Localization of mining-induced horizontal fractures along rock layer interfaces in overburden: field measurements and prediction

The locations of mining-induced horizontal fractures along rock interfaces in the overburden of Donetsk Coal Basin were identified using an original experimental device. The device traps methane from horizontal fracture zone (100–fold coal seam thickness) over an active longwall mining excavation. Presence or absence of horizontal fractures along rock layer interfaces is correlated with physical characteristics of the overburden, such as thickness, uniaxial compressive strength of overburden rock layers, location of rock layer interfaces and thickness of extracted coal seams. As a result, a combined criterion based on these physical characteristics is proposed to predict the presence of overburden horizontal fracturing in coal mine operations.     

Material selection for the gas containment system of a compressed natural gas carrier fleet

In this work, the possible exploitation of fiber-reinforced composites in the context of maritime transportation of compressed natural gas (CNG) is investigated. In addition to a more conventional steel configuration, two different fiber materials, carbon and glass, are considered as construction materials for pressure vessels (PVs) to be stored on board ships, with thickness optimized by FEM analysis.The considered scenario is represented by the transportation of CNG from an offshore well to a terminal on shore. Fleets of ships carrying CNG in pressure vessels manufactured with the investigated materials are generated by means of a ship synthesis model (SSM) software and compared on the basis of technical and economical indicators.The choice of the construction material influences considerably the weight of the PVs, which represent a major item of total ship weight and reflects directly on the general transport performances in terms of resistance, seakeeping and reliability in the service. On the other hand, capital as well as operating expenditures are considerably affected by the choice. When exploring the design space, the ship synthesis model is able, at a preliminary stage of the design, to account for the various technical and economical aspects, their implications and relationships. Results are presented of computations carried out in a specific case, identified by the annual gas production and other characteristics of the well terminal and a cruising route for the ships. The comparison is carried out on the basis of the cost per transported unit of gas and of the percentage of success in the transportation process. The computations show that the choice of the PV material has a key influence on the results in terms of optimal number, dimensions and speed of the ships.     

Large‐scale poroelastic fractured reservoirs modeling using the fast multipole displacement discontinuity method

An effective approach to modeling the geomechanical behavior of the network and its permeability variation is to use a poroelastic displacement discontinuity method (DDM). However, the approach becomes rather computationally intensive for an extensive system of cracks, particularly when considering coupled diffusion/deformation processes. This is because of additional unknowns and the need for time‐marching schemes for the numerical integration. The Fast Multipole Method (FMM) is a technique that can accelerate the solution of large fracture problems with linear complexity with the number of unknowns both in memory and CPU time. Previous works combining DDM and FMM for large‐scale problems have accounted only for elastic rocks, neglecting the fluid leak‐off from the fractures into the matrix and its influence on pore pressure and stress field. In this work we develop an efficient geomechanical model for large‐scale natural fracture networks in poroelastic reservoirs with fracture flow in response to injection and production operations. Accuracy and computational performance of the proposed method with those of conventional poroelastic DDM are compared through several case studies involving up to several tens of thousands of boundary elements. The results show the effectiveness of the FMM approach to successfully evaluate field‐scale problems for the design of exploitation strategies in unconventional geothermal and petroleum reservoirs. An example considering faults reveals the impact of reservoir compartmentalization because of sealing faults for both geomechanical and flow variables under elastic and poroelastic rocks. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An original semi‐discrete approach to assess gas conductivity of concrete structures

For civil engineering structures with a tightness role, structural permeability is a key issue. In this context, this paper presents a new proposition of a numerical modelling of leakage rate through a cracked concrete structure undergoing mode I cracking. The mechanical state of the material, considered in the framework of continuum mechanics based on finite element modelling, is described by means of the stress‐based nonlocal damage model which takes into account the stress state and provides realistic local mechanical fields. A semi‐discrete method based on the strong discontinuity approach to estimate crack opening is then considered in the post‐treatment phase. Using a Poiseuille's like relation, the coupling between the mechanical state of the material and its dry gas conductivity is performed. For validation purposes, an original experimental campaign is conducted on a dry concrete disc loaded in a splitting setup. During the loading, gas conductivity and digital image correlation analysis are performed. The comparison with the 3D experimental mechanical global response highlights the performance of the mechanical model. The comparison between crack openings measured by digital image correlation and estimated by the strong discontinuity method shows a good agreement. Finally, the results of the semi‐discrete approach coupled with the gas conductivity compared with experimental data show a good estimation of the structural conductivity. Consequently, if the mechanical problem is well modelled at the global scale, then the proposed approach provides good estimation of gas conductivity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiple overpressure systems and their relationship with hydrocarbon accumulation in the Qikou Depression of the Bohai Bay Basin,China

Pressure measurements using drill stem tests and estimates from log data calculation indicate that three vertically stacked regional pressure compartments exist in the Qikou Depression of Bohai Bay Basin, N. China. The compartments comprise hydrostatic, upper weak, and lower overpressure systems. Laterally, overpressure (pressure coefficient > 1.2) occurs in the deeper areas and weakens gradually from the centre to the margin of the depression. The accumulation of oil and gas exhibits the interesting characteristics of oil‐bearing layers above gas‐bearing layers in the Qikou Depression. The pattern can be accounted for by the evolution of overpressure system, the maturity process of the source rock and the main fault activity. In the late Dongying Formation (Ed, 30 Ma), the lower overpressure system began to form shape, and the hydrocarbon sources generated a large volume of oil. However, because there was no migration pathway, the oil only accumulated in the original strata. In the late Guantao Formation (Ng, 12 Ma), the gas was generated, the upper overpressure system formed gradually, and the activity of the main fault gradually increased. Then, the overpressure pushed the early gathered oil to flow from the lower overpressure system into the upper overpressure system. Afterwards, the activity of the main fault decreased again and remains weak until now. Thus, later generated natural gas cannot keep migrating along the main fault and can only accumulate in the lower overpressure system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

塔里木盆地西部阿克莫木气藏地层压力特征

阿克莫木气田目前已有多口井完钻,各井在钻揭白垩系砂岩储层前,对地层压力纵向上的变化规律认识不清,在什么层位及深度下7″套管意见仍不统一。本文根据目前研究现状和生产面临问题,对白垩系各组地层分布规律、压力特征进行了详细研究,认为白垩系克孜勒苏群、库克拜组分布稳定,压力窗口相近,白垩系东巴组与上覆古近系阿尔塔什组压力窗口相近。建议今后该区钻探7″套管应下至库克拜组顶部-东巴组底部,减少地层漏失和油气勘探风险。     

四川盆地海相碳酸盐岩的油气成藏条件

四川盆地位于亚洲大陆中南部,是我国最大的外流盆地。油气资源评价结果(2008)表明,四川盆地海相地层待发现资源量约为50111.84×108m~3,资源勘探潜力巨大。本文从地层的划分、层序格架及层序岩相古地理特征等方面,对四川盆地海相碳酸盐岩油气成藏条件做了进一步研究。认为研究区烃源岩包括下志留统、中二叠统、上二叠统龙潭组和上三叠统须家河组等4套岩石,及局部发育的上二叠统大隆组。储集层粉为构造成因类和沉积成因类,构造成因主要包括裂缝性储层;沉积成因类储层主要是礁滩储层、内幕白云岩储层和风化壳岩溶储层。中二叠统气藏主要为自生自储的裂缝性气藏和台内滩相气藏;茅口组顶部和雷口坡组顶部发育风化壳型气藏;吴家坪组、长兴组及飞仙关组地层含礁滩型气藏;嘉陵江组和雷口坡组地层含内幕白云岩型气藏。     

无人直升机搭载大气颗粒物采样装置的前期地面评估

与搭载气溶胶观测和分析仪器测量相比,利用无人直升机搭载气囊采集高空大气颗粒物是一种经济、便捷和安全的采集方式。为了解无人直升机采样装置的采样效果,选择2014年10月至2015年3月的4次重污染天气过程,由无人直升机搭载气囊采集大气颗粒物,然后利用气溶胶采样器采集气囊内的大气颗粒物样品并计算采样时间,再利用气溶胶采样器采集相同时间段内的地面大气颗粒物(气囊外),并将两者进行对比。结果表明:在稳定的污染天气条件下,采集气囊内的大气颗粒物,与相同时间段内利用气溶胶采样器直接采集气囊外的大气颗粒物相比,两种方式采集到的大气颗粒物质量最大差值29%,最小差值11%,平均为21%;利用无人直升机的大气采样装置采集大气颗粒物对碳气溶胶组分影响很小,气囊内与气囊外OC/TC最大相差2.0%,最小相差0.5%。上述结果表明,无人直升机的大气采样装置有比较好的采集效率,利用气囊这种经济、便捷、安全的方式,搭载在无人机平台上,采集高空大气是一种获取气溶胶垂直廓线的有效方法,有望在未来的气溶胶气候和环境研究中提供宝贵数据。     

辽东湾坳陷东部地区走滑双重构造的发育特征 及其石油地质意义

在将构造发育特征与走滑双重构造理论模型进行类比分析的基础上,对辽东湾坳陷东部地区的走滑双重构造的发育特征进行了研究,并结合油气勘探实践成果,就其石油地质意义进行了探讨,研究结果表明:在受控于走滑与拉伸并存的多动力源区域地质背景下,辽东湾坳陷新生代构造演化体现了断陷与拗陷、拉张与走滑的叠加效应,NNE走向的辽中1号断裂、辽中2号断裂及辽东断裂的发育不仅控制了辽东湾坳陷东部地区的凸凹格局,其走滑侧接关系也导致了研究区走滑双重构造的发育;辽东凸起是由于辽中2号断裂、辽东断裂走滑弯曲、右行左阶侧接而形成的挤压走滑双重构造,而辽中凹陷在早期拉张断陷基础上,经历了后期走滑作用的改造,其断裂体系的发育体现了辽中1号断裂与辽中2号断裂的右旋右行侧列所产生的拉张走滑双重构造效应;在走滑双重构造的增压带,断裂侧向封堵性强,有利于形成有效的断层圈闭,是油气藏发育的有利区带。     

准噶尔盆地油气源、油气分布与油气系统

准噶尔盆地是中国西部典型的多旋回叠合盆地,发育有石炭系、二叠系、三叠系、侏罗系、白垩系和古近系6套烃源岩,同时存在6大类原油和3大类天然气,广泛分布于盆地不同地区。西北缘原油总体相似,碳同位素组成轻(δ~(13)C-29‰),胡萝卜烷、类异戊二烯烷烃、三环萜烷、伽马蜡烷丰富,甾烷以C_(28)、C_(29)为主,基本没有重排甾烷,为第二类原油,来源于二叠系湖相烃源岩。腹部绝大多数原油与西北缘原油相似,但胡萝卜烷、类异戊二烯烷烃、伽马蜡烷等有差异,来源于不同凹陷的二叠系湖相烃源岩;少量原油碳同位素组成重(δ~(13)C-28‰~-26‰),Pr/Ph大于2.5,三环萜烷以C_(19)、C_(20)为主,藿烷丰富而伽马蜡烷极低,以C_(29)规则甾烷及重排甾烷为主,为第四类原油,来源于侏罗系煤系烃源岩。东部存在5种类型原油,第一类原油碳同位素组成特别重(δ~(13)C-26‰),来源于石炭系烃源岩;第二类原油与腹部地区绝大多数原油十分相似,来源于二叠系湖相烃源岩;第三类原油碳同位索组成轻,重排甾烷、Ts、C_(29)Ts及C_(30)重排藿烷异常丰富,来源于中上三叠统湖相烃源岩;第四类原油源于侏罗系煤系烃源岩;混合类原油为二叠系、三叠系、侏罗系原油的混合,各自贡献平均分别为20%、15%和65%。南缘存在4类典型原油,为第二、第四、第五和第六类原油,其中第二、第四类分别源于二叠系和侏罗系;第五类原油碳同位素组成轻(δ~(13)C-29‰)、Pr/Ph1.0、伽马蜡烷丰富且有两个异构体、Ts、C_(29)Ts、C_(30)重排藿烷、C_(27)~C_(29)异胆甾烷及C_(30)甲基甾烷丰富,来源于白垩系湖相烃源岩;第六类原油主要为中低成熟原油,碳同位素组成δ~(13)C~28‰~-26‰,C_(27)、C_(28)、C_(29)甾烷呈"V"型分布,甲藻甾烷异常丰富,来源于古近系湖相烃源岩。准噶尔盆地天然气有油型气、混合气和煤型气,前两类主要来源于二叠系湖相烃源岩和石炭系海相烃源岩,煤型气主要来源于石炭系和侏罗系煤系烃源岩。不同类型油气分布与不同时代烃源灶具有良好对应关系:石炭系油气主要分布于陆东-五彩湾;二叠系油气主要分布于西北缘、腹部与东部;三叠系原油仅分布于东部;侏罗系原油主要分布于东部与南部;白垩系原油仅分布于南缘中部;古近系原油仅分布于南缘西部。按照盆地构造特征及不同时代烃源灶与油气关系,将准噶尔盆地划分为西部、中部、东部、南部及乌伦古5个油气系统及15个子油气系统。