Sedimentary characteristics of tide-dominated estuary in Donghetang Formation（Upper Devonian）, central Tarim Basin

The Donghetang Formation （Upper Devonian） in central Tarim Basin has been thought an important oil and gas reservoir since the abundant oil and gas resources were found in the wells W16, W20, W34, and other fields. However, the sedimentary environment of the Donghetang Formation has been disputed because it suffered from both tidal and fluvial actions and there were not rich fossils in the sandstone. After the authors analyzed sedimentary features by means of drill cores, well logging data, paleosols, and with SEM obseruations, three kinds of sedimentary environments were distinguished： alluvial fan, tide-dominated estuary, and shelf. Particularly, the sedimentary features of tide-dominated estuary were studied in detail. Besides, the authors discussed sedimentary characteristics of the Donghetang Formation which was divided into two fourth-order sequences and five system tracts. At the same time, according to the forming process of five system tracts, the whole vertical evolution and lateral transition of tide-dominated estuary were illustrated clearly. Finally, the reservoir quality was evaluated based on porosity and permeability.     

Upscaling of elastic properties for large scale geomechanical simulations

Large scale geomechanical simulations are being increasingly used to model the compaction of stress dependent reservoirs, predict the long term integrity of under‐ground radioactive waste disposals, and analyse the viability of hot‐dry rock geothermal sites. These large scale simulations require the definition of homogenous mechanical properties for each geomechanical cell whereas the rock properties are expected to vary at a smaller scale. Therefore, this paper proposes a new methodology that makes possible to define the equivalent mechanical properties of the geomechanical cells using the fine scale information given in the geological model. This methodology is implemented on a synthetic reservoir case and two upscaling procedures providing the effective elastic properties of the Hooke's law are tested. The first upscaling procedure is an analytical method for perfectly stratified rock mass, whereas the second procedure computes lower and upper bounds of the equivalent properties with no assumption on the small scale heterogeneity distribution. Both procedures are applied to one geomechanical cell extracted from the reservoir structure. The results show that the analytical and numerical upscaling procedures provide accurate estimations of the effective parameters. Furthermore, a large scale simulation using the homogenized properties of each geomechanical cell calculated with the analytical method demonstrates that the overall behaviour of the reservoir structure is well reproduced for two different loading cases. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biostratigraphic and aminostratigraphic constraints on the age of the Middle Pleistocene glacial succession in north Norfolk,UK

Considerable debate surrounds the age of the Middle Pleistocene glacial succession in East Anglia following some recent stratigraphical reinterpretations. Resolution of the stratigraphy here is important since it not only concerns the glacial history of the region but also has a bearing on our understanding of the earliest human occupation of north‐western Europe. The orthodox consensus that all the tills were emplaced during the Anglian (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12) has recently been challenged by a view assigning each major till to a different glacial stage, before, during and after MIS 12. Between Trimingham and Sidestrand on the north Norfolk coast, datable organic sediments occur immediately below and above the glacial succession. The oldest glacial deposit (Happisburgh Till) directly overlies the ‘Sidestrand Unio‐bed’, here defined as the Sidestrand Hall Member of the Cromer Forest‐bed Formation. Dating of these sediments therefore has a bearing on the maximum age of the glacial sequence. This paper reviews the palaeobotany and describes the faunal assemblages recovered from the Sidestrand Unio‐bed, which accumulated in a fluvial environment in a fully temperate climate with regional deciduous woodland. There are indications from the ostracods for weakly brackish conditions. Significant differences are apparent between the Sidestrand assemblages and those from West Runton, the type site of the Cromerian Stage. These differences do not result from contrasting facies or taphonomy but reflect warmer palaeotemperatures at Sidestrand and a much younger age. This conclusion is suggested by the higher proportion of thermophiles at Sidestrand and the occurrence of a water vole with unrooted molars (Arvicola) rather than its ancestor Mimomys savini with rooted molars. Amino acid racemisation data also indicate that Sidestrand is significantly younger than West Runton. These data further highlight the stratigraphical complexity of the ‘Cromerian Complex’ and support the conventional view that the Happisburgh Till was emplaced during the Anglian rather than the recently advanced view that it dates from MIS 16. Moreover, new evidence from the Trimingham lake bed (Sidestrand Cliff Formation) above the youngest glacial outwash sediments (Briton's Lane Formation) indicates that they also accumulated during a Middle Pleistocene interglacial – probably MIS 11. All of this evidence is consistent with a short chronology placing the glacial deposits within MIS 12, rather than invoking multiple episodes of glaciation envisaged in the ‘new glacial stratigraphy’ during MIS 16, 12, 10 and 6. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Statistical analysis of sand grain/bed collision process recorded by high-speed digital camera

A high‐speed digital camera was employed to record the sand grain/bed collision process. With image processing and a statistical method, a series of parameters of the collision process were obtained. The results show that the collision process of a grain with rebounding can be represented by two parameters: the kinetic energy restitution coefficient and the collision angle. Both parameters satisfy a normal distribution, and they are dependent on one another. With an increase of the collision angle, the distribution of the kinetic energy restitution gradually reduces from a broad to a narrow range with low values. The percentage of vertical velocity restitution coefficients greater than 1 can reach 70% or more, which ensures that the settling time of the sand grains in the air increases and that they receive more energy from the air to progress the saltation movement.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西峰地区长8砂岩微观非均质性的实验分析

通过真实砂岩微观模型实验,客观地分析了鄂尔多斯盆地西峰地区长8砂岩的微观非均质性特征,发现该区长8储层为致密型砂岩,直观地显示出长8砂岩储层具有很强的微观非均质性,砂岩的成岩作用和孔隙结构是影响鄂尔多斯盆地西峰地区长8砂岩储层微观非均质性的主要原因。在低渗透砂岩中,引起砂岩产生强烈的非均质性,而这些砂岩则形成长8砂岩储层的高渗带。     

扬子及周缘地区上奥陶统-下志留统烃源岩发育环境及其控制因素

扬子地区下古生界发育了上奥陶统五峰组和下志留统龙马溪组两套有效烃源岩,查清其发育环境及其控制因素具有重要的科学理论和油气勘探意义.晚奥陶世开始,扬子地区进入碎屑岩陆棚演化阶段;五峰期-龙马溪期,扬子地区主体为局限的深水陆棚环境,总体呈现出浅水陆棚、深水陆棚、次深海共存的古地理格局.沉积体系展布和沉积演化主要受扬子陆块与华夏陆块的汇聚作用控制.扬子地区上奥陶统-下志留统烃源岩的形成与生烃母质生物的高生产力和高埋藏率、冰期-冰后期之交的气温快速转暖、海平面快速上升以及粘土矿物在有机质富集保存过程中的赋存驻留作用等密切相关.     

鄂尔多斯盆地东缘煤储层微孔隙结构特征及其影响因素

在对鄂尔多斯盆地东缘58套采自不同层位不同地域煤样显微组分测试和低温液氮比表面测试的基础上,从比表面积、吸附曲线形态、阶段孔径结构分布、阶段孔径比表面积贡献、FHH分形特征几个方面刻画了煤储层微孔隙特征。同时,就“孔比表面积—孔隙结构—煤物质组成与化学结构”这一因果链,分析了鄂尔多斯盆地东缘煤微孔隙特征与煤变质程度、煤岩显微组分以及矿物组分与类型的关系。研究发现,Ro在0.60%~1.91%范围内,比表面积及FHH分形分维数先明显降低,Ro至1.3%后又略有回升,同时吸附回线“滞后环”及分形尺度对应的压力范围明显减小,孔径3~4 nm“墨水瓶”型孔明显减少乃至消失,并成为比表面积减少的主要贡献者。在相似煤级条件下,惰质组分较镜质组分有更多的比表面积贡献。粘土矿物组分含量>10%时,孔径3~4 nm“墨水瓶”型孔对比表面贡献明显,且随煤级增高影响作用相对加大。     

高、低煤阶煤层气藏地质特征及控气作用差异性研究

高、低煤阶煤层气地质特征及控气作用差异性是研究煤层气富集成藏的重要组成部分,是煤层气勘探开发理论研究过程中重要的基础性研究领域之一。本文以中国沁水、阜新盆地和美国粉河盆地等典型的含气盆地为例,探讨了高、低煤阶煤层气的储层物性差异,分析了构造控气和水文地质控气作用的差异性。研究表明,高煤阶气藏含气量高,CH4百分含量高,δ13C1值大于-38.75‰,储层渗透率变化小,储层改造难,构造热事件对煤层气的生成、富集贡献大,持续的水动力使气藏遭到破坏,且破坏幅度大,现今地下水格局对气藏的形成具有一定的影响;低煤阶气藏含气量低,CH4百分含量低,δ13C1值大于-49.11‰,储层渗透率变化大,储层易改造,煤热演化史及煤阶影响着煤层气的生成、富集,在煤层气生成过程中活跃的水动力是甲烷生成的主要的水文地质条件之一,但持续的水动力使气藏遭到破坏,且破坏幅度小,而合适的地层水矿化度则是低煤阶煤层气生成的重要条件,地下水格局对气藏的调整和改造起到决定性的影响。     

煤岩对压裂裂缝长期导流能力影响的实验研究

煤层中一般都伴有煤层气,通过压裂可以将煤层气释放出来,一方面能够获得清洁能源,另一方面可以提高煤田的安全开采。煤岩层自身特点决定了其在压裂中应用的实验评价方法及结论应具有特殊性,本文主要针对煤层气井的煤岩层压裂裂缝长期导流能力进行实验评价研究。实验表明,与砂岩地层不同,煤岩的硬度较小,压裂中支撑剂嵌入情况较严重;煤岩易破碎,碎屑颗粒充填到支撑剂中;同时支撑剂存在破碎及吸附伤害等,多种作用导致支撑裂缝的导流能力降低。实验中,以煤岩层闭合压力为一个重要的参数,实验对比分析了在不同闭合压力下,铺砂浓度、支撑剂粒径、支撑剂种类及组合的选择、支撑剂颗粒的破碎与嵌入、压裂液残渣等因素对煤岩层导流能力的影响。本文的实验结论为,嵌入对煤岩层支撑裂缝的导流能力伤害很大,加大铺砂浓度、采用低破碎率支撑剂、降低压裂液伤害能在一定程度上提高煤层裂缝的导流能力,但影响程度随闭合压力的增加而逐渐降低。本文所得出的结论对今后煤层气的开发及设计施工具有一定的指导意义。     

松辽盆地尚家—太平川地区石油地质条件及勘探方向分析

通过对尚家—太平川地区构造演化、烃源岩特征、沉积特征、储盖组合、油水关系及油藏类型和油气成藏特征的分析,研究了本区的石油地质条件,认为烃源岩具有较好的生、排烃能力,分流河道砂体为油气聚集提供较好的沉积环境,良好的储盖组合有利于油气的聚集与保存。研究区没有统一油水界面,尚家地区以岩性—构造油藏为主,太平川地区以构造—岩性油藏为主。区内扶余—杨大城子油层油气成藏受有效性圈闭、优势运移通道、过剩压力、储集条件和构造诱导作用控制。据上述认识确定了研究区下一步的勘探方向,并已在指导勘探实践中取得了较好的效果。