Quick-look assessments to identify optimal CO2 EOR storage sites

A newly developed, multistage quick-look methodology allows for the efficient screening of an unmanageably large number of reservoirs to generate a workable set of sites that closely match the requirements for optimal CO₂ enhanced oil recovery (EOR) storage. The objective of the study is to quickly identify miscible CO₂ EOR candidates in areas that contain thousands of reservoirs and to estimate additional oil recovery and sequestration capacities of selected top options through dimensionless modeling and reservoir characterization. Quick-look assessments indicate that the CO₂ EOR resource potential along the US Gulf Coast is 4.7 billion barrels, and CO₂ sequestration capacity is 2.6 billion metric tons. In the first stage, oil reservoirs are screened and ranked in terms of technical and practical feasibility for miscible CO₂ EOR. The second stage provides quick estimates of CO₂ EOR potential and sequestration capacities. In the third stage, a dimensionless group model is applied to a selected set of sites to improve the estimates of oil recovery and storage potential using appropriate inputs for rock and fluid properties, disregarding reservoir architecture and sweep design. The fourth stage validates and refines the results by simulating flow in a model that describes the internal architecture and fluid distribution in the reservoir. The stated approach both saves time and allows more resources to be applied to the best candidate sites.     

预防油页岩地层钻进中压差卡钻的措施

分析了油页岩地层钻进中压差卡钻发生的原因,提出了预防压差卡钻的途径及处理方法,并通过工程实例来强调预防为主的重要性。     

Study on the connectivity of heavy oil reservoirs by ultraviolet spectrum technique in the western part of the QHD32-6 oilfield

As a new method, the ultraviolet spectrum technique is applied to studying the connectivity of biode-gradable heavy oil reservoirs. The similarity of crude oils can be judged according to the extinction coefficient （E） because aromatic hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons have conjugated bonds and obvious absorption in the ultraviolet range, and different materials have different characteristics and additives. The relationship diagram is made in terms of the extinction coefficients （E） of the samples by taking E as the Y-axis and wavelength as the X-axis. The connectivity of oil reservoirs is estimated according to the curve positions and characteristic fingerprints of the sampies. The connectivity of part of the reservoirs in the western part of the QHD32-6 oilfield was studied with this method. The results showed that the connectivity of samples from wells F7 and F8 in the Nm-2 oil reservoir zone is good, that of samples from wells F17 and F20 in the Nm-1 oil reservoir zone also is good, and that of samples from wells F17, F19, and F20 is poor.     

Geologic Characteristics of Gas Reservoirs in West Sichuan Foreland Basin

The foreland basin in West Sichuan is a tectonic unit that has undergone multi-periods tectonic movements of Indosinian-Yanshanian-Himalayan. Since late Triassic, it has been in a passive subsidence environment controlled by basin margin mountain systems and by the compression with abundant sediment sources. With the complex geologic setting, the main geologic characteristics of natural gas reservoir are listed as following:(1)Source rocks are coal-bearing mud and shale series with high to over maturity, and long and progressive hydrocarbon generation-displacement period. The key accumulation period is middle-late Yanshanian epoch.(2)There are three gas-bearing systems vertically, each of which has different reservoir mechanism, main-controlled factors and distribution law, so the exploration thoughts and techniques are also different.(3)Undergoing multi-period generation-migration-accumulation, oil and gas have encountered multi-period modification or destruction, and gas accumulation overpass multiple tectonic periods. So the trap type is complicated and dominated by combination traps. Because the main accumulation period of natural gas is early and the reservoir encountered the modification of strong Himalayan movement, there is great difference in the fullness degree of gas reservoirs and complicated gas-water relation. (4) Reservoir is tight to very tight, but reservoirs of relatively high quality developed under the super tight setting. (5) The key techniques for oil and gas exploration in west Sichuan foreland basin are the prediction of relatively favorable reservoirs, fractures and gas bearing; and the key techniques for oil and gas development are how to improve the penetration rate, reservoir protection and modification.     

松辽盆地宋芳屯油田扶杨油层孔隙结构及其影响因素

通过镜下观察,宋芳屯油田扶杨油层孔隙类型较多,以粒间孔为主。细管压力曲线上看,曲线较陡,分选差,孔隙结构特征参数总体上较差,与孔隙度、渗透率有一定的关系,大的孔隙对渗透率的贡献最大。扶杨油层的孔隙结构较复杂主要由于成岩作用影响,压实作用使孔隙空间显著缩小,胶结作用和自生粘土矿物生长使孔隙进一步缩小和复杂化,后期的溶蚀作用使孔隙空间增加。     

寒武系古流体地球化学特征及其对页岩气保存的指示意义 ——以中扬子地区寒武系页岩气发现井宜地2井为例

保存条件是中扬子地区页岩气富集的关键因素之一，宜地2井是中扬子寒武系页岩气发现井，通过对该井全井段岩芯裂缝古流体的地球化学分析，探讨了寒武系古流体成因和对水井沱组页岩气保存条件的指示意义。结果认为：① 覃家庙组膏岩层之上方解石脉缺少Fe2+、Mn2+，且δ13C和δ18O值较围岩偏负，指示其形成于氧化的环境，石牌组方解石脉δ13C偏负，黄铁矿脉δ34S值与膏盐相似，表明其成因与TSR密切相关；水井沱组脉体δ13C和δ18O与围岩相似，形成于封闭的环境。② 方解石脉包裹体群SO42-、Ca2+、Mg2+含量整体上由覃家庙组向上向下分别递减，钠氯系数以水井沱组最低，整体上向上升高，表明覃家庙组是高盐度卤水的主要来源，水井沱组受外来流体影响弱；包裹体水溶液δD和δ18O也指示娄山关组、石牌组方解石脉成因分别与大气水、TSR相关。③ 古流体地球化学研究表明宜昌地区页岩气保存条件整体较好，页岩气散失的主要通道是垂直裂缝，页岩气保存条件好与膏盐盖层发育、后期构造破坏弱、脉体对裂缝的及时封闭以及白垩系盖层等因素密切相关。     

Geochemistry of soils derived from black shale, central Hunan, China

The black shale formed under anoxic conditions usually contains high concentrations of many metals. Weathering of such black shale might cause the emission of many metals. Moreover, soils derived from black shale （SBS） are believed to be affected by black shale weathering. In recent years, many studies such as Lee et al. （2002）, Woo et al. （2002）, Fang et al. （2002）, Pasava et al. （2003）, and Peng et al. （2004） have approached the heavy metal contaminations of SBS, but systematical geochemical study is rare. Presently, the SBS and its corresponding black shales （CBS） were both sampled from central Hunan （China）, and analyzed for a large number of elements, using an Elan6000 ICP-MS/AES machine at Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS. In this paper, some preliminary results are reported. The analytical results show that the SBS in central Hunan contains very high concentrations of heavy metals such as Co, Cu, Hg, Mo, Pb, Zn, U, Th, Sb, T1, Cd, Cr, Sc, V, Sn, As, Se, and Ni.     

Aftershocks series monitoring of the September 18, 2004 M = 4.6 earthquake at the western Pyrenees: A case of reservoir-triggered seismicity?

On September 18, 2004, a 4.6 mbLg earthquake was widely felt in the region around Pamplona, at the western Pyrenees. Preliminary locations reported an epicenter less than 20 km ESE of Pamplona and close to the Itoiz reservoir, which started impounding in January 2004. The area apparently lacks of significant seismic activity in recent times. After the main shock, which was preceded by series of foreshocks reaching magnitudes of 3.3 mbLg, a dense temporal network of 13 seismic stations was deployed there to monitor the aftershocks series and to constrain the hypocentral pattern. Aftershock determinations obtained with a double-difference algorithm define a narrow epicentral zone of less than 10 km², ESE–WNW oriented. The events are mainly concentrated between 3 and 9 km depth. Focal solutions were computed for the main event and 12 aftershocks including the highest secondary one of 3.8 mbLg. They show mainly normal faulting with some strike-slip component and one of the nodal planes oriented NW–SE and dipping to the NE. Cross-correlation techniques applied to detect and associate events with similar waveforms, provided up to 33 families relating the 67% of the 326 relocated aftershocks. Families show event clusters grouped by periods and migrating from NW to SE. Interestingly, the narrow epicentral zone inferred here is located less than 4 km away from the 111-m high Itoiz dam. These hypocentral results, and the correlation observed between fluctuations of the reservoir water level and the seismic activity, favour the explanation of this foreshock–aftershock series as a rapid response case of reservoir-triggered seismicity, burst by the first impoundment of the Itoiz reservoir. The region is folded and affected by shallow dipping thrusts, and the Itoiz reservoir is located on the hangingwall of a low angle southward verging thrust, which might be a case sensible to water level fluctuations. However, continued seismic monitoring in the coming years is mandatory in this area to infer more reliable seismotectonic and hazard assessments.     

Attenuation of aqueous metal transport at two natural acid rock drainage occurrences in the Yukon Territory, Canada

Naturally acidic drainage associated with pyritic black shale has been observed in many locations in the Yukon Territory. While not necessarily linked to known mineral deposits, most of these natural acid rock drainage occurrences show elevated dissolved concentrations of trace elements, especially zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium and arsenic. Based on field observations, microbial investigation, chemical analyses and geochemical modeling, the fate and transport of potentially deleterious elements at two natural acid drainage occurrences with slightly different settings are examined. The Macintosh Creek is a small, acidic stream （pH 2.98-3.40）, 2 km long, located in the Macmillan Pass area of east-central Yukon amidst known sedimentary exhalative massive sulfide mineralization but remains undisturbed by exploration activities. Its trace metal content is apparently derived from groundwater discharges, which gave as much as 5.0, 2.5, 0.7, 0.13 and 0.03 mg/L ofZn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Interaction and sorption reactions with algal mats, biofilms and iron oxyhydroxides appear to be the dominant mechanisms attenuating aqueous contaminant transport along the stream. Cryogenic precipitation further consolidates the ferricrete formation and reduces the mobility of the sorbed metals. The tributaries of the Engineering Creek along the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon drain through a series of dolomite, phyllite, argillite, limestone, black shale, sandstone and conglomerate with no known concentration of mineralization. In this area, the water chemistry fully reflects the local geology with acidic streams invariably associated with black shale occurrences. Groundwater seeps in the headwaters area of the km-180 Creek completely enclosed in black shale gave pH 3.0 and as much as 148, 39, 2.9 and 9.1 mg/L of Zn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Sorption with iron oxyhydroxide and organic matter appear to dominate the attenuation of contaminant transport along the stream. However, once entered into carbonate-dominated terrains, secondary carbonate minerals exercise additional geochemical control on the local water chemistry as a result of neutralization.     

油页岩综合利用对周围环境的影响——以抚顺矿区为例

世界能源日益减少的局面为油页岩的开发应用带来广阔的前景，但油页岩工业所带来的环境影响亦不容忽视。以抚顺油页岩为例，从油页岩综合利用和油页岩工业对环境的影响等方面系统讨论了在我国发展油页岩工业时，如何本着节约能源、保护环境、实现可持续发展的观念，利用现有先进技术，科学发展油页岩工业，降低生产过程中的固、液、气污染物对环境的危害。