Evidence of regional subsidence and associated interior wetland loss induced by hydrocarbon production, Gulf Coast region, USA

Analysis of remote images, elevation surveys, stratigraphic cross-sections, and hydrocarbon production data demonstrates that extensive areas of wetland loss in the northern Gulf Coast region of the United States were associated with large-volume fluid production from mature petroleum fields. Interior wetland losses at many sites in coastal Louisiana and Texas are attributed largely to accelerated land subsidence and fault reactivation induced by decreased reservoir pressures as a result of rapid or prolonged extraction of gas, oil, and associated brines. Evidence that moderately-deep hydrocarbon production has induced land-surface subsidence and reactivated faults that intersect the surface include: (1) close temporal and spatial correlation of fluid production with surficial changes including rapid subsidence of wetland sediments near producing fields, (2) measurable offsets of shallow strata across the zones of wetland loss, (3) large reductions in subsurface pressures where subsidence rates are high, (4) coincidence of orientation and direction of displacement between surface fault traces and faults that bound the reservoirs, and (5) accelerated subsidence rates near producing fields compared to subsidence rates in surrounding areas or compared to geological rates of subsidence. Based on historical trends, subsidence rates in the Gulf Coast region near producing fields most likely will decrease in the future because most petroleum fields are nearly depleted. Alternatively, continued extraction of conventional energy resources as well as potential production of alternative energy resources (geopressured-geothermal fluids) in the Gulf Coast region could increase subsidence and land losses and also contribute to inundation of areas of higher elevation.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> source-sink matching in the lower 48 United States,with examples from the Texas Gulf Coast and Permian Basin

Documenting geographic distribution and spatial linkages between CO₂ sources and potential sinks in areas with significant levels of CO₂ emissions is important when considering carbon-management strategies such as geologic sequestration or enhanced oil recovery (EOR). For example, the US Gulf Coast overlies a thick succession (>6,000 m [>20,000 ft]) of highly porous and permeable sandstone formations separated by thick, regionally extensive shale aquitards. The Gulf Coast and Permian Basin also have a large potential for EOR, in which CO₂ injected into suitable oil reservoirs could be followed by long-term storage of CO₂ in nonproductive formations below reservoir intervals. For example, >6 billion barrels (Bbbl) of oil from 182 large reservoirs is technically recoverable in the Permian Basin as a result of miscible-CO₂ flooding_. The Gulf Coast also contains an additional 4.5 Bbbl of oil that could be produced by using miscible CO₂. Although the CO₂ pipeline infrastructure is well-developed in the Permian Basin, east Texas and the Texas Gulf Coast may have a greater long-term potential for deep, permanent storage of CO₂ because of thick brine-bearing formations near both major subsurface and point sources of CO₂.     

Probabilistic risk assessment of major accidents: application to offshore blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico

Major accidents are low-frequency, high-consequence accidents which are not well supported by conventional statistical methods due to the scarcity of directly relevant data. Modeling and decomposition techniques such as event tree have been proved as robust alternatives as they facilitate incorporation of partially relevant near accident data–accident precursor data—in probability estimation and risk analysis of major accidents. In this study, we developed a methodology based on event tree and hierarchical Bayesian analysis to establish informative distributions for offshore blowouts using data of near accidents, such as kicks, leaks, and failure of blowout preventers collected from a variety of offshore drilling rigs. These informative distributions can be used as predictive tools to estimate relevant failure probabilities in the future. Further, having a set of near accident data of a drilling rig of interest, the informative distributions can be updated to render case-specific posterior distributions which are of great importance in quantitative risk analysis. To cope with uncertainties, we implemented the methodology in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo framework and applied it to risk assessment of offshore blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico.     

地震信息对薄砂岩储层特性的描述

近年来,以地震信息为主进行油气藏描述,这是当前对石油勘探的重点攻关课题.本文结合我国陆上和海域部分油田或含油气构造的实际资料,运用地震信息为主,结合测井、地质及钻井等资料,对储层进行综合解释。同时,提出了用多地震信息计算薄层厚度的基本公式,根据地区性岩性和地震资料的差异,使用了确定性地质统计和Coringing分析两种方法进行储层物性参数的预测,文中给出大量的实例说明各种储层参数描述方法和应用效果。     

渤海海域沙垒田凸起西北部奥陶系碳酸盐岩储层发育主控因素与分布预测

基于岩心、薄片观察以及同位素、稀土元素等分析资料,明确了渤海海域沙垒田凸起西北部奥陶系碳酸盐岩潜山储层岩性主要为白云岩,储集空间包括溶蚀孔、洞、缝,储层类型为裂缝-孔隙型,裂缝是沟通孔洞的重要通道。储层演化机制上,碳酸盐岩白云石化作用、岩溶作用和构造作用是储层发育的主控因素:白云石化作用是储层发育的基础,岩溶作用是储层发育的重要保障,构造作用是储层发育的关键。地震地质储层综合预测表明研究区西南部为风化壳岩溶储层发育的有利地区。     

塔北西部却勒地区古近系底砂岩段薄砂层储层地震预测

通过岩心、测井分析研究储层的岩性和物性,通过分析井点及剖面地震反射波特征来研究薄砂层储层发育处反射波属性;在储层岩性、物性及地震波形属性研究基础上,采用模型正演实验优选储层敏感属性,分析地震属性与薄砂层储层的预测关系;最终通过时间域属性优选、数学统计回归和频率域频谱分解等方法综合分析,建立预测薄砂层储层的经验公式,预测...     

墨西哥湾海上泄压和压力封存箱化的四维地震监控

在油藏开发和油藏工程方面，三维地震勘探技术正在起着越来越重要的作用，每年都可发现三维地震在这些方面的应用，特别是时间延续的三维地震即四维地震技术使得用计算机来监测油田开发的日子已为期不远。也许这种监测技术不久将成为石油工业的标准。野外生产监测仪可以源源不断、近真时地把地层压力、温度和流体的变化送到控制中心。在控制中心，油藏模拟、弹性波和声波的正反演将告诉我们有关这些变化的答案，进而通过先进的计算机视像显示来控制油藏的开发。文中我们应用在哥伦比亚大学Ｌａｍｏｎｔ－ＤｏｈｅｒｔｙＥａｒｔｈＯｂｓｅｒｖａｔｏ－ｒｙ发展的四维地震振幅分析技术分析了墨西哥湾ＥｕｇｅｎｅＩｓｌａｎｄ３３０／３３８块中的沙岩油气藏ＬＦ。初步结果显示，在类似北墨西哥湾的盆地中，连续三维地震反射振幅的变化可以直接显示第三系盆地中的碎屑岩油气藏的存在。井Ａ－８ＳＴ的成功钻探也证明了四维地震振幅的变化可以有效地帮助寻找油气藏。目前，我们正利用现有的测井资料结合地震正反演技术进一步分析振幅的变化。我们相信这种应用重复三维地震勘探的四雏地震技术将在油藏开发和生产中起着越来越大的作用。     

河流相砂体精细描述在西湖凹陷某气田的应用

西湖凹陷某气田钻井资料少,传统陆上利用多井点资料描述河流相储层展布的方法不适用该气田。前人关于该区为浅水三角洲平原分流河道沉积、储层横向上连片分布的认识过于宏观,不能指导气田的开发生产。研究从已钻井资料出发,充分利用海上高分辨率三维地震资料对河流相储层横向识别精度高、单一河道边界刻画清晰的特点,开展地震沉积学研究和单河道精细解释,识别出4期目的层单河道砂体,形成横向上逐渐向东迁移摆动、纵向上相互叠置的沉积演化模式。这一认识指导了地质模型优化,解决了生产井动静储量差异矛盾,能够有效指导气田开发生产。在海上少井条件下,利用地震沉积学方法进行河流相砂体精细描述的方法有较强的适用性。     

利用地震方法预测潜山裂缝性油气储层——以渤海湾南部为例

以３Ｄ地震数据体为基础,使用相干分析技术和合成声波测井对发育在渤海湾盆地南部少浅海海域中的古生界碳酸盐岩和太古界花岗片麻岩中的潜山裂缝性储层进行了横向预测,在此基础上确定了有利部位。预测结果得到了实际钻探的证实。     

南海南沙海域沉积盆地构造演化与油气成藏规律

据钻井、地震剖面、区域地质及磁异常条带分析解释,南沙海域及其邻区的主要沉积盆地的形成演化受裂谷起始不整合面和破裂不整合面分隔,可分为前裂谷期、裂谷期和后裂谷期3个构造阶段。大中型油气藏相关数据的统计表明,南沙海域及邻区大中型油气藏的成藏要素和油气田发育受构造阶段控制。(1)烃源岩发育具有分期、分区特征,礼乐盆地发育前裂谷期、裂谷1幕烃源岩;万安、曾母、西北巴拉望盆地发育裂谷2幕烃源岩,文莱-沙巴盆地发育后裂谷期烃源岩。(2)储层发育具有分期、分带特征,表现为外带老(裂谷2幕)、内带新(后裂谷期)。(3)圈闭类型包括构造、岩性地层圈闭及构造-岩性地层等因素形成的复合圈闭,大致具有内带以地层圈闭为主,外带以构造圈闭为主的特征。(4)大中型油气田分布具有外带砂岩富油气、内带碳酸盐岩富气特点。(5)南沙海域及邻区发育两个后裂谷期主含油气区,即东部巴兰三角洲砂岩背斜油气区和西部卢卡尼亚碳酸盐台地气区。其中,大中型气田的成藏要素组合为裂谷2幕烃源岩、后裂谷期碳酸盐岩储层和地层圈闭;大中型油气田则为后裂谷期烃源岩、砂岩储层和背斜圈闭。     

川西裂缝性致密碎屑岩气藏高渗区成因机理及预测

川西深层上三叠统须家河组二段致密碎屑岩气藏非均质性极强,裂缝网络与相对优质储层叠加形成的高渗区分布预测是钻井获得高产稳产的技术关键。通过地表露头调查、钻井资料统计分析及地震地质综合研究,剖析了高渗区地质成因机理,认为在砂岩及岩性相变带、相对薄层及地层厚度突变带、优质储层发育区、强构造褶皱变形区、断裂附近等易于形成裂缝及高渗区。通过高渗区储层测井及波阻抗特征、地震响应特征对比分析、模型正演等方法,建立了“杂乱弱反射”地震暗点识别模式,利用吸收处理、像素成像、三维可视化等地震技术手段,预测了高渗区分布,解释了各高渗区地质成因,钻井验证了预测结果。     

Stratimagic波形地震相分析在层序地层岩性分析中的应用

应用波阻抗反演以及常规地震属性预测储层时,在钻井资料较少、储层较薄的情况下多解性较强。Stratimagic波形地震相分析技术采用神经网络算法对某一层间的地震数据道进行逐道对比分类,细致刻画地震信号的横向变化,从而得到与地质相对应的地震相图,并以此用于储层砂体和地层岩性油藏的预测。以东营凹陷八面河地区滩坝砂体岩性油藏为例,说明应用该方法进行滩坝砂体和岩性油藏分布预测,是行之有效的。      

石臼坨凸起东段围区沙一二段古物源恢复及其对储层的控制

物源区原始剥蚀地貌的恢复以及与砂体、优质储层之间的关系是源－汇系统分析中非常重要的部分.利用钻井、三维地震以及分析化验等资料,恢复了石臼坨凸起东段围区沙一二段储层的古物源分布,并探讨了古物源对储层的影响.结果表明:（1）研究区沙一二段发育近源扇三角洲砂砾岩储层,东部古物源的母岩类型为白垩系中酸性火成岩,西部古物源的母岩类型为中生界碎屑岩夹薄层中酸性火成岩,均非现今残留的基岩分布.（2）受母岩差异的影响,东部火成岩的母岩剥蚀后更容易形成规模较大的砂砾岩体.（3）受物源区母岩和沉积区储层成岩作用差异的共同影响,东部储层中中酸性火成岩岩屑和砾石等易溶组分含量高,粒度较粗,以碳酸盐胶结为主,在成岩过程中,中酸性火成岩砾石、岩屑易遭受强烈溶蚀作用,次生孔隙发育,但受碳酸盐矿物进一步强烈的胶结,储层物性呈低孔低渗特点;西部储层中变质岩岩屑和石英等难溶组分含量高,填隙物以粘土类为主,原生孔隙发育,储层物性呈中高孔高渗的特点.      

河流相储层综合预测方法探索

本文以储层横向预测的研究内容为线索，从储层追踪，储层特征参数的提取与结构重建等方面入手，针对河流相储层薄，变化快且泥质干扰严重等特点。在立足于综合研究的基础上，特别注重波阻抗技术，地质统计学，多元统计等在河流相储层预测中的作用。目前，利用波阻抗剖面，采用钻井标定色标的办法。进行储层追踪是描述储层宏观特性的有利手段。虽测井信息与地震信息就其采样的储集空间来说处于两个极端，但应用统计学方法，如多元统计，地质统计学等。可以把这两种处于两个极端的信息综合起来。其具体实现是依据岩心，测井，参照井间地震建立，储层变化模型。并借助于这一模型用合适的统计方法将这些不同分辨尺度的信息有机地融合在一起。     

Natural fisheries,marsh management,and mariculture: Complexity and conflict in Louisiana

Most of Louisiana’s economically important saltwater fishes and crustaceans spawn in the Gulf of Mexico, but their young must use the vast coastal marsh as their nursery. Marsh management in Louisiana usually consists of emplacement of levees and water-control structures in the marsh. These structures significantly reduce fisheries production and offshore recruitment. In addition, in 1987 private entities were authorized to use 32,380 ha of the marsh for experimental mariculture, which (if successful) will likewise lead to greatly reduced natural fisheries production and offshore recruitment. Private interests also nearly succeeded in legalizing entrapment and eventual harvest of the wild fisheries from 100,000 ha, and 20,000 ha, of the marsh in 1991 and 1992, respectively. The effects of all these threats to natural fisheries production are further complicated by Louisiana's confused legal situation regarding coastal land ownership.     

Late Quaternary coastal and inner shelf stratigraphy, Apalachicola Delta region, Florida

Since the beginning of the Tertiary the sedimentology of the Gulf of Mexico Basin has been dominated by the depositional activity of the Mississippi River. The sedimentologic influence of the Mississippi diminishes with distance east or west of the Louisiana shelf, however. The Texas and northwest Florida shelf margins, for example, are characterized by a series of smaller deltas. In the inner and mid-shelf areas of these regions the near-surface sedimentary units include infilled stream channels and small deltas. Such features are commonly observed in sub-bottom seismic records from the middle and inner shelf of the northeastern Gulf, along the Apalachicola River coast of northwest Florida.

The Apalachicola River is the principal source of clastic sediment to the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. During the late Holocene virtually all of the river's sediment load has been deposited in the modern Apalachicola Delta and in the river's estuary, Apalachicola Bay, which has been filling rapidly. During late Quaternary lowstands, prior to the development of the modern estuary, the river traversed the present-day inner and mid-shelf, incising a network of channels. Based on seismic records, many of these buried shelf channels were considerably larger than their modern counterparts.

During lowstands the Apalachicola River also deposited coarse sediment on the shelf as deltaic and associated river-mouth sediments. These deposits comprise the modern near-surface sediments of the inner and middle shelf. An investigation of subsurface sedimentary features observed in seismic profiles provides details on the late Quaternary development of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf. Seismic reflection profiles obtained on the inner and mid-shelf regions of northwest Florida reveal an approximately 50 m thickness of late Quaternary sediments, comprised of two and sometimes three discrete clastic sequences. Two lower fluvial sequences total as much as 40–50 m in thickness. A transgressive marine sand deposit overlies the older features in some places, varying in thickness from 0 to 5 m. Identification of seismic facies, combined with stratigraphic data from a suite of coastal boreholes, enables correlation of offshore seismic stratigraphic units with late Tertiary and Quaternary coastal stratigraphy.     

An Upper Cretaceous (middle Campanian) marine chondrichthyan and osteichthyan fauna from the Rattlesnake Mountain sandstone member of the Aguja Formation in West Texas

A thin phosphate-granule conglomerate within the Upper Cretaceous (middle Campanian) Rattlesnake Mountain sandstone member of the Aguja Formation preserves a diverse chondrichthyan and osteichthyan fauna. This highly fossiliferous deposit (the ‘Ten Bits Microsite’) yielded about 5000 teeth, spines, and denticles in a small amount of matrix (c. 150 kg). About 30 identifiable species of sharks, rays, and bony fishes are recognized. Two of the three most abundant chondrichthyan species at Ten Bits (Scapanorhynchus texanus and Ischyrhiza mira) are also the most common species in other middle to late Campanian marine vertebrate faunas along the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain. The myliobatiform rays Brachyrhizodus and Rhombodus that occur at Ten Bits also appear to be characteristic of the Gulf and Atlantic Coast, as are lamniform sharks such as Cretalamna and Serratolamna. These taxa are entirely absent or extremely rare in Western Interior Campanian faunas. In contrast, some small orectolobiform sharks (Cantioscyllium, Chiloscyllium, Columbusia) and small rays (Protoplatyrhina) found at Ten Bits are common in shallow water faunas of the Western Interior and Texas Coastal Plain, but rarely reported from the eastern Gulf or Atlantic Coast. The common Western Interior ray Myledaphus bipartitus does not occur at Ten Bits or in any Gulf or Atlantic Coast fauna. Ptychotrygon agujaensis is abundantly represented in the Ten Bits fauna, but unknown in correlative marine faunas. Although Ptychotrygon occurs in all Western Interior, Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain faunas, it is represented elsewhere by apparently endemic species at each collection site. The differences between Western Interior, Gulf, and Atlantic Coastal Plain faunas probably reflect latitudinal variation in water temperature or salinity, or different oceanic water circulation patterns between the Western Interior Seaway and the Gulf or Atlantic Coast that restricted the distributions of some marine fish species. The Ten Bits fauna shares typical species with both Western Interior and Gulf and Atlantic Coast faunas, reflecting its position at the border between these provinces; however, the dominant taxa found at Ten Bits are the same as those found on the Gulf and Atlantic Coast, and indicate that western Texas was more closely allied biogeographically with that province than with the Western Interior of North America. One species tentatively identified in the Ten Bits fauna on the basis of a single tooth, Igdabatis cf. I. indicus, is otherwise known only from southern Europe and Asia, although a similar large myliobatid ray also occurs rarely in Texas Coastal Plain faunas. These occurrences indicate that western Texas may have been near the northern limit of the range for some tropical Tethyan marine vertebrate species.     

四川山地地震勘探及主要技术应用

四川的地震勘探以山地地震勘探为其主要特点。四十年来，基本基本形成了四大技术系列，即：山地地震采集技术系列；高陆复杂构造资料处理技术系列；碳酸夺储层横向预测技术系列；人机联作综合解释技术系列。针对山区资料特点，采用叠后深度偏移技术、山区静校正技术、去炕席干扰技术、高分辨率处理技术等，使构造成果精度大幅度提高。在新的处理解释技术推广区，地震解释的构造目的层深度与实钻结果的相对误差小于３％，其中７６％左     

宽带约束地震反演在兰尕地区储层预测中的应用

兰尕背斜带处于塔河油田南部,具有发育非背斜圈闭的条件,勘探程度较低,适用于宽带约束地震反演技术进行储层预测。作者介绍了宽带约束稀疏脉冲反演技术的基本原理、实现方法以及反演流程,并在兰尕地区首次利用约束稀疏脉冲反演技术进行了储层预测,反演过程中运用了9口井进行约束。将反演结果与井真实情况相对比,上油组、中油组与钻井、测井解释储层吻合较好,下油组顶面吻合较好,内部及底部与钻井有一定差异。根据反演结果圈定了砂体发育带,确定了岩性圈闭,并最终落实了钻井目标。该方法在勘探程度比较低的地方可以较准确地预测储层岩性和展布规律,对油田的进一步勘探开发,以及降低勘探开发风险有一定的指导意义。