Development of efficiently coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model to predict hydraulic fracture morphology in heavy oil reservoirs

The aim of the study involves examining the effect of heavy oil viscosity on fracture geometry in detail by establishing a heavy oil fracturing model and conventional fracturing model based on thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) coupled theory, Walther viscosity model, and K–D–R temperature model. We consider viscosity and density within the heavy oil fracturing model as functions of pressure and temperature while that as constants within the conventional fracturing model. A heavy oil production well is set as an example to analyze the differences between the two models to account for the thermo-poro-elastic effect. The results show that temperature exhibits the most significant influence on the heavy oil viscosity while the influence of pressure is the least. In addition, a cooling area with a width of 0–1 m and varied length is generated near the fracture. The heavy oil viscosity increases sharply in this area, thereby indicating an area of viscosity increment. The heavy oil viscosity increases faster and is closer to wellbore, and a high viscosity increment reduces the mobility of the heavy oil and prevents the fracturing fluid from entering into the reservoir. The special viscosity distribution results in significant differences in pore pressure, oil saturation, and changing trends between these two models. In the heavy oil reservoir fracturing model, the thermal effect completely exceeds the influence of pore elasticity, and the values of the fracture length, width, and static pressure exceed those calculated in the conventional fracturing model. Thus, a comparison of the measured values indicates that the results obtained by considering viscosity as a function of temperature and pressure are more accurate. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to provide good guidelines for the design of heavy oil fracturing.     

Paleo-environment and reservoir evolution of the Middle Ordovician Kelimoli Formation in the northern Tianhuan area,Ordos Basin,China: implications for high-quality reservoir development

The Middle Ordovician Kelimoli Formation carbonate reservoirs in the northern Tianhuan area, Ordos Basin, China are main exploration targets. Subsurface core samples, logging, drilling and production data from the area were used to characterise the carbonate reservoir and to construct a genetic model for exploration. The sedimentary facies identified include trough–continental rise, upper–lower slope, platform margin reef-shoal, open platform and evaporation-restricted platform. The slope and platform margin facies are potential zones for high-quality reservoirs. Porosity in the study area comprises intergrain, intercrystal, intragrain and intracrystal pores, fractures and vughs. The Sr/Ba (0.40–4.87) and V/(V + Ni) (0.64–0.97) ratios indicate deposition in a brackish water-dominated environment under reducing conditions, associated with sea-level fluctuations during the deposition of the Kelimoli Formation. The Sr/Ba, V/(V + Ni), ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, δ¹⁸O values and crystal texture of dolomite samples suggest that meteoric water was involved in the diagenetic fluid in the near-surface depositional environment. Isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O) and trace elements (Fe and Mn) allowed the identification of seepage-reflux and mixed-water dolomitisation. The crystal textures of the samples consist of micritic, bioclastic and reefal limestones, and dolomite with gypsum, which were easily dissolved during the early diagenetic stage. The epidiagenetic stage was the key period for the development of high-quality reservoirs because of large-scale bedding-parallel karstification from meteoric water. The reservoir zones, dominated by partially filled and unfilled vughs, and fractures, are favourable exploration targets in the northern Tianhuan area.     

Progress in the Application of Ground Gravity Observation Data in Earthquake Prediction

The mechanism of earthquake inoculation and the process of earthquake occurrence are very complicated. Additionally, earthquakes do not happen very often, and we lack enough cognition to the earth’s interior structure, activity regularity and other key elements. As a result, research progress about the theory of earthquake precursors has been greatly restricted. Ground gravity observation has become one of the main ways to study earthquake precursor information in many countries and regions. This paper briefly summarized the surface gravity observation technology and observation network in China: the surface gravity measurement instrument developed from Huygens physical pendulum in seventeenth Century to today’s high-precision absolute gravimeter, and its accuracy reached to ±1×10^-8 m/s². China has successively established the National Gravity Network, Digital Earthquake Observation Network of China,the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China Ⅰ and the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China, to provide a public platform for monitoring non tidal gravity change, seismic gravity and tectonic movement. The use of specific examples illustrated the role of gravity observation data in earthquake prediction. The gravity observation data of ground gravity can be used to capture the information of gravity change in the process of strong earthquake inoculation, and to provide an important basis for the long-term prediction of strong earthquakes. The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of the regional gravity field and its relation to strong earthquakes were analyzed: Before the earthquake whose magnitude is higher than M_S 5, generally there will be a large amplitude and range of gravity anomaly zones. Strong earthquakes occur mainly in areas where the gravity field changes violently. The dynamic change images of gravity field can clearly reflect the precursory information of large earthquakes during the inoculation and occurrence. Finally, the existing problems of surface gravity technology in earthquake precursor observation were put forward and the use of gravity measurement data in earthquake prediction research was prospected.     

Comparative analysis of significant wave height between a new Southern Ocean buoy and satellite altimeter

中国于2019年第35次南极考察中,首次在南大洋布放了锚系实时综合观测浮标(西风带海洋环境监测浮标,WEMB),为深入了解此海区的海洋环境变化提供了宝贵资料.国家海洋技术中心WEMB研究团队基于AVISO公开发布的多颗卫星高度计L3产品,通过数据配对,误差统计和最小二乘线性拟合等方法,对西风带海洋环境监测浮标的有效波高数据误差进行了分析与校正.校正后的浮标有效波高统计显示西风带常年处于大浪以上海况,观测期间内57％处于巨浪海况,并且伴随有高度相关的大风天气.     

论中国国家公园地质考察与评价——以浙江丽水百山祖国家公园为例

鉴于保护地调查评价历史与目标,国家公园地质考察评价基准是地质学关于地球的“时间、空间、演化”知识的发现路径,既识别国家公园候选地的国家符合性地质事件,又识别国家公园自然性、独特性、优美性、多样性、整体性的地质机制,提供国家公园最重要的自然生态系统与自然景观保育管理的地质学支撑。浙江丽水百山祖国家公园符合性的地质事件是公园发现的4.0~4.2 Ga冥古宙陆核物质的锆石晶体、中生代岛弧陆盆火山酸性火山岩系列和从流纹岩山岭到花岗岩—变质岩谷底的“峰—岭—丘—谷（盆）”的亚热带滨海山地地貌结构,地貌结构发育演化是百山祖公园最重要的自然生态系统、区域性流域水源地、独特山水景观的形成基础。保护百祖山公园地貌结构和过程的完整性与真实性是确保其重要自然生态系统自然演化和生态服务产品持续供给的基础。     

鄂尔多斯盆地西北缘浩然柴达木地区下白垩统结构特征

鄂尔多斯盆地西北缘下白垩统为重要的找矿目的层,通过研究该套层位的结构特征,以期大致查明其深部发育情况,为盆地北部铀矿资源勘查与评价提供基础资料。文章通过对研究区可控源音频大地电磁(CSAMT)测深数据的反演处理,获得了沉积盖层的电性结构模型,结合区内地质、岩石物性及钻孔资料综合分析,认为下白垩统由浅至深主要发育两层地电结构,上部罗汉洞组纵向反映为明显的"上高下低"相对中高阻电性层,底板埋深一般在200 m左右;下部华池-环河组与洛河组整体反映为相对高阻电性层,底板埋深500~950 m,厚度400~700 m,走向北西,总体表现为北东部薄、南西部厚、中部更厚的沉积分布特征。     

激光实时干涉计量技术和雷达差分干涉技术测量形变的对比研究及其意义

分别叙述了激光干涉技术和雷达差分干涉技术的原理及应用. 采用激光实时干涉计量技术实验室观测试样在加压过程中的形变,研究不同破裂孕育区所表现的不同应变异常场特征. 采用雷达差分干涉技术可以测量地形及地表形变,并且有西藏玛尼、张北——尚义等地震前后的形变测量结果. 指出激光实时干涉计量技术与雷达差分干涉技术相似,都是以条纹变化图研究形变异常场特征. 因此, 对雷达差分干涉技术测量的孕震过程中的形变场,特别是临近大震发生前的形变场特征进行观测和以激光干涉技术进行实验及对比研究均将很有意义.      

中国GIS产业发展问题与对策研究

虽然中国GIS产业比十多年前有了显著的进步,但是问题依然很多,集中表现为:GIS产业规模小、应用广度和深度不够;GIS产业服务体系不健全;GIS教育不能适应产业发展的需要;GIS标准化工作滞后。中国GIS产业的发展壮大,不仅需要地理信息技术的进步,GIS软件产品的创新,而且要建立相应的产业服务体系,加快GIS新型人才的培养。中国GIS产业发展过程中的一系列问题是环环相扣的,我们不应该就事论事、画地为牢,而是要“大处着眼、小处着手”,加强当前比较薄弱的产业环节。随着国家信息化进程的推进,特别是电子政务建设的兴起,中国GIS产业面临许多新的机遇。正视目前存在的问题,及时采取适宜的对策,中国GIS产业必将蓬勃发展。     

Preliminary results of 4-D water vapor tomography in the troposphere using GPS

Slant-path water vapor amounts (SWV) from a station to all the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites in view can be estimated by using a ground-based GPS receiver. In this paper, a tomographic method was utilized to retrieve the local horizontal and vertical structure of water vapor over a local GPS receiver network using SWV amounts as observables in the tomography. The method of obtaining SWV using ground-based GPS is described first, and then the theory of tomography using GPS is presented. A water vapor tomography experiment was made using a small GPS network in the Beijing region. The tomographic results were analyzed in two ways: (1) a pure GPS method, i.e., only using GPS observables as input to the tomography; (2) combining GPS observables with vertical constraints or a priori information, which come from average radiosonde measurements over three days. It is shown that the vertical structure of water vapor is well resolved with a priori information. Comparisons of profiles between radiosondes and GPS show that the RMS error of the tomography is about 1–2mm. It is demonstrated that the tomography can monitor the evolution of tropospheric water vapor in space and time. The vertical resolution of the tomography is tested with layer thicknesses of 600 m, 800 m and 1000 m. Comparisons with radiosondes show that the result from a resolution of 800m is slightly better than results from the other two resolutions in the experiment. Water vapor amounts recreated from the tomography field agree well with precipitable water vapor (PWV) calculated using GPS delays. Hourly tomographic results are also shown using the resolution of 800 m. Water vapor characteristics under the background of heavy rainfall development are analyzed using these tomographic results. The water vapor spatio-temporal structures derived from the GPS network show a great potential in the investigation of weather disasters.     

Seasonal abundance and distribution of pelagic tunicates (Chordata: Thaliacea) in the central South China Sea

1IntroductionTunicates(Chordata:Thaliacea)are large pe-lagic gelatinous zooplankton.They can be used as in-dicator species for ocean currents and water bodies(Chen et al.,1980;Chen et al.,1988;Lin,1988,1990;Lin and Zhang,1993;Thompson,1948).They also play…