Use of borehole imaging to improve understanding of the in-situ stress orientation of Central and Northern England and its implications for unconventional hydrocarbon resources

New interest in the potential for shale gas in the United Kingdom (UK) has led to renewed exploration for hydrocarbons in the Carboniferous age Bowland–Hodder shales under Central and Northern England. Following an incidence of induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing during 2010 at Preese Hall, Lancashire, the publically available databases quantifying the in-situ stress orientation of the United Kingdom have shown to be inadequate for safe planning and regulation of hydraulic fracturing. This paper therefore reappraises the in-situ stress orientation for central and northern England based wholly on new interpretations of high-resolution borehole imaging for stress indicators including borehole breakouts and drilling-induced tensile fractures. These analyses confirm the expected north northwest – south southeast orientation of maximum horizontal in-situ stress identified from previous studies (e.g. Evans and Brereton, 1990). The dual-caliper data generated by Evans and Brereton (1990) yields a mean S_Hmax orientation of 149.87° with a circular standard deviation of 66.9°. However the use of borehole imaging without incorporation of results from older dual-caliper logging tools very significantly decreases the associated uncertainty with a mean S_Hmax orientation of 150.9° with a circular standard deviation of 13.1°.The use of high-resolution borehole imaging is thus shown to produce a more reliable assessment of in-situ stress orientation. The authors therefore recommend that the higher resolution of such imaging tools should therefore be treated as a de-facto standard for assessment of in-situ stress orientation prior to rock testing. Use of borehole imaging should be formally instituted into best practice or future regulations for assessment of in-situ stress orientation prior to any hydraulic fracturing operations in the UK.     

Geochemistry,origin, and accumulation of petroleum in the Eocene Wenchang Formation reservoirs in Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea: A case study of HZ25-7 oil field

The Pearl River Mouth Basin in the South China Sea has accumulated >2 km of Eocene sediments in its deep basin, and has become the exploration focus due to the recent discoveries of the HZ25-7 oil field in the Eocene Wenchang (E₂w) Formation. In this study, the geochemical characteristics of potential source rocks and petroleum in the HZ25-7 oil field are investigated and the possible origins and accumulation models developed. The analytical results reveal two sets of potential source rocks, E₂w and Enping (E₂e) formations developed in the study area. The semi-deep-to-deep lacustrine E₂w source rocks are characterized by relatively low C₂₉ steranes, low C₁₉/C₂₃ tricyclic terpane (<0.6), low C₂₄ tetracyclic terpane/C₃₀ hopane (<0.1), low trans-trans-trans-bicadinane (T)/C₃₀ hopane (most <2.0), and high C₃₀ 4-methyl sterane/ΣC₂₉ sterane (>0.2) ratios. In contrast, the shallow lacustrine and deltaic swamp-plain E₂e source rocks are characterized by relatively high C₂₉ steranes, high C₁₉/C₂₃ tricyclic terpane (>0.6), high C₂₄ tetracyclic terpane/C₃₀ hopane (>0.1), variable yet overall high T/C₃₀ hopane, and low C₃₀ 4-methyl sterane/ΣC₂₉ sterane (<0.2) ratios. The relatively low C₁₉/C₂₃ tricyclic terpane ratios (mean value: 0.39), low C₂₄ tetracyclic terpane/C₃₀ hopane ratios (mean value: 0.07), high C₃₀ 4-methyl sterane/ΣC₂₉ sterane ratios (mean value: 1.14), and relatively high C₂₇ regular sterane content of petroleum in the HZ25-7 oil field indicate that the petroleum most likely originated from the E₂w Formation mudstone in the Huizhou Depression. One stage of continuous charging is identified in the HZ25-7 oil field; oil injection is from 16 Ma to present and peak filling occurs after 12 Ma. Thin sandstone beds with relatively good connectivity and physical properties (porosity and permeability) in the E₂w Formation are favorable conduits for the lateral migration of petroleum. This petroleum accumulation pattern implies that the E₂w Formation on the western and southern margins of the Huizhou Depression are favorable for petroleum accumulation because they are located in a migration pathway. Thus exploration should focus in these areas in the future.     

In-situ stress state in the Linxing region,eastern Ordos Basin,China: Implications for unconventional gas exploration and production

The Carboniferous and Permian sedimentary rocks (mainly the Shanxi and Taiyuan formations) in the Linxing region, eastern Ordos Basin, China, host a significant volume of unconventional gas resources (coalbed methane, shale gas and tight sandstone gas). Currently, the in-situ stress state is poorly understood but knowledge of this is extremely important for a range of applications, such as gas exploration and production, fracture stimulation and wellbore stability. The maximum horizontal stress (S_Hmax), minimum horizontal stress (S_hmin) and vertical stress (S_v) magnitudes, and the S_Hmax orientation in the Linxing region were systematically analyzed for the first time in the present study, which can provide a reference for subsequent numerical simulation and hydraulic fracturing design. Based on borehole breakouts and drilling-induced tensile fractures interpreted from borehole imaging logs, the S_Hmax orientation rotates from ∼NEE-SWW-trending in the southern part to ∼ NWW-SEE-trending in the northern part of the Linxing region. Both conventional logs and extended leak-off tests were used for stress magnitude determination. The results revealed three types of in-situ stress fields (S_v > S_Hmax > S_hmin, S_Hmax > S_v > S_hmin and S_Hmax > S_v ≈ S_hmin), and a dominant strike-slip stress regime (S_Hmax > S_v ≥ S_hmin) was found for the entire well section in the target Shanxi Formation and Taiyuan Formation in the Linxing region. In addition, differential stress increased with depth in the Linxing region, which indicates that wellbore instability might be a potentially significant problem when drilling wells that are vertical or ∼ N-S-trending.     

Numerical simulation of the thermal maturation, oil generation and migration in the Songliao Basin, Northeastern China

The discovery of the giant Daqing oil field in the Songliao Basin led to the realisation of the significant petroleum potential of non-marine basins. In order to reconstruct the basin evolution and oil formation, an integrated organic geochemical-basin modelling study along a regional transect across the Songliao Basin was conducted. It provided a regional heat flow evolution model, and revealed post-orogenic or late syn-orogenic maturation in the Central Depression and pre-orogenic maturation in the Southeast Uplift Zone. Kinetic parameters of petroleum generation for the lacustrine source formations are the basis for the simulation of oil generation and migration in the Songliao Basin. Using the principle activation energy peaking at 54 kcal/mol and a pre-exponential factor of about 4.2·10²⁷ Ma⁻¹, the simulation obtained a relatively good match with the measured transformation ratios. The Qingshankou Formation in the West and East Central Depressions constituted the major source in the basin. Major oil generation, migration and accumulation occurred during the Early Tertiary. In the West Central Depression, the generated oils migrated upwards into the Yaojia Formation followed by the updip migration into the Daqing Anticline and towards the local structural high along the West Slope. In contrast, the oil migration in the East Central Depression was dominated by the downward movement from the lower member of the Qingshankou Formation followed by the updip migration towards the Caoyang Anticline. The simulated oil accumulations are in good agreement with discovered oil fields, implying a potential application of the model for prediction and evaluation of new exploration targets in the basin.     

基于资源等价分析法的海洋溢油生态损害评估模型及应用

采用资源等价分析法构建溢油海洋生态损害评估的模型,重新对2002年渤海塔斯曼溢油事件的潮间带生物损害进行定量评估,得出补偿修复工程的规模从而估算出针对潮间带受损资源的赔偿额度。资源等价分析法的研究与应用填补了国内在该类方法研究领域的空白,进一步完善了中国溢油生态损害评估方面的研究,为各类溢油损害计算提供参考和补偿依据。     

Synthetic saline-aqueous and hydrocarbon fluid inclusions trapped in calcite at temperatures and pressures relevant to hydrocarbon basins: A reconnaissance study

We conducted reconnaissance experiments to synthesize aqueous and hydrocarbon inclusions trapped in calcite at conditions relevant to petroleum basins, and characterize the microthermometric properties of such inclusions. Fluid inclusions (FIs) were synthesized in a system of saline aqueous solution (5 or 20 wt% NaCl) coexisting with either heavy crude oil or gasoline under gas-undersaturated conditions, from 90 to 210 °C and 200–550 bar. The synthetic inclusions are not representative of gas-bearing systems, and methane (CH₄) was not detected in any aqueous inclusions. The FIs are mainly distributed along planar healed cracks, indicating that the inclusions formed by fracture healing in the calcite crystal. Microthermometric measurements were conducted on coeval aqueous and hydrocarbon inclusions, and Raman spectroscopic analyses were done on aqueous inclusions, to determine the properties of FIs trapped at these conditions.Homogenization temperatures of synthetic FIs are mostly lower than the experimental trapping temperature, although the FIs show high variability in measured homogenization temperature. Results allow comparison of T_h values for each sample with the expected T_h, isochores and pressure corrections calculated for the system H₂ONaCl. The latter parameters are broadly consistent with the known PVTX properties of H₂ONaCl fluids, suggesting little effect of hydrocarbons on the homogenization behavior, although the low precision of the T_h data limits this assessment. Nevertheless, this result is not unexpected considering that light hydrocarbons (gas) is not present in the experiments (as corroborated by Raman spectroscopy), a consequence of using “dead” oil in the experiments. Simulation of gas-bearing petroleum basins will require additional protocols for producing gas, either by in-situ cracking of the starting hydrocarbon material, or by other means. The reconnaissance experiments documented here provide a basis for such future experiments.     

低渗油藏采收率确定新方法

通过对油藏相渗曲线的归一化处理,利用达西定律理论,建立采油指数与含水率的关系;再通过油藏确定的单井经济极限采油量和油藏极限生产压差求出极限采油指数,从而得到极限含水率;最后以最终水驱体积波及系数与储层退汞效率计算出采收率。并以低渗透油藏为实例验证了该方法的正确与适用性,说明该方法对油田开发中确定低渗油藏采收率具有科学的指导意义。     

Modeling an atypical petroleum system: A case study of hydrocarbon generation,migration and accumulation related to igneous intrusions in the Neuquen Basin,Argentina

In the Altiplanicie del Payún area (Neuquen Basin, Argentina), immature source rock sections intruded by up to 600 m thick Tertiary laccoliths show full spectrum maturity aureoles over hundreds of meters from the contacts. Commercial oil accumulations (20–33°API) and oil shows are located along the entire column, both in sandstone/carbonate and fractured igneous reservoirs. A challenging numerical model that included the emplacement of the intrusive bodies, with extreme temperature ranges and unusually short calculation time steps, has been done with the aim to better understand hydrocarbon generation and migration processes related to these thermal anomalies.     

A GIS modelling framework to evaluate marine spatial planning scenarios: Co-location of offshore wind farms and aquaculture in the German EEZ

The concept of co-location of marine areas receives an increased significance in the light of sustainable development in the already heavily used offshore marine realm. Within this study, different spatial co-location scenarios for the coupling of offshore aquacultures and wind farms are evaluated in order to support efficient and sustainable marine spatial management strategies. A Geographic Information System (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) techniques were combined to index suitable co-sites in the German exclusive economic zone of the North Sea. The MCE was based on criteria such as temperature, salinity or oxygen. In total, 13 possible aquaculture candidates (seaweed, bivalves, fish and crustaceans) were selected for the scenario configuration. The GIS modelling framework proved to be powerful in defining potential co-location sites. The aquaculture candidate oarweed (Laminaria digitata) revealed the highest suitability scores at 10–20 m depth from April to June, followed by haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) at 20–30 m depth and dulse (Palmaria palmata) and Sea belt (Saccharina latissima) at 0–10 m depth between April and June. In summary, results showed several wind farms were de facto suitable sites for aquaculture since they exhibited high suitability scores for Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems combining fish species, bivalves and seaweeds. The present results illustrate how synergies may be realised between competing needs of both offshore wind energy and offshore IMTA in the German EEZ of the North Sea. This might offer guidance to stakeholders and assist decision-makers in determining the most suitable sites for pilot projects using IMTA techniques.     

断层阴影区地震优势信号提取新技术及其在西湖TT区的应用

在复杂断块地区,地震成像受断层的影响,断层下盘同相轴出现“上拉”、“下拉”或者同相轴错断的现象,极大地影响了断层圈闭构造高点的确定以及圈闭幅度的准确判断。开展针对复杂断层的高精度速度建模和高精度成像技术被认为是解决断层阴影区成像的主要处理技术解决方案。立足于地震采集信号自身的属性信息,充分挖掘地震信号的潜力,提出广角反射的折射线性去噪技术、中低频有效信号提取技术和优势信号精细速度建模技术,在西湖TT区目标评价中取得了良好的效果,明显减低了断层阴影对目标构造形态的影响,提高了构造圈闭定位的准确性。应用结果表明：通过准确的PSDM速度模型结合断层阴影区优势信号的提取,获得更聚焦的反射能量,断层阴影区弱振幅区得到消除,有效改善了断裂阴影区的成像效果。