Oil and gas resource assessment: The linkage between geological analysis and discovery process model results

Two widely-used techniques to estimate the volume of remaining oil and gas resources are discovery process modeling and geologic assessment. Both were used in a recent national assessment of oil and gas resources of the United States. Parallel estimates were obtained for 27 provinces. Geological-based estimates can typically see into areas not available to discovery process models (that is areas with little or no exploration history) and thus, on average, yield higher estimates. However, a linear relation does exist between the mean estimates obtained from these two methods. In addition, other variables were found in a multiple regression model that explained much of the difference. Thus, it is possible to perform discovery process modeling and adjust the estimates to yield results that might be expected from geological-based assessments.     

山东省日照市蓝色经济区工程建设适宜性评价

本文以山东省日照市蓝色经济区为研究区, 通过野外地质调查和室内综合分析, 选取场地稳定性、工程地质条件、地下水条件, 地形排水条件、地质灾害及其他因素6个一级评价因子, 构造活动、场地土类型、建筑场地类别等13个二级评价因子, 利用专家-层次分析定权法进行区内工程建设适宜性评价, 得到了相应工程建设评价分区图。评价结果表明, 日照市场地工程建设适宜性总体较好, 大部分地区适宜进行高层建筑工程建设, 占84.50%; 地下空间开发利用条件优越, 全区多数地区属于城市地下空间建设适宜区, 适宜性差及不适宜区主要分布在付疃河两岸附近和海岸附近、大型高速公路和铁路沿线一带区域及城区; 轨道交通建设适宜性良好, 小部分不适宜区主要集中在付疃河下游夹仓和小古镇一带及其沿海地区。评价结果可有效地服务于该地区规划布局、建设发展和工程选址, 具有重要的理论和实践指导意义。     

涠西南地区岩石特性及钻井液技术研究

北部湾盆地涠西南油田群是南海西部重要的原油产区，同时油田群紧邻众多国家级自然保护区，属于环境敏感区域。针对北部湾盆地涠西南地区环保要求，以及涠洲组和流沙港组钻井过程经常出现井壁失稳导致的憋卡、起下钻阻卡等问题，开展了涠西南地区地层泥页岩特性及环保钻井液技术研究。通过地层岩石黏土矿物分析、孔喉结构分析以及理化性能评价，明确了涠西南地区泥页岩井壁失稳的机理；提出以类油基的水溶性复合基基液为核心，构建了一套具有油基钻井液工程特性和水基钻井液环保特性的新型环保防塌钻井液技术，并进行了相关的现场应用。现场应用显示：应用井与邻井相比，12-1/4″井段阻卡划眼时间减少，井径扩大率大幅度降低，并且在128 h的长时间浸泡过程中没有复杂情况产生，有效地解决了涠洲组、流沙港组易失稳地层的井壁稳定问题；同时，钻井液环保性能达到一级海域环保要求，可以替代目前应用的油基钻井液体系，解决了海上使用油基钻井液存在配制成本高、含油钻屑需全回收及环境危害隐患大等技术难题。该研究对于涠西南油田环保、井壁失稳和钻井液技术发展具有较高的理论价值和借鉴意义。     

流体在岩浆型铬铁矿和铂族元素成矿过程中的作用及意义

镁铁- 超镁铁岩是揭示地幔物质组成和壳幔相互作用的重要窗口，也是Ni- Cu- PGE- Cr等金属矿产资源的重要载体。不同的镁铁- 超镁铁岩体赋矿特征明显不同：蛇绿岩以产出铬铁矿床为特征，阿拉斯加型岩体主要赋含铂族元素(PGE)矿床，大型层状岩体则可同时产出铬铁矿床、PGE矿床和Cu- Ni硫化物矿床。这种成矿差异显然与赋矿岩体形成的构造背景、母岩浆经历的岩浆演化过程有关，但缺少关键控制因素的研究。前人对上述不同种类矿床的研究工作主要集中于地幔源区的部分熔融、上升过程中或岩浆房内的围岩混染和结晶分异等岩浆过程，而极少关注流体作用。近年来，实验岩石学和岩石地球化学的研究均表明幔源岩浆演化过程中的流体活动可能对成矿元素的富集迁移起到至关重要的作用，同时这些成矿元素的赋存状态和分配系数也在不断更新。厘清Cr和PGE在熔体演化——尤其是流体出溶过程中的地球化学行为，刻画并揭示其迁移富集、分离和再富集的成矿过程及控制因素，已成为当前岩浆矿床研究的热点。本文围绕富水流体与铬铁矿和PGE成矿关系的科学问题，总结了不同镁铁- 超镁铁岩体的成矿差异以及铬铁矿和PGE矿床成矿过程中的流体活动记录，提出流体性质和组分对铬铁矿和PGE迁移富集的控制作用，强调有必要开展蛇绿岩、大型层状镁铁- 超镁铁岩体和阿拉斯加型岩体的对比研究。     

河北省唐山地区丰台—野鸡坨断裂第四纪活动性——来自14C和磁性地层年代学的证据

丰台—野鸡坨断裂为唐山地区主要断裂之一，西侧为鸦鸿桥凹陷，东侧为唐山凸起，断裂两侧第四系厚度之差巨大。本文依据该断层两侧钻孔对其第四纪以来活动性进行初步的探讨。通过对丰台—野鸡坨断裂上下两盘PZK14和PZK20孔磁性地层学研究，并结合钻孔岩石地层，及浅部光释光和¹⁴C测年结果，建立第四纪地层格架。结果表明：两孔底部“泥包砾”为新近纪沉积；PZK14孔下更新统底界埋深为387 m，中更新统底界埋深为114 m，上更新统底界埋深为71 m，全新统底界埋深为6 m；PZK20孔下更新统底界埋深为155 m，中更新统底界埋深为73 m，上更新统底界为36 m，无全新世地层。丰台—野鸡坨断裂活动在早更新世时表现为逐渐增强的特点，活动速率由早期的5.4 cm/ka增加到13.9 cm/ka。中更新世断裂活动基本处于停滞状态，活动速率为1.0 cm/ka。晚更新世以后，断裂重新活动，且更加剧烈，活动速率达到了54.5 cm/ka。     

雄安新区地热地质模型探究：来自地球物理的证据

雄安新区内地热资源丰富，区内有牛驼镇地热田、容城地热田和高阳地热田，地热资源开发利用较早，但是对其深部热源机制仍未形成统一观点。为了研究雄安新区内地热田深部热源机制，在新区及外围进行了深反射地震和长周期大地电磁探测，对取得的同剖面的深反射地震和大地电磁数据进行处理和综合解释，探明了研究区从地表至莫霍面范围内地质构造和电性结构。下地壳结构在深反射地震剖面与大地电磁剖面上有很好的对应关系。电阻率低值区对应着在深反射地震剖面上存在一系列反射同相轴，且同相轴可以延续到莫霍面，电阻率高值区对应着在深反射地震剖面上无明显连续反射同相轴，尤其是在莫霍面之上呈现地震反射近似"空白区"。结合区域地热资料构建了研究区深部地热地质模型，对新区内深部地热机制进行了解释。该模型为"二元"生热模型，其热源包含两个部分，深部地幔热源和地壳放射性元素衰变生热。放射性元素衰变生热占地表热流的接近30%，而幔源热流在地表热流中的占比可达约70%。在牛驼镇下方，莫霍面以上，由于地幔热物质上涌造成下地壳上隆，幔源岩浆底侵作用于下地壳形成了局部热异常，该热异常具有低速高导的地球物理特征，认为是牛驼镇地热田和容城地热田的深部热源；以区域断裂为热通道，大地热流由深部向上传导、扩散到牛驼镇凸起和容城凸起顶部，对碳酸盐岩储水层进行加热，形成地热储层；上覆新近系沉积地层是良好的热盖层。     

A combined study of macroseismic data and focal mechanisms applied to the West-Bohemian earthquake,Czechoslovakia

The main shock of the West-Bohemian earthquake swarm, Czechoslovakia, (magnitudem=4.5, depthh=10 km) exhibits an irregular areal distribution of macroseismic intensities 6° to 7° MSK-64. Four lobes of the 6° isoseismal are found and the maximum observed intensity is located at a distance of 8 km from the instrumentally determined epicentre. This distribution can be explained by the energy flux of the directS wave generated by a circular source, the hypocentral location and focal mechanism of which are taken from independent instrumental studies. The theoretical intensity, which is assumed to be logarithmically proportional to the integrated squared ground-motion velocity (i.e.,I=const+log v ² (t)dt), fits the observed intensity with an overall root-mean-square error less than 0.5°. It is important that the present intensity data can also be equally well explained by the isotropic source. The fit was attained by means of a horizontally layered model though large fault zones and an extended sedimentary basin suggest a significant lateral heterogeneity of the epicentral region. The results encourage a broader application of the simple modelling technique used.     

Large eddy simulation of hydrocyclone—prediction of air-core diameter and shape

Hydrocyclones are widely used in the mining and chemical industries. An attempt has been made in this study, to develop a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) model, which is capable of predicting the flow patterns inside the hydrocyclone, including accurate prediction of flow split as well as the size of the air-core. The flow velocities and air-core diameters are predicted by DRSM (differential Reynolds stress model) and LES (large eddy simulations) models were compared to experimental results. The predicted water splits and air-core diameter with LES and RSM turbulence models along with VOF (volume of fluid) model for the air phase, through the outlets for various inlet pressures were also analyzed. The LES turbulence model led to an improved turbulence field prediction and thereby to more accurate prediction of pressure and velocity fields. This improvement was distinctive for the axial profile of pressure, indicating that air-core development is principally a transport effect rather than a pressure effect.     

Fracture analysis in the south-western Corinth rift (Greece) and implications on fault hydraulic behavior

This paper reviews the data concerning the fracture network and the hydraulic characteristics of faults in an active zone of the Gulf of Corinth. Pressure gap measured through fault planes shows that in this area the active normal faults (Aigion, Helike) act, at least temporarily and locally, as transversal seal. The analysis of the carbonate cements in the fractures on both the hangingwall and the footwall of the faults also suggests that they have acted as local seals during the whole fault zone evolution. However, the pressure and the characteristics of the water samples measured in the wells indicate that meteoric water circulates from the highest part of the relief to the coast, which means it goes through the fault zones. Field quantitative analysis and core studies from the AIG-10 well have been performed to define both regional and fault-related fracture networks. Then laboratory thin section observations have been done to recognize the different fault rocks characterizing the fault zone components. These two kinds of approach give information on the permeability characteristics of the fault zone. To synthesize the data, a schematic conceptual 3D fluid flow modeling has been performed taking into account fault zone permeability architecture, sedimentation, fluid flow, fault vertical offset and meteoric water influx, as well as compaction water flow. This modeling allows us to fit all the data with a model where the fault segments act as a seal whereas the relays between these segments allow for the regional flow from the Peloponnese topographic highs to the coast.     

Cross-formational hydrocarbon fluid flows in the Tertiary deltaic system of the Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin

Molecular and isotopic compositions of crude oils in the Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin confirm three genetic end-member oil groups and suggest extensive cross-formational hydrocarbon fluid flows in the Tertiary deltaic system. Inter- and intra-fractional variations in the geochemistry of the Tertiary-reservoired oils indicate that the oil source/maturity signatures were substantially masked by biomarkers that were picked up along migration pathways. Thus, many of the previously recognized “immature non-marine oils” are in fact thermally mature, probably derived from unpenetrated deeper marine source rocks. Although the effective source rock volumes have not been evaluated and their exact stratigraphic levels remain unknown, the relative timing of oil generation versus trap formation, rather than poor source quality, may be the cause of under-filled traps in the offshore area.