Experimental and numerical study on vortex-induced motions of a deep-draft semi-submersible

An experimental study on vortex-induced motions (VIM) of a deep-draft semi-submersible (DDS) was carried out in a towing tank, with the aim to investigate the VIM effects on the overall hydrodynamics of the structure. In order to study the fluid physics associated with VIM of the DDS, a comprehensive numerical simulation was conducted to examine the characteristics of vortex shedding processes and their interactions due to multiple cylindrical columns. The experimental measurements were obtained for horizontal plane motions including transverse, in-line and yaw motions as well as drag and lift forces on the structure. Spectral analysis was further carried out based on the recorded force time history. These data were subsequently used to validate the numerical model. Detailed numerical results on the vortex flow characteristics revealed that during the “lock-in”, the vortex shedding processes of the upstream columns enhance the vortex shedding processes of the downstream columns leading to the rapid increase of the magnitude of VIM. In addition to the experimental measurements, for the two uniform flow incidences (0° and 45°) investigated, comprehensive numerical data of the parametric study on the VIM characteristics at a wide range of current strength will also serve as quality benchmarks for future study and provide guidance for practical design.     

Prediction of diagenetic facies using well logs – A case study from the upper Triassic Yanchang Formation,Ordos Basin,China

Understanding diagenetic heterogeneity in tight sandstone reservoirs is vital for hydrocarbon exploration. As a typical tight sandstone reservoir, the seventh unit of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin (Chang 7 unit), central China, is an important oil-producing interval. Results of helium porosity and permeability and petrographic assessment from thin sections, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence analysis demonstrate that the sandstones have encountered various diagenetic processes encompassing mechanical and chemical compaction, cementation by carbonate, quartz, clay minerals, and dissolution of feldspar and lithic fragments. The sandstones comprise silt-to medium-grained lithic arkoses to feldspathic litharenites and litharenites, which have low porosity (0.5%–13.6%, with an average of 6.8%) and low permeability (0.009 × 10⁻³ μm² to 1.818 × 10⁻³ μm², with an average of 0.106 × 10⁻³ μm²).This study suggests that diagenetic facies identified from petrographic observations can be up-scaled by correlation with wire-line log responses, which can facilitate prediction of reservoir quality at a field-scale. Four diagenetic facies are determined based on petrographic features including intensity of compaction, cement types and amounts, and degree of dissolution. Unstable and labile components of sandstones can be identified by low bulk density and low gamma ray log values, and those sandstones show the highest reservoir quality. Tightly compacted sandstones/siltstones, which tend to have high gamma ray readings and relatively high bulk density values, show the poorest reservoir quality. A model based on principal component analysis (PCA) is built and show better prediction of diagenetic facies than biplots of well logs. The model is validated by blind testing log-predicted diagenetic facies against petrographic features from core samples of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, which indicates it is a helpful predictive model.     

Seafloor and buried mounds on the western slope of the Niger Delta

Seafloor mounds are potential geohazards to offshore rig emplacement and drilling operations and may contain evidence of underlying petroleum systems. Therefore, identifying and mapping them is crucial in de-risking exploration and production activities in offshore domains.A 738 km² high resolution three-dimensional seismic dataset was used to investigate the occurrence, seismic characteristics and distribution of features interpreted as seafloor and buried sediment mounds, at water-depths of 800–1600 m, on the western Niger Delta slope. Fifteen seafloor mounds and eighteen shallowly buried mounds were identified. The seafloor mounds are characterised by lower seismic amplitude anomalies than the surrounding seabed sediments, and overlie vertical zones of acoustic blanking. The buried mounds in contrast are characterised by high amplitude anomalies; they also directly overlie sub-vertical zones of acoustic blanking. Seismic evidences from the features, their distribution patterns and tectono-stratigraphic associations suggest that their formation was controlled by the juxtaposition of buried channels and structural highs and their formation caused by focused fluid flow and expulsion of entrained sediments at the seabed.Considering the acoustic and geometrical characteristics of the mounds and comparing them with mound-shaped features from around the world, we conclude that the mounds most likely comprise heterolithic seafloor extrusions of muds and sands from the Agbada Formation with gas and possibly oil in some of the pore space giving rise to the acoustic characteristics.     

High resolution characterization of a core from the Lower Jurassic Gordondale Member,Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

The Gordondale Member is a hydrocarbon source rock and potential unconventional reservoir that extends across northeastern British Columbia and central-northwestern Alberta. It is an organic-rich, calcareous, fossiliferous mudstone with a median total organic carbon value of 6.0 wt%. A total of 230 samples were collected from approximately 25 m of Gordondale Member core for organic matter analysis using Rock-Eval 6 analysis and organic petrology. Detailed core logging provides sedimentological context for organic matter characterization. The predominant organic material in the samples is solid bitumen and liptinite with lesser zooclast and inertinite. Most kerogen is Type II, autochthonous marine biomass, with minimal dilution by inert organic carbon. Rock-Eval T_max values and random reflectance measurements of solid bitumen indicate the samples are within the oil generation window. Solid bitumen contributes a substantial amount of hydrocarbon potential to the interval. A micro-reservoir structure within the core is produced by thin intervals of impermeable displacive calcite that act as barriers to the upward migration of free hydrocarbons. These free hydrocarbon accumulations could make excellent targets for horizontal wells within the Gordondale Member.     

Simulation of paleotectonic stress fields and quantitative prediction of multi-period fractures in shale reservoirs: A case study of the Niutitang Formation in the Lower Cambrian in the Cen'gong block,South China

Reservoirs where tectonic fractures significantly impact fluid flow are widespread. Industrial-level shale gas production has been established from the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation in the Cen'gong block, South China; the practice of exploration and development of shale gas in the Cen'gong block shows that the abundance of gas in different layers and wells is closely related to the degree of development of fractures. In this study, the data obtained from outcrop, cores, and logs were used to determine the developmental characteristics of such tectonic fractures. By doing an analysis of structural evolution, acoustic emission, burial history, logging evaluation, seismic inversion, and rock mechanics tests, 3-D heterogeneous geomechanical models were established by using a finite element method (FEM) stress analysis approach to simulate paleotectonic stress fields during the Late Hercynian—Early Indo-Chinese and Middle-Late Yanshanian periods. The effects of faulting, folding, and variations of mechanical parameters on the development of fractures could then be identified. A fracture density calculation model was established to determine the quantitative development of fractures in different stages and layers. Favorable areas for shale gas exploration were determined by examining the relationship between fracture density and gas content of three wells. The simulation results indicate the magnitude of minimum principal stress during the Late Hercynian — Early Indo-Chinese period within the Cen'gong block is −100 ∼ −110 MPa with a direction of SE-NW (140°–320°), and the magnitude of the maximum principal stress during the Middle-Late Yanshanian period within the Cen'gong block is 150–170 MPa with a direction of NNW-SSE (345°–165°). During the Late Hercynian — Early Indo-Chinese period, the mechanical parameters and faults play an important role in the development of fractures, and fractures at the downthrown side of the fault are more developed than those at the uplifted side; folding plays an important role in the development of fractures in the Middle-Late Yanshanian period, and faulting is a secondary control. This 3-D heterogeneous geomechanical modelling method and fracture density calculation modelling are not only significant for prediction of shale fractures in complex structural areas, but also have a practical significance for the prediction of other reservoir fractures.     

New insights into the carbonate karstic fault system and reservoir formation in the Southern Tahe area of the Tarim Basin

As worldwide hydrocarbon exploration has extended from shallowly to deeply buried strata, reservoir quality has attracted substantial and persistent interest in petroleum geology. In particular, deeply buried strata (>5500 m) in the Tarim Basin have attracted considerable attention because carbonate reservoirs that have experienced fracture or dissolution have also been shown to demonstrate considerable hydrocarbon potential. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how these reservoirs are developed and distributed in detail from both scientific and practical standpoints.In this paper, we address this issue using a case study in the southern Tahe area, which is contained within the largest Palaeozoic marine oilfield in China. In the northern Tahe area, mega-paleokarst systems developed in the Ordovician strata; however, the reservoir quality in the southern part of the Tahe area is relatively poor because it is covered by insoluble formations during karstification. Observations of cores and analyses of images of well logging demonstrate that these reservoirs are dominated by caves, vugs and fractures that have developed near faults. We speculate that the faults penetrating insoluble formations represent the main dissolution passages that originally developed these karstic fault systems. Additionally, we analyse a series of outcrops, seismic data, and structures to characterize the spatial geometry of these major faults and their surrounding fractures in detail. Most of these are strike-slip faults, and their subsequent reservoirs can be divided into three categories based on their development, including dendritic, sandwich and slab reservoirs. Recent studies demonstrate that karstic fault reservoirs are most common traps in the study area. Although various types of carbonate karstic fault reservoirs are represented in this region, the dendritic karstic fault reservoir is the most hydrocarbon-rich.Guided by these initial results, 108 wells were drilled from 2013 to 2014, producing 485 thousand tons of oil and yielding success ratios greater than 89%. The average production of dendritic reservoirs is 37.4 tons per day (t/d), while those of sandwich and slab types are 20.2 t/d and 14.0 t/d, respectively. These results represent significant references for future hydrocarbon exploration and the development of similar deeply buried karstic fault reservoirs in the Tarim Basin and elsewhere.     

大陆边缘沉积盆地流体逸散管道地震特征及其成因机制

流体逸散管道是深部流体向上运移所形成的通道,在大陆边缘沉积盆地中广泛发育。由地震资料显示,流体逸散管道主要由根部、过路区和末端3部分组成。由于形成机制、起源和流体成分的不同,其组成三要素有不同的表现形式,因此,流体逸散管道类型多样,具有不同的地震反射特征。水力压裂是文献中最常见的一种有关流体逸散管道形成机制的解释,但是,随着地震勘探的发展和研究的不断深入发现,水力压裂不足以解释所有类型的流体逸散管道,还存在其他的成因机制,包括流化侵蚀作用、局部空洞坍塌及同沉积模式等。从流体逸散管道组成三要素的角度描述了不同类型流体逸散管道的地震反射特征,并详细论述了其4种成因机制下的形成过程。     

南海北部湾盆地迈陈凹陷中南部古近系储层特征与控制因素——以区域探井Y井为例

北部湾盆地迈陈凹陷中南部Y井井壁取心分析、岩屑样品的薄片鉴定结果及地球物理测井综合评价表明,其钻遇的不同层位层段的储层类型主要以含泥质较高的砂岩、粉砂岩及泥质粉砂岩为主,少量砾岩,多属于近—中物源快速沉积充填、储集物性偏差的储集层类型,且成岩程度偏低(处在早成岩A或B期或中成岩A期),总体上属于岩性较细、泥质含量偏高、孔渗参数偏低的中孔中渗和低孔低渗及低孔特低渗型砂岩储层类型。其中,钻遇的渐新统涠洲组砂岩储层总体上偏细且泥质含量较高,砂岩有效孔隙度和渗透率偏低,属于储集物性较差储层;始新统流沙港组二段砂岩属于差—较好储层,储层孔隙类型以粒间孔为主,其次为粒间溶孔,还发育有少量或微量长石溶孔和粒内溶孔,具有一定的孔渗性;古新统长流组砂岩孔隙类型以粒间孔、粒间溶孔为主,发育少量长石溶孔及粒内溶孔,储层致密储集物性偏差。总之,本区储层发育主要受控于碎屑物物源供给远近与沉积相及成岩作用,但总体上储层成岩程度较低,加之溶蚀作用及胶结作用普遍,故严重影响了储层储集物性。     

AVO与流体替换相结合识别深层Ⅰ类气藏

传统的“亮点”技术适合检测Ⅲ类AVO含气异常,对于中、深层含气砂岩表现出来的Ⅰ类AVO现象无法识别。利用AVO技术,结合流体替换,寻找差异,运用G属性体,可以有效识别深层Ⅰ类AVO含气砂岩,利用这种方法预测了某油气田a主力气藏的分布。预测结果得到B井证实。     

平湖地区ZST构造X井平湖组储层特征研究

以平湖地区ZST构造X井区有限的钻井资料为基础,利用岩石铸体薄片、扫描电镜、X-衍射等测试技术手段,对该井区平湖组的岩石学特征、粒度、储层物性等方面开展了系统研究。研究揭示：该储层的岩石类型主要为长石岩屑砂岩,属中孔中渗砂岩储层。平湖组储层物性受沉积环境和成岩作用的双重影响。沉积环境控制储层物性,潮间带和潮下带发育的潮道砂、砂坪是较好的储层;成岩作用对储层物性优劣起主导作用,胶结作用导致储层物性变差,溶蚀作用（长石溶蚀作用）改善了本井平湖组的储层物性。