Search Results (45)

The synergistic development of low-permeability reservoirs such as deep coalbed methane (CBM) and tight gas has emerged as a key technology to reduce development costs, enhance single-well productivity, and improve gas recovery. However, due to fundamental differences between coal seams and tight sandstones in their pore structure, permeability, water saturation, and pressure sensitivity, significant variations exist in their flow capacities and fluid production behaviors. To address the challenges of production allocation and main reservoir identification in the co-development of CBM and tight gas within deep gas-bearing basins, this study employs the transient multiphase flow simulation software OLGA to construct a representative dual-gas co-production well model. The regulatory mechanisms of the gas–liquid distribution, deliquification efficiency, and interlayer interference under two typical vertical stacking relationships—“coal over sand” and “sand over coal”—are systematically analyzed with respect to different tubing setting depths. A high-precision dynamic production allocation method is proposed, which couples the wellbore structure with real-time monitoring parameters. The results demonstrate that positioning the tubing near the bottom of both reservoirs significantly enhances the deliquification efficiency and bottomhole pressure differential, reduces the liquid holdup in the wellbore, and improves the synergistic productivity of the dual-reservoirs, achieving optimal drainage and production performance. Building upon this, a physically constrained model integrating real-time monitoring data—such as the gas and liquid production from tubing and casing, wellhead pressures, and other parameters—is established. Specifically, the model is built upon fundamental physical constraints, including mass conservation and the pressure equilibrium, to logically model the flow paths and phase distribution behaviors of the gas–liquid two-phase flow. This enables the accurate derivation of the respective contributions of each reservoir interval and dynamic production allocation without the need for downhole logging. Validation results show that the proposed method reliably reconstructs reservoir contribution rates under various operational conditions and wellbore configurations. Through a comparison of calculated and simulated results, the maximum relative error occurs during abrupt changes in the production capacity, approximately 6.37%, while for most time periods, the error remains within 1%, with an average error of 0.49% throughout the process. These results substantially improve the timeliness and accuracy of the reservoir identification. This study offers a novel approach for the co-optimization of complex multi-reservoir gas fields, enriching the theoretical framework of dual-gas co-production and providing technically adaptive solutions and engineering guidance for multilayer unconventional gas exploitation. Full article

Tight gas is an unconventional resource abundantly found in low-porosity, low-permeability sandstone reservoirs. Production can be significantly reduced due to water production during the development process. Therefore, it is necessary to predict water production during the logging phase to formulate development strategies for tight gas wells. This study analyzes the water production mechanism in tight sandstone reservoirs and identifies that the core of water production evaluation in the Shihezi Formation of the Linxing block is to clarify the pore permeability structure of tight sandstone and the type of intra-layer water. The primary challenge lies in the accurate characterization of bound water saturation. By integrating logging data with core experiments, a bound water saturation evaluation model based on grain size diameter and pore structure index was established, achieving a calculation accuracy of 92% for the multi-parameter-fitted bound water saturation. Then, based on the high-precision bound water saturation, a gas–water ratio prediction model for the first month of production, considering water saturation, grain size diameter, and fluid type, was established, improving the prediction accuracy to 87.7%. The bound water saturation evaluation and water production evaluation models in this study can achieve effective water production prediction in the early stage of production, providing theoretical support for the scientific development of tight gas in the Linxing block. Full article

Deep tight sandstone reservoirs are characterized by low porosity and permeability, complex pore structure, and strong heterogeneity. Conducting research on the heterogeneity characteristics of reservoirs could lay a foundation for evaluating their effectiveness and accurately identifying advantageous reservoirs, which is of great significance for searching for “sweet spot” oil and gas reservoirs in tight reservoirs. In this study, the deep tight sandstone reservoir in the Dibei area, northern Kuqa depression, Tarim Basin, China, is taken as the research object. Firstly, statistical methods are used to calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) and coefficient of heterogeneity (TK) of core permeability, and the heterogeneity within the reservoir is evaluated by analyzing the variations in the reservoir permeability. Then, based on fractal theory, the fractal and multifractal parameters of the GR and acoustic logs are calculated using the box dimension, correlation dimension, and the wavelet leader methods. The results show that the heterogeneity revealed by the box dimension, correlation dimension, and multifractal singular spectrum calculated based on well logs is consistent and in good agreement with the parameters calculated based on core permeability. The heterogeneity of gas layers is comparatively weaker, while that of dry layers is stronger. In addition, the fractal parameters of GR and the acoustic logs of three wells with the oil test in the study area were analyzed, and the relationship between reservoir heterogeneity and production was determined: As reservoir heterogeneity decreases, production increases. Therefore, reservoir heterogeneity can be used as an indicator of production; specifically, reservoirs with weak heterogeneity have high production. Full article

The tight sandstone gas reservoirs in the LX area of the Ordos Basin are characterized by low porosity, poor permeability, and strong heterogeneity, which significantly complicate fluid type identification. Conventional methods based on petrophysical logging and core analysis have shown limited effectiveness in this region, often resulting in low accuracy of fluid identification. To improve the precision of fluid property identification in such complex tight gas reservoirs, this study proposes a hybrid deep learning model named ResViTNet, which integrates ResNet (residual neural network) with ViT (vision transformer). The proposed method transforms multi-dimensional logging data into thermal maps and utilizes a sliding window sampling strategy combined with data augmentation techniques to generate high-dimensional image inputs. This enables automatic classification of different reservoir fluid types, including water zones, gas zones, and gas–water coexisting zones. Application of the method to a logging dataset from 80 wells in the LX block demonstrates a fluid identification accuracy of 97.4%, outperforming conventional statistical methods and standalone machine learning algorithms. The ResViTNet model exhibits strong robustness and generalization capability, providing technical support for fluid identification and productivity evaluation in the exploration and development of tight gas reservoirs. Full article

Reservoir evaluation is essential in oil and gas exploration, influencing development decisions. Traditional classification methods are often limited by small sample sizes and low accuracy, restricting their effectiveness. To address this, we propose an intelligent classification method, GA-XGBoost, which integrates Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization with Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to enhance the classification accuracy in small-sample scenarios. The lithological, physical, and lithofacies characteristics of tight sandstone reservoirs are analyzed, and key evaluation parameters—including the mineral composition, porosity, permeability, oil saturation, and logging data (GR, SP, CAL, DEN, AC, LLS)—are selected. After data normalization, the GA-XGBoost model is developed and compared with SVM, XGBoost, and AdaBoost models. The experimental results demonstrate that GA-XGBoost achieves an 88.8% classification precision, outperforming traditional algorithms in both efficiency and accuracy. This study advances experiments on and the standardization of intelligent reservoir evaluations, providing a more reliable classification approach for tight sandstone reservoirs. Additionally, it contributes to the integration of geological exploration and computational intelligence, offering new insights into the application of machine learning in geosciences. Full article

The eighth member of the Permian Shihezi Formation is one of the main tight sandstone gas layers in the Longdong Area of Ordos Basin, and the source rocks are dark mudstones and shales located in the Shanxi Formation and Taiyuan Formation of the Permian. The tight muddy sandstone at the top provides shielding conditions and constitutes traps. The lithology is mainly lithic quartz sandstone, followed by lithic sandstone. The reservoir space is mainly dissolved pores, inter crystalline pores, intergranular pores and so on. Clay minerals are the main interstitial materials, and chlorite has the highest content in it, a product of alkaline, moderate- to high-temperature, reducing conditions, effectively inhibited quartz cementation and enhanced secondary porosity development during mesodiagenesis. The average porosity of the reservoir is about 4.01%, and the average permeability is about 0.5 × 10⁻³ μm³, which is a typical low porosity and ultra-low permeability tight reservoir. The thickness of the sandstone reservoir in the study area is from 5 m to more than 25 m, mainly in the NE direction. The sand bodies are distributed in lenses on the plane. Full article

Tight sandstone gas reservoirs, characterized by low porosity (typically < 10%) and ultra-low permeability (commonly < 0.1 × 10⁻³ μm²), represent a critical transitional resource in global energy transition, accounting for over 60% of total natural gas production in regions such as North America and Canada. In the northern Tianhuan Depression of the Ordos Basin, the Permian He 8 Member (He is the abbreviation of Shihezi) of the Shihezi Formation serves as one of the primary gas-bearing intervals within such reservoirs. Dominated by quartz sandstones (82%) with subordinate lithic quartz sandstones (15%), these reservoirs exhibit pore systems primarily supported by high-purity quartz and rigid lithic fragments. Diagenetic processes reveal sequential cementation: early-stage quartz cementation provides a framework for subsequent lithic fragment cementation, collectively resisting compaction. Depositionally, these sandstones are associated with fluvial-channel environments, evidenced by a sand-to-mud ratio of ~5.2:1. Pore structures are dominated by intergranular pores (65%), followed by dissolution pores (25%) formed via selective leaching of unstable minerals by acidic fluids in hydrothermal settings, and minor intragranular pores (10%). Authigenic clay minerals, predominantly kaolinite (>70% of total clays), act as the main interstitial material. Reservoir properties average 7.01% porosity and 0.5 × 10⁻³ μm² permeability, defining a typical low-porosity, ultra-low-permeability system. Vertically stacked sand bodies in the He 8 Member display large single-layer thicknesses (5–12 m) and moderate sealing capacity (caprock breakthrough pressure > 8 MPa), hosting gas–water mixed-phase occurrences. Rock mechanics experiments demonstrate that fractures enhance permeability by >60%, significantly controlling reservoir heterogeneity. Full article

The coupling mechanism between the multi-scale flow mechanisms and the pressure dynamic response of complex fracture networks in fractured tight sandstone gas reservoirs remains unclear. In this study, a mathematical model was developed by incorporating the non-Darcy flow (non-DF) behavior in both matrix and fracture systems within the framework of the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM). The governing equations were solved numerically through finite volume discretization. By employing numerical well-testing techniques, the dynamic impacts of low-velocity non-DF (matrix domain) and high-velocity non-DF (fracture domain) on the pressure transient response were systematically evaluated. Furthermore, the characteristic patterns of transient pressure responses under different natural fracture development modes were revealed. This study demonstrates that the pressure and pressure derivative (PD) log–log curves of fractured tight sandstone gas wells exhibit a wide opening shape, indicative of complex fracture morphologies. The presence of a threshold pressure gradient in the matrix system results in an upward convex shape in the PD profile, whereas the high-velocity non-DF in the fracture network causes a downward concave characteristic in the derivative curve. The spatial distribution of the natural fracture network significantly influences the response characteristics during the mid-term radial flow stage. As the fracture density decreases, the system gradually transitions toward a dual-porosity medium. This research contributes to the theoretical foundation required for the accurate interpretation of dynamic well tests and the optimization of effective development schemes in gas reservoirs with extremely low permeability. Full article

Low-permeability sandstone reservoirs have low permeability, but due to their high porosity and difficulty in development, the development difficulty is relatively high. They can fully tap into the high potential of oil and gas resources in low-permeability sandstone reservoirs and occupy an important position in the global energy supply The study area belongs to low-permeability dense sandstone reservoir, and the destination layer has complex lithology, strong physical inhomogeneity, and complicated pore–permeability relationship, so the conventional core pore–permeability regression method and NMR SDR method do not satisfy the requirements of fine evaluation in terms of the accuracy of permeability calculation. According to the principle of resistivity measurement by electromagnetic waves with Logging While Drilling (LWD), this paper analyzes the reasons for the magnitude of resistivity divergence with Logging While Drilling at different exploration depths. There is a “low invasion phenomenon” during the drilling process of the drill bit. The higher the permeability of the formation, the more severe the “low invasion phenomenon”, and the greater the magnitude of resistivity divergence. In this paper, through the conventional log curve response characteristics and correlation analysis, the P40H/P16H parameter were selected to characterize the magnitude of resistivity divergence, and a fine evaluation model of the reservoir based on the P40H/P16H parameter was established in the study area by relying on the theory of the flow unit, and was applied to the prediction of permeability of new wells. The application results show that the calculated permeability is in good agreement with the results of core analysis, which provides a theoretical basis for the fine evaluation of low-permeability tight reservoirs. Full article

CO₂ fracturing technology has been widely used to develop unconventional oil and gas reservoirs such as shale oil and gas and tight sandstone reservoirs. To mitigate the issues of low viscosity and high friction associated with traditional CO₂ fracturing technology, this paper proposes CO₂ quasi-dry fracturing technology. Taking the low permeability tight sandstone reservoir in Block X of T oilfield as the research object, indoor experiments were conducted to optimize the ratio of CO₂ quasi-dry fracturing fluid. Numerical simulation was used to select the optimal construction displacement using FracproPT, and the temperature and pressure changes in the reservoir and the grid after CO₂ injection were analyzed using CMG to lay a foundation for the production practice. The results show that the fracturing fluid formulation system is 70% liquid CO₂ + 30% water with 1.2% water-based thickener APQD-6 and 1.2% CO₂ thickener APFR-2; the optimal construction displacement is 3 m³/min, and the fracture half-length is 206.2 m; the reservoir temperature responds to the CO₂ injection volume more rapidly than the pressure, which indicates that CO₂ has a more significant effect on the temperature. The field application results show that the reservoir temperature responds more rapidly to the CO₂ injection volume than the pressure, indicating that CO₂ has a more significant effect on temperature. The field application results are remarkable. This operation successfully achieved the key parameter indicators of the highest sand ratio of 10% and the average sand ratio of 6%. The daily liquid production of the well was stable at 1.6 t, the daily gas production jumped by 820 m³, and the daily oil production also increased by 0.7 t. The effect of single-well stimulation is very prominent, which strongly verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of CO₂ quasi-dry fracturing technology exploiting low-porosity and low-permeability reservoirs. This practical result provides valuable practical guidance for developing similar reservoirs. It is expected to promote the further development and application of low porosity and low permeability reservoir development technology. Full article

The Lower Cretaceous Laiyang Group on Lingshan Island contains typical gas source and clastic reservoir rocks. The densification mechanism of clastic rock and its diagenetic connection have not been systematically studied, which significantly increases the risk associated with hydrocarbon exploration in eastern China. A comprehensive study was conducted on core samples obtained from the Scientific Drilling Borehole LK-1, utilizing core data in conjunction with a range of techniques, including microscopic observation, X-ray diffraction, physical property measurements, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The results indicate that the sandstones are primarily composed of feldspathic litharenite, exhibiting a poorly to moderately sorted texture and a fine-to-medium grain size. The reservoir quality is quite poor, characterized by extremely low porosity and permeability. The reservoir space of tight sandstones is constituted by three main types of pores: residual primary pores, secondary dissolution pores, and intercrystalline pores. Tight sandstone reservoirs experienced notable diagenetic alteration during burial, with calcite, dolomite, quartz, and clay cements identified as the primary diagenetic minerals. Intense compaction and carbonate cementation are the principal mechanisms contributing to the densification of sandstones. Pore-filling clay minerals subdivide macropores into numerous micropores, significantly reducing reservoir permeability. The migration of dissolution products out of the system is a difficult process, which hinders the effectiveness of mineral dissolution in enhancing overall reservoir quality. This study may provide a valuable reference for the effective exploration of Lower Cretaceous clastic reservoirs in eastern Shandong. Full article

Hydraulic fracturing technology is vital for the efficient extraction of oil and gas from low-permeability tight sandstone reservoirs.Taking the central Bohai oilfield in China as an example, these fields are typically composed of thinly interbedded tight sandstone, characterized by low permeability and significant lithological heterogeneity between layers. Fractures may either be confined, limiting vertical growth and reducing production, or overextend into water-bearing zones, causing contamination and compromising reservoir integrity. Therefore, predicting vertical fracture propagation during field fracturing operations is critical for efficient resource extraction.However, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms governing vertical fracture growth offshore.This paper applies numerical simulations based on the finite element method to elucidate the interlayer fracture propagation behavior in low-permeability tight sandstone reservoirs. A fracture propagation model for thin interlayered tight sandstone formations is constructed, and the effects of various factors on hydraulic fracture propagation are systematically analyzed, including geological factors such as interlayer stress contrast, thickness, and differences in elastic modulus, as well as operational parameters including fracturing fluid viscosity and injection rate. This study clarifies the cross-layer propagation patterns of hydraulic fractures under the influence of multiple factors and yields a comprehensive prediction chart for fracture propagation thickness under the combination of complex factors. The results of this research can provide theoretical support for the design of reservoir stimulation operations in low-permeability tight sandstone oilfields. Full article

The Dina 2 gas field in the Kuqa Depression of the Tarim Basin is one of China’s most critical oil and gas exploration areas. Natural fractures have played an important role in the low-permeability reservoirs in the Tarim area. Tectonic fractures are dominant in such reservoirs. In fact, the factors influencing tectonic fracture development have always been the source of important issues in tight reservoirs. Cores, thin sections, and borehole image logs were used to analyze the types, basic characteristics, and factors influencing tectonic fractures in the tight sandstone reservoirs of the Dina 2 gas field in the Tarim Basin. The results showed that the tectonic fractures are dominated by high-angle and upright shearing fractures, and they mainly show ENE–WSW strikes. The thin sections suggest that 60% of the fractures are fully filled with minerals, 20% are unfilled, and 20% are partially filled. The analysis also shows that lithology, faults, and in situ stress are the main factors controlling the development of the tectonic structures. Furthermore, the correlation between the unimpeded flow from a single well and the apertures of the tectonic fractures indicates that tectonic fractures play an important role in the production of hydrocarbons. Full article

A special type of sandstone in which carbonate rock fragments (CRFs) dominate the composition developed in the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation’s fourth member (Xu4) in the western Sichuan Basin, known as calcareous sandstone. Calcareous sandstones are widely distributed in the western Sichuan and is the main production target of tight sandstone gas in the Sichuan Basin. In this study, thin sections, porosity–permeability testing, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction are applied to examine the characteristics and control factors for high-quality reservoirs in the calcareous sandstones, with a view to providing guidance for natural gas exploration and development in calcareous sandstones. The results show that the calcareous sandstone belongs to litharenite, with an average framework grain composition of 30% quartz, 1% feldspar, and 69% rock fragments, while the Xu4 sandstone has a high quartz content (average content of 71%). Primary intergranular pores are the main storage space, and the reservoir quality is quite poor. Under the influence of different parent rock properties of sandstones, there are obvious differences in the composition of framework grains between the calcareous sandstone and the ordinary Xu4 sandstone, which in turn affects the reservoir storage space, diagenesis, and reservoir quality. High-energy depositional conditions, low content of late cements, and the development of fractures are the main controlling factors for the formation of high-quality reservoirs in Xu 4 calcareous sandstones. Full article

Inter-well frac-hit has become an important challenge in the development of unconventional oil and gas resources such as fractured tight sandstone. Due to the presence of hydraulic fracturing fractures, secondary induced fractures, natural fractures, and other seepage media in real formations, the acquisition of stress fields requires the coupling effect of seepage and stress. In this process, there is also stress sensitivity, which leads to unclear dynamic evolution laws of stress fields and increases the difficulty of the staged multi-cluster fracturing of horizontal wells. The use of a multi-stage stress-sensitive horizontal well production stress field prediction model is an effective means of analyzing the influence of natural fracture parameters, main fracture parameters, and multi-stage stress sensitivity coefficients on the stress field. This article considers multi-stage stress sensitivity and, based on fractured sandstone reservoir parameters, establishes a numerical model for the dynamic evolution of the production stress field in horizontal wells with matrix self-supporting fracture-supported fracture–seepage–stress coupling. The influence of various factors on the production stress field is analyzed. The results show that under constant pressure production, for low-permeability reservoirs, multi-stage stress sensitivity has a relatively low impact on reservoir stress, and the amplitude of principal stress change in the entire fracture length direction is only within the range of 0.27%, with no significant change in stress distribution; The parameters of the main fracture have a significant impact on the stress field, with a variation amplitude of within 2.85%. The ability of stress to diffuse from the fracture tip to the surrounding areas is stronger, and the stress concentration area spreads from an elliptical distribution to a semi-circular distribution. The random natural fracture parameters have a significant impact on pore pressure. As the density and angle of the fractures increase, the pore pressure changes within the range of 3.32%, and the diffusion area of pore pressure significantly increases, making it easy to communicate with the reservoir on both sides of the fractures. Full article