Optimization of SAGD Well Elevation

The application of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) to recover heavy oil sands is becoming increasingly important in the northern Alberta McMurray Formation because of the vast resources/reserves accessible with this mechanism. Selecting the stratigraphic elevations of SAGD well pairs is a vital decision for reservoir evaluation and planning. The inherent uncertainty in the distribution of geological variables significantly influences this decision. Geostatistical simulation is used to capture geological uncertainty, which is used can be transformed into a distribution of the best possible well pair elevations. A simple exhaustive calculation scheme is used to determine the optimum stratigraphic location of a SAGD well pair where the recovery R is maximized. There are three basic steps to the methodology: (1) model the uncertainty in the top continuous bitumen (TCB) and bottom continuous bitumen (BCB) surfaces, (2) calculate the recovery at all possible elevation increments within the TCB and BCB interval, and (3) identify the elevation that maximizes R. This is repeated for multiple TCB/BCB pairs of surfaces to assess uncertainty. The methodology is described and implemented on a subset of data from the Athabasca Oilsands in Fort McMurray, Alberta.     

3D numerical modelling of fluid flow in the Val-d’Or orogenic gold district: major crustal shear zones drain fluids from overpressured vein fields

Fluid flow patterns have been determined using oxygen isotope isopleths in the Val-d’Or orogenic gold district. 3D numerical modelling of fluid flow and oxygen isotope exchange in the vein field shows that the fluid flow patterns can be reproduced if the lower boundary of the model is permeable, which represents middle or lower crustal rocks that are infiltrated by a metamorphic fluid generated at deeper levels. This boundary condition implies that the major crustal faults so conspicuous in vein fields do not act as the only major channel for upward fluid flow. The upper model boundary is impermeable except along the trace of major crustal faults where fluids are allowed to drain out of the vein field. This upper impermeable boundary condition represents a low-permeability layer in the crust that separates the overpressured fluid from the overlying hydrostatic fluid pressure regime. We propose that the role of major crustal faults in overpressured vein fields, independent of tectonic setting, is to drain hydrothermal fluids out of the vein field along a breach across an impermeable layer higher in the crust and above the vein field. This breach is crucial to allow flow out of the vein field and accumulation of metals in the fractures, and this breach has major implications for exploration for mineral resources. We propose that tectonic events that cause episodic metamorphic dehydration create a short-lived pulse of metamorphic fluid to rise along zones of transient permeability. This results in a fluid wave that propagates upward carrying metals to the mineralized area. Earthquakes along crustal shear zones cause dilation near jogs that draw fluids and deposit metals in an interconnected network of subsidiary shear zones. Fluid flow is arrested by an impermeable barrier separating the hydrostatic and lithostatic fluid pressure regimes. Fluids flow through the evolving and interconnected network of shear zones and by advection through the rock matrix. Episodic breaches in the impermeable barrier along the crustal shear zones allow fluid flow out of the vein field.     

秦皇岛市矿产开发引发的地质环境问题及对策

秦皇岛市矿产资源丰富,矿业已成为秦皇岛市特别是地方经济的支柱之一。伴随着矿业的发展,在矿产开发过程中引发的地质环境问题日益突出,如采空区地表变形(地面塌陷、地裂缝等)、岩溶塌陷、露天采矿边坡失稳、尾矿引发的泥石流、水土流失以及地貌景观的破坏等。这些地质环境问题主要分布在北部的山区和丘陵台地区。形成的原因复杂,主要有法制不健全、缺乏强制恢复机制、布局不合理、监管不到位、开采技术落后、不合理开采、资金缺乏以及从业者环保意识淡薄等方面的原因。对于矿山地质环境的保护,应采取加强立法、建立保证金制度、统一规划、加强监管、加大宣传力度以及建立责任追究制度等措施。     

多媒体地理信息系统的网络结构分析

数据模型是GIS的灵魂和关键,为了使开发出的GIS尽可能准确地反映地理空间,能够较好地满足GIS用户各方面的需要,而网络拓扑对网络的构成也至关重要,本文分析和总结了早期和近期GIS几种数据模型的优缺点,并在此基础上提出了整体GIS数据模型及网络设计的几种常见模式.     

Geodatabase版本控制原理剖析

随着地理信息系统的发展及其应用的不断扩大,多用户并发操作、长事务处理以及历史数据回溯管理成为大型空间数据库的基本要求,ESRI在面向对象地理模型(Geodatabase数据模型)中通过版本控制为空间数据库的上述要求提供了有效的解决方案。本文详细分析了Geodatabase版本控制基本原理,为建立、管理大型空间数据库以及研究开发全新面向对象空间数据库管理系统提供参考。     

2004年全球重大气候事件概述

2004年全球气候持续偏暖。年初，暴雪席卷欧洲多国，美国受到罕见大雪袭击，南亚和墨西哥遭遇低温严寒。北半球夏秋季，西太平洋、大西洋热带风暴活动频繁。日本、菲律宾和美国受灾严重。年内，非洲、亚洲部分国家发生严重干旱；同时，南亚、南美洲及非洲多国暴雨致洪。年内，欧洲伊比利亚半岛、日本和澳大利亚遭遇高温热浪。     

东昆仑东段中更新世以来的成山作用及其动力转换

对东昆仑造山带东段第四纪构造及与地貌关系的分析表明，现代山盆相间的地貌格局成型于中更新世，且在中更新世以来发生了多次构造变形体制的转换。根据布青山北部查干额热格地区第四系剖面的构造、地层时代及地层与构造关系的分析表明，中更新世时期为伸展构造体制，昆仑山内部开始发生了差异隆升，布青山开始崛起。中更新世末应力体制发生急剧变化，由伸展体制转为收缩事件，又急速转为伸展构造体系，短暂的收缩事件造成了中更新世冲洪积层的褶皱，随后的伸展则导致了影响深刻的向北依次断落的阶地状正断层系统。晚更新世应力体系再度发生重大转换，伸展正断层体系被左旋走滑运动体系所代替，并一直延续至今。中更新世以来多次隆升构造变形体制的转换说明东昆仑地区的成山过程受控于多种动力背景，而非单一的挤压抬升。隆升构造变形体系的确定及其时代约束为深入刻划青藏高原东北缘隆升作用的动力过程提供了重要信息。     

呼伦西白金矿点外围区化异常查证方法及找矿效果

呼伦西白金矿点外围异常查证工作中,采用围山短水系沉积物测量为主,土壤测量为辅的方法,圈定以金为主的综合异常8处,发现金矿脉4条(III～VI号)、锑矿化带1处,取得了较为明显的地质找矿效果。该方法可供同类地区开展异常查证时参考。     

Study and review on crust-mantle velocity structure in Bohai Bay and its vicinity

Introduction Bohai Bay, along with its adjacent areas, is one of the seismically active areas in North China. Understanding its crust/upper-mantle structural characteristics and lateral heterogeneity of the medium in this area is of great significance to the study of seismogenic environment, thus improvimg the level of earthquake prediction. For years, scientists have studied the area by gravity and magnetic methods (FENG, et al, 1989), geothermal field (WU, et al, 1988; TIAN, ZHANG, 19…     

ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK CORRECTION OF ROUGH ERRORS OF OBSERVATIONS*

In the context of tower measured radiation datasets.following the correction principle meeting a diagnostic equation in data quality control and in terms of a technique for model construction on data and ANN (artificial neural network) retrieval for BP correction of radiation measurements with rough errors available,a BP model is presented.Evidence suggests that the developed model works well and is superior to a convenient multivariate linear regression model,indicating its wide applications.