青海木里地区冻土层、断层分布特征与天然气水合物成藏条件分析

以往研究表明冻土层及断层是陆域冻土区天然气水合物重要成藏要素,为了研究木里天然气水合物地区的断层及冻土层分布情况和天然气水合物成藏条件,应用音频大地电磁测深对木里试验区进行了冻土层及断层构造调查.依据试验区电性结构划分出了5组断层和4个断层构造发育区,其中F3断层发育规模最大.试验区冻土层发育不均匀,平面以岛状特征分布,平均厚度超过60m,划分了3个冻土层发育区.分析了天然气水合物成藏与冻土层、断层构造之间的关系,结合冻土层及断层构造条件,试验区东部F3-3至F3-5及F4断层附近为天然气水合物成藏有利区.     

天然气水合物的地球物理识别标志

地球物理标志是天然气水合物识别标志的重要组成部分,包括测井识别标志和地震识别标志两个方面。系统地总结了含天然气水合物沉积层在电阻、电位、井径、声波、密度、中子和成像测井等方面的测井异常,常规剖面和属性剖面上的地震响应异常,以及东海海域的地球物理异常特征,旨在为我国天然气水合物地球物理识别技术的研究提供基础材料。     

祁连山冻土区天然气水合物科学钻探试验井中侏罗统的沉积学特征

对青海祁连山冻土区天然气水合物钻井(DK-3)岩心进行了沉积学分析。根据对钻井地层特征、粒度、矿物含量的综合分析,在DK-3钻井揭露的中侏罗统中识别出4种沉积相类型,并完成了沉积微相的划分。伴随地层由老到新,沉积环境由最初发育的辫状河过渡到相对稳定的湖泊(辫状河→湖泊→曲流河三角洲→湖泊)。在133~156m和225.1~240m井段的岩层中发现的天然气水合物,主要呈薄层状分布于岩石裂隙面上;而在367.7~396m井段,天然气水合物除存在于岩石裂隙中外,在砂岩孔隙中亦大量存在。天然气水合物的产出与沉积环境、构造条件有着密切的联系。     

南祁连盆地木里冻土区天然气水合物烃源岩特征及评价

中国地质调查局2008年在南祁连盆地木里冻土区采集到了中国陆域第一例天然气水合物实物样品,对于天然气水合物的气体来源存在不同的认识。利用新完钻3口井样品的化验分析结果,分析了中侏罗统和上三叠统烃源岩有机地球化学特征。结果表明,中侏罗统江仓组、木里组煤系地层烃源岩有机质丰度较高,TOC(总有机碳含量)大于1%的样品占78.9%;氯仿沥青"A"含量大于0.1%的占总数的72.2%;有机质类型以Ⅱ_2、Ⅱ_1型为主;镜质体反射率R_o多介于0.7%~1.2%之间;71个样品生烃潜量平均值为8.8mg/g,总体处于生烃高峰期的生油阶段或凝析油阶段,属于好、很好烃源岩,为天然气水合物主力生烃层系。上三叠统尕勒得寺组亦为煤系地层烃源岩,TOC含量大于1%的样品占76.9%;氯仿沥青"A"含量小于0.05%;有机质类型以Ⅲ、Ⅱ_1型为主;镜质体反射率Ro介于1.1%~1.77%之间;总体处于生湿气或干气阶段,但由于构造抬升影响其生烃潜量,平均值仅为0.35mg/g,当前整体生烃能力较差,为非烃源岩或较差烃源岩,对天然气水合物成藏贡献不大。     

南海北部珠江口盆地深水区天然气水合物成因类型及成矿成藏模式

南海北部大陆边缘珠江口盆地油气资源丰富,迄今为止不仅在北部浅水区勘探发现了大量油田,建成了超千万立方米的石油年产能区,而且在南部深水区亦 获得了深水油气勘探的重大突破;在深水海底浅层还发现了大量生物气/亚生物气显示,钻探获得了天然气水合物。根据近年来油气勘探及海洋地质勘查所获大量天然气资料,结合油气成藏地 质条件,深入分析了珠江口盆地生物气/亚生物气地质地球化学特征及其气源岩展布特点,初步预测和估算了其生物气生成量与资源量。通过珠江口盆地南部深水区白云凹陷(神狐调查区)天然 气水合物形成的地质地球化学条件分析,进一步证实了该区勘查发现的天然气水合物,主要属生物气成因类型,其气源供给主要来自原地近源以生物气为主的混合气,天然气水合物成矿成藏 模式则主要属于生物气源供给“自生自储型”近源富集成矿成藏类型,且资源潜力颇大。     

海底天然气渗漏系统演化特征及对形成水合物的影响

通过天然气沉淀水合物的动力学模拟计算,研究了墨西哥湾GC185区BushHill海底天然气渗漏系统的演化特征及对水合物沉淀的影响。渗漏早期,天然气渗漏速度大(q>18.4kg/m2-a),海底沉积以泥火山为主,渗漏天然气具有与气源天然气几乎一致的组成,形成的水合物具有最重的天然气成分。渗漏晚期,天然气渗漏速度很慢(q<0.55kg/m2-a),在海底附近没有水合物沉淀,主要以冷泉碳酸盐岩发育为主,水合物产于海底之下一定深度的沉积层中。介于二者间的渗漏中期(q:0.55～18.4kg/m2-a),海底发育水合物、自养生物群为特征,渗漏速度控制了水合物和渗漏天然气的组成及沉淀水合物的天然气比例。BushHill渗漏系统近10年的深潜重复采样显示,渗漏天然气和水合物天然气的化学组成在时空上是多变的,相对应的渗漏速度在时间上的变化约为3倍,在空间上的变化近2个数量级。     

Large-scale depositional characteristics of the Ulleung Basin and its impact on electrical resistivity and Archie-parameters for gas hydrate saturation estimates

Gas hydrate saturation estimates were obtained from an Archie-analysis of the Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) electrical resistivity logs under consideration of the regional geological framework of sediment deposition in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, of Korea. Porosity was determined from the LWD bulk density log and core-derived values of grain density. In situ measurements of pore-fluid salinity as well as formation temperature define a background trend for pore-fluid resistivity at each drill site. The LWD data were used to define sets of empirical Archie-constants for different depth-intervals of the logged borehole at all sites drilled during the second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2). A clustering of data with distinctly different trend-lines is evident in the cross-plot of porosity and formation factor for all sites drilled during UBGH2. The reason for the clustering is related to the difference between hemipelagic sediments (mostly covering the top ∼100 mbsf) and mass-transport deposits (MTD) and/or the occurrence of biogenic opal. For sites located in the north-eastern portion of the Ulleung Basin a set of individual Archie-parameters for a shallow depth interval (hemipelagic) and a deeper MTD zone was achieved. The deeper zone shows typically higher resistivities for the same range of porosities seen in the upper zone, reflecting a shift in sediment properties. The presence of large amounts of biogenic opal (up to and often over 50% as defined by XRD data) was especially observed at Sites UBGH2-2_1 and UBGH2-2_2 (as well as UBGH1-9 from a previous drilling expedition in 2007). The boundary between these two zones can also easily be identified in gamma-ray logs, which also show unusually low readings in the opal-rich interval. Only by incorporating different Archie-parameters for the different zones a reasonable estimate of gas hydrate saturation was achieved that also matches results from other techniques such as pore-fluid freshening, velocity-based calculations, and pressure-core degassing experiments. Seismically, individual boundaries between zones were determined using a grid of regional 2D seismic data. Zoning from the Archie-analysis for sites in the south-western portion of the Ulleung Basin was also observed, but at these sites it is linked to individually stacked MTDs only and does not reflect a mineralogical occurrence of biogenic opal or hemipelagic sedimentation. The individual MTD events represent differently compacted material often associated with a strong decrease in porosity (and increase in density), warranting a separate set of empirical Archie-parameters.     

Heat flow pattern, base of methane hydrates stability zones and BSRs in Shenhu Area, northern South China Sea

Using the collected 433 heat flow values, we estimated the bases of methane hydrate stability zone (BHSZ), in northern South China Sea (NSCS). Through comparing BHSZs with the depths of bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs), in Shenhu Area (SA), we found that there are big differences between them. In the north of SA, where the water depth is shallow, many slumps developed and the sedimentation rate is high, it appears great negative difference (as large as -192%). However, to the southeast of SA, where the water depth is deeper, sedimentation rate is relatively low and uplift basement topography exists, it changes to positive difference (as large as +45%). The differences change so great, which haven’t been observed in other places of the world. After considering the errors from the process of heat flow measurement, the BSR depth, the relationship of thermal conductivity with the sediments depth, and the fluid flow activities, we conclude that the difference should be not caused by these errors. Such big disagreement may be due to the misunderstanding of BSR. The deviant “BSRs” could represent the paleo-BSRs or just gas-bearing sediment layers, such as unconformities or the specific strata where have different permeability, which are not hydraterelated BSRs.     

Analysis of formation pressure test results in the Mount Elbert methane hydrate reservoir through numerical simulation

Targeting the methane hydrate (MH) bearing units C and D at the Mount Elbert prospect on the Alaska North Slope, four MDT (Modular Dynamic Formation Tester) tests were conducted in February 2007. The C2 MDT test was selected for history matching simulation in the MH Simulator Code Comparison Study. Through history matching simulation, the physical and chemical properties of the unit C were adjusted, which suggested the most likely reservoir properties of this unit. Based on these properties thus tuned, the numerical models replicating “Mount Elbert C2 zone like reservoir”, “PBU L-Pad like reservoir” and “PBU L-Pad down dip like reservoir” were constructed. The long term production performances of wells in these reservoirs were then forecasted assuming the MH dissociation and production by the methods of depressurization, combination of depressurization and wellbore heating, and hot water huff and puff. The predicted cumulative gas production ranges from 2.16 × 10⁶ m³/well to 8.22 × 10⁸ m³/well depending mainly on the initial temperature of the reservoir and on the production method.This paper describes the details of modeling and history matching simulation. This paper also presents the results of the examinations on the effects of reservoir properties on MH dissociation and production performances under the application of the depressurization and thermal methods.     

Pre- and post-drill comparison of the Mount Elbert gas hydrate prospect, Alaska North Slope

In 2006, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) completed a detailed analysis and interpretation of available 2-D and 3-D seismic data, along with seismic modeling and correlation with specially processed downhole well log data for identifying potential gas hydrate accumulations on the North Slope of Alaska. A methodology was developed for identifying sub-permafrost gas hydrate prospects within the gas hydrate stability zone in the Milne Point area. The study revealed a total of 14 gas hydrate prospects in this area.In order to validate the gas hydrate prospecting protocol of the USGS and to acquire critical reservoir data needed to develop a longer-term production testing program, a stratigraphic test well was drilled at the Mount Elbert prospect in the Milne Point area in early 2007. The drilling confirmed the presence of two prominent gas-hydrate-bearing units in the Mount Elbert prospect, and high quality well logs and core data were acquired. The post-drill results indicate pre-drill predictions of the reservoir thickness and the gas-hydrate saturations based on seismic and existing well data were 90% accurate for the upper unit (hydrate unit D) and 70% accurate for the lower unit (hydrate unit C), confirming the validity of the USGS approach to gas hydrate prospecting. The Mount Elbert prospect is the first gas hydrate accumulation on the North Slope of Alaska identified primarily on the basis of seismic attribute analysis and specially processed downhole log data. Post-drill well log data enabled a better constraint of the elastic model and the development of an improved approach to the gas hydrate prospecting using seismic attributes.