Seabed morphology and gas venting features in the continental slope region of Krishna–Godavari basin,Bay of Bengal: Implications in gas-hydrate exploration

Increased oil and gas exploration activity has led to a detailed investigation of the continental shelf and adjacent slope regions of Mahanadi, Krishna–Godavari (KG) and Cauvery basins, which are promising petroliferous basins along the eastern continental margin of India. In this paper, we analyze the high resolution sparker, subbottom profiler and multibeam data in KG offshore basin to understand the shallow structures and shallow deposits for gas hydrate exploration. We identified and mapped prominent positive topographic features in the bathymetry data. These mounds show fluid/gas migration features such as acoustic voids, acoustic chimneys, and acoustic turbid layers. It is interesting to note that drilling/coring onboard JOIDES in the vicinity of the mounds show the presence of thick accumulation of subsurface gas hydrate. Further, geological and geochemical study of long sediment cores collected onboard Marion Dufresne in the vicinity of the mounds and sedimentary ridges shows the imprints of paleo-expulsion of methane and sulfidic fluid from the seafloor.     

Explicit stress–strain equations for modeling frictional materials

In this paper, a comprehensive study on simulating the shearing behavior of frictional materials is performed. A set of two explicit equations, describing the relationship among the shear stress ratio and the distortional strain and the volumetric strain, are formulated independently. The equations contain three stress parameters and three strain parameters and another parameter representing the nonuniformity of stress and strain during softening. All the parameters have clear physical significance and can be determined experimentally. It is demonstrated that the proposed equations have the capacity of simulating the complicated shearing behavior of many types of frictional materials including geomaterials. The proposed equations are used to simulate the stress–strain behavior for 27 frictional materials with 98 tests. These materials include soft and stiff clays in both reconstituted and structured states, silicon sands and calcareous sands, silts, compacted fill materials, volcanic soils, decomposed granite soils, cemented soils (both artificially and naturally cemented), partially saturated soils, ballast, rocks, reinforced soils, tire chips, sugar, wheat, and rapeseed. It has been demonstrated that the proposed explicit constitutive equations have the capacity to capture accurately the shearing behavior of frictional materials both qualitatively and quantitatively. A study on model parameters has been performed.     

莱州湾南岸第三陆相层年龄的铀系等时线法(TSD)测定

于莱州湾南岸ZK32-1钻孔第三陆相层上下边界处选取自生钙质结核,采用样品全溶铀系等时线法(TSD法)测定钙质结核的年龄。测试结果表明,所有等时线上的数据都有很好的线性关系,表明所获得的年龄数据是合理的。通过对样品代表性的讨论,说明所选取的钙质结核的年龄确可代表其所在地层的年龄,从而得出莱州湾南岸第三陆相层的沉积起止时间为72.16ka B.P.±7.41ka B.P.到45.34ka B.P.±5.35ka B.P.的结论。本研究首次获得莱州湾南岸地层的铀系TSD年龄,为全面认识该地区晚更新世地层年代学提供了一个新视角。     

Wave reflection from partially perforated-wall caisson breakwater

In 1995, Suh and Park developed a numerical model that computes the reflection of regular waves from a fully perforated-wall caisson breakwater. This paper describes how to apply this model to a partially perforated-wall caisson and irregular waves. To examine the performance of the model, existing experimental data are used for regular waves, while a laboratory experiment is conducted in this study for irregular waves. The numerical model based on a linear wave theory tends to over-predict the reflection coefficient of regular waves as the wave nonlinearity increases, but such an over-prediction is not observed in the case of irregular waves. For both regular and irregular waves, the numerical model slightly over- and under-predicts the reflection coefficients at larger and smaller values, respectively, because the model neglects the evanescent waves near the breakwater.     

Complementing coal seam gas facies modelling workflows with decompaction based processes

Differential compaction plays a key role in influencing the palaeogeographic organisation of many depositional systems. In the Jurassic Walloon Subgroup, Surat Basin, Eastern Australia, the process of compensational stacking contributes significantly to the complex coal layer architecture and is documented in mine exposure, borehole and seismic datasets. Despite this understanding, current best-practices do not formally consider the mechanics of compensational stacking when populating palaeogeography facies in coal seam gas (CSG) reservoir models. To address this limitation, a hybrid modelling workflow was developed in which numerical rules representing the process of differential compaction are used explicitly to condition an iterative workflow containing traditional geostatistical facies modelling algorithms. The workflow is facilitated by a newly developed open source plugin which allows grid decompaction in Schlumberger PETREL™ 2015. Application of the workflow was tested in a CSG production area containing closely spaced wellbores and a 3D seismic survey. In this area, facies models were constructed using both traditional geostatistical approaches and the newly developed hybrid methodology. Comparison of these models suggests that facies models constructed via unconstrained geostatistical approaches often result in unrepresentative realisations, inconsistent with coal seam architectures as observed in seismic and outcrop. The hybrid geostatistical-forward modelling approach developed during this study was better able to reproduce complex alluvial stacking patterns, particularly with respect to coal seam amalgamation, bifurcation and washout.     

Validation of ship manoeuvring models using metamodels

This paper describes how simplified auxiliary models—metamodels—can be used to create benchmarks for validating ship manoeuvring simulation models. A metamodel represents ship performance for a limited range of parameters, such as rudder angles and surge velocity. In contrast to traditional system identification methods, metamodels are identified from multiple trial recordings, each containing data on the ship’s inherent dynamics (similar for all trials) and random disturbances such as environmental effects and slightly different loading conditions. Thus, metamodels can be used to obtain these essential data, where simple averaging is not possible. In addition, metamodels are used to represent a ship’s behaviour and not to obtain physical insights into ship dynamics. The experimental trials used for the identification of metamodels can be found in in-service recorded data. After the metamodel is identified, it is used to simulate trials without substantial deviations from the ship state parameters used for the identification. Subsequently, the predictions of the metamodels are compared with the predictions of a tested manoeuvring simulation model. We present two case studies to demonstrate the application of metamodels for moderate turning motions of two ships.     

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.     

珠江口盆地惠州凹陷恩平组源岩特征及勘探潜力

惠州凹陷是珠江口盆地已经证实的富生烃凹陷,存在文昌组和恩平组两套有效烃源岩,一直以来都是以文昌组中深湖相烃源岩为勘探重点。随着勘探的深入,惠州地区以恩平组为代表的浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩的贡献越来越明显,惠州凹陷东部新区基本都为浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩供烃,周边井钻探证实该套烃源岩已经成藏。通过构造-结构剖析、物源分析、地震相调研对比、沉积体系细致研究以及对浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩的特征分析,揭示了惠东地区浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩优势发育机理。经过计算,惠东新区浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩资源量为8.6亿t,占到惠东地区总资源量的3/4,具有较大的勘探潜力。在总结惠东新区浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩特征的基础上优选出惠东新区浅湖-沼泽相烃源岩最有利勘探区带。本次研究摆脱了惠州凹陷单一烃源岩勘探束缚,推动了新区勘探进程。     

渤海浅层油田储层预测研究——以B2油田为例

针对新近系明化镇组的油田地层较浅、地层反射结构相对简单的地质特点,如何充分挖掘地震资料中蕴含的丰富信息,并加以综合分析和利用,以满足不断增长的对于储层预测及含油气性预测的需求。通过一个储层预测实例表明,利用地震属性综合分析技术,可以较好地解决沉积相划分、储层预测、含油气判别等方面的地质问题。     

Chemosynthetic trophic support for the benthic community at an intertidal cold seep site at Mocha Island off central Chile

We analyzed C and N stable isotope ratios of benthic fauna and their potential food sources at an intertidal methane seep site and a control site without emanation at Mocha Island (central Chile). The objective was to trace the origin of the main food sources used by the local heterotrophic fauna, based on the hypothesis that chemosynthetic production could be partially fueling the local food web at the seep site. Food sources sampled at both sites included macroalgae, particulate organic matter and bacteria-like filaments found growing over the red algae Gelidium lingulatum within the areas of active methane release.