to buoyancy pressure is prevented by capillary pressure within these seal rocks. In the present study, two main seal rocks, from the Zagros basin in the southwest of Iran, a shale core sample of Asmari formation and an anhydrite core sample of Gachsaran formation, were provided. Absolute permeabilities of shale and anhydrite cores, considering the Klinkenberg effect, were measured as 6.09 × 10⁻¹⁸ and 0.89 × 10⁻¹⁸ m², respectively. Capillary sealing efficiency of the cores was investigated using gas breakthrough experiments. To do so, two distinct techniques including step by step and residual capillary pressure approaches were performed, using carbon dioxide, nitrogen and methane gases at temperatures of 70 and 90 °C, under confining pressures in the range 24.13–37.92 MPa. In the first technique, it was found that capillary breakthrough pressure of the cores varies in the range from 2.76 to 34.34 MPa. Moreover, the measurements indicated that after capillary breakthrough, gas effective permeabilities lie in range 1.85 × 10⁻²¹ – 1.66 × 10⁻¹⁹ m². In the second technique, the minimum capillary displacement pressure of shale varied from 0.66 to 1.45 MPa with the maximum effective permeability around 7.76 × 10⁻²¹ – 6.69 × 10⁻²⁰ m². The results indicate that anhydrite caprock of the Gachsaran formation provides proper capillary sealing efficacy, suitable for long term storage of the injected CO₂ plumes, due to its higher capillary breakthrough pressure and lower gas effective permeability.     

山西省地热资源规律及其地质背景研究

中国大陆蕴藏丰富的地热资源,山西省局部地热异常特征明显。通过收集山西省典型地热区域流体数据,选取典型钻孔分析,探讨并总结山西省地热资源赋存规律和成因机制,为后期地热资源勘探及开发利用提供重要参考依据。通过分析研究结果得出以下几点认识：山西省水热型地热储层水温分布在28～78℃,北部以太古代花岗片麻岩为主,中部以古生代灰岩为主,南部以古生代碳酸盐岩为主;北部热源主要来自花岗岩中放射性元素衰变产生热量,中部和南部热源受地幔上隆及岩浆活动影响;省内深大断裂构成地下热水运移通道,热传导性较好;第四纪和第三纪松散层为省内地热良好的保温盖层,岩性以粘土、砂质粘土及砂层为主。结合前人水文地球化学研究成果,认为山西省地热水pH值呈弱碱性,其中Sr、Li、SiO₂与Cl大体上存在正相关关系,大部分地热水氚含量小于1TU,水源主要为大气降水补给,部分地热田出现δ¹⁸O漂移,氧同位素交换作用显著。     

Comparison of two different equations of state for application of carbon dioxide sequestration

We suggest that different equations of state (EOS) algorithms can and frequently will provide very different predictions of CO₂ migration following injection for sequestration. Rather than carry out an exhaustive examination of all EOS algorithms available, we elected to evaluate this general hypothesis by making detailed comparisons of simulation results of two very common EOS algorithms. We simulated and compared CO₂ migration patterns using two fundamentally different EOS algorithms – Modified Redlich-Kwong EOS (MRKEOS) and Span and Wagner EOS (SWEOS). In general, the predictions of thermophysical properties for both algorithms are close, except for a contrast in the predicted fugacity coefficient of CO₂, which subsequently propagates to a contrast in predicted solubility in water/brine. Typically, MRKEOS underestimates solubility of CO₂ compared to both SWEOS and experimental solubility data. In simulations of CO₂ migration, dissolution rates of separate-phase CO₂ predicted from the two EOS algorithms were significantly different, even for small contrasts in predicted fluid properties from EOS algorithms, resulting in markedly different migration patterns.     

Diagenetic and sedimentary controls on porosity in Lower Carboniferous fine-grained lithologies,Krechba field,Algeria: A petrological study of a caprock to a carbon capture site

Fine-grained siliciclastic lithologies commonly act as sealing caprocks to both petroleum fields and host reservoirs for carbon capture (CO₂ sequestration) projects. Fine-grained lithologies are thus of great importance in controlling fluid flow and storage in the subsurface. However, fine-grained rocks are rarely characterised in terms of primary sedimentary characteristics, diagenesis and how these relate to their flow properties (i.e. sealing or caprock quality). Seventeen samples from Lower Carboniferous estuarine caprock to a gas field (also to be used as a carbon capture site), have been analysed using a range of petrological and petrophysical techniques. The rock unit that represents the caprock to this gas field was found to be predominantly silt grade with porosity values as low as 1.8%. In these rocks, caprock quality (porosity) is controlled by intrinsic and extrinsic factors linked to primary mineralogy and diagenetic processes. Depositional mineralogy was dominated by quartz, detrital mica, detrital clay (likely Fe-rich 7Å clay and illite–smectite) with minor feldspar and oxide phases. Diagenetic processes included compaction, minor feldspar dissolution and kaolinite growth and the more important processes of chlorite, siderite and quartz cementation, as well as the likely transformation of smectite into illite. Caprock quality is controlled by the primary quantity of illite-muscovite in the sediment and also by the localised extent of chlorite and quartz cementation. Deposition in an estuarine environment led to highly heterogeneous distribution of primary and diagenetic minerals, and thus caprock quality, between and within the samples.     

Extensional rise and fall of a salt diapir in the Sørvestsnaget Basin,SW Barents Sea

Regional extension which initiates and promotes the rise of salt diapirs can also make diapirs fall once the supply of salt from its source is restricted. New observations on the 3D seismic data from a salt diapir in the Sørvestsnaget Basin suggest that salt moves until the end of the Eocene and is subtle to minor readjustments afterwards, revealing a more complex kinematics that previously described. Observations such as salt horns and sags and an antithetic fault linked to the western flank of the diapir suggest that salt syn-kinematics during Middle-Late Eocene included passive rising of the salt, followed by a fall. The salt horns are remnants of a taller salt diapir that, together with the indentation of the Middle-Late Eocene syn-kinematic sediment overburden above the salt, indicate diapiric fall due to restriction of salt supply by extension. Post-kinematic readjustments did not include diapiric reactivation by tectonic compression as previously thought, but minor salt rise by shortening due to gravity gliding after the tilting of the margin during Plio-Pleistocene glacial sediment loading and differential compaction of surrounding sediments. The salt diapir appears to be presently inactive and salt supply may have been restricted from its source already since Late Eocene.     

Mechanism of Underground Fluid Injection Induced Seismicity and Its Implications for CCS Projects

CO₂ capture and storage projects must consider the potential possibility ofinjection induced seismicity. Moderate earthquakes and strong earthquakes may endanger human life and property, and even felt earthquakes and microquakes also pose a threat to seal integrity of CO₂ reservoir and increase the risk of leakage. Underground fluid injection induced seismicity usually happens in some geoengineering projects such as waste fluid disposal, EOR and EGS, and it occurs when fluid is injected along the fault. Therefore, it can be studied through stress analysis. The density of supercritical CO₂ is smaller than water, which may develop density flow in the deep strata or water-rock interactions in pre-existing structures, and cause the variation in permeability and pressure to induce a seismic activity. In this paper, we reviewed the mechanism of underground fluid injection induced seismicity with the focus of CCS, combined with fluid injection projects and seismic monitoring analysis in both commercial scale and experimental scale, to investigate its impact on the integrity of the cap rock of the reservoir. Finally, we summarized the appropriate site selection, injection methods and monitoring programs to prevent the occurrence of induced seismicity.     

Sealing efficiency of caprocks: Experimental investigation of entry pressure measurement methods

Caprocks play a key role in hydrocarbon entrapment and in the geological storage of gas. Top seals inhibit vertical migration due to their low permeability and high entry pressure (PE). This study investigated four different techniques for measuring PE: (1) step by step method; (2) dynamic approach; (3) racking method; (4) residual pressure method. This article reports results on two samples: a carbonate (1.5 μDarcy (1.5 10⁻¹⁸ m²)) and a claystone (15 nDarcy (1.5 10⁻²⁰ m²)). On the carbonate sample, methods 1, 2 and 3 gave a PE value of 1.1 MPa, whilst method 4 gave a PE of 0.4 MPa. On the claystone sample, methods 1 and 2 gave a PE value around 12 MPa. The data allow us to consider best practices for PE measurements on caprocks. Methods 2 and 3 are the quickest and most accurate methods but show limitations in very low permeability porous media. Method 2 required three days to measure PE in the 15 nD claystone and experiments on 1 nD (10⁻²¹ m²) materials would take longer. Additional issues on mechanical stresses impact the result reliability since in methods 2 and 3 effective stress can significantly change during the experiment. Method 4 measures a snap-off pressure that is lower than the entry pressure value. Method 1 is a long experiment but is the most representative of in situ hydrocarbon migration though caprocks.     

低速非达西流动与泥质岩孔隙流体超压的形成

泥质岩层中孔隙水在向外排运的过程中遵循低速非达西流动规律,当泥质沉积物成岩以后,地层中部的孔隙水必须克服微孔隙对其产生的启动阻力才能向外排出,否则,地层水就被滞流在岩层孔隙中造成泥岩的欠压实,具欠压实地层的孔隙水承担了部分上覆地层的重量而形成孔隙流体超压。因此,启动阻力是泥岩层形成孔隙流体超压的根本原因。在成岩作用的早期阶段,泥质岩层启动阻力较小,流体可以流动,流体超压由粘滞阻力和启动阻力两部分组成,当成岩作用进入到中—晚期以后,泥质岩层启动阻力增大,流体不能流动,粘滞阻力近似等于零,超压值等于启动阻力值。因为启动阻力是泥质岩层的固有特征,所以,在没有裂缝或断层的情况下,孔隙流体超压就必然存在。启动阻力随着泥质岩层厚度的增大、埋藏深度的增加、成岩程度的增强、砂质含量的减小而增大,孔隙流体超压也随上述因素的变化与启动阻力等量增大。