The effect of meteoric water on the very fine crystalline dolomite reservoir in the shallow burial zone: A case study of the Ma55 submember of Majiagou Formation in Ordos Basin

The meteoric water has obviously changed the physical properties of dolostone reservoirs in the vertical vadose zone and the horizontal phreatic zone, but its influence on the dolostone reservoirs in the shallow burial zone beneath the phreatic surface is still unclear. This study aims to reveal the effect of meteoric water on the dolostone reservoirs in the shallow burial zone through X-ray diffraction, cathodoluminescence, C, O, and Sr isotope using the sample from Majiagou Formation in the Daniudi gas field, Ordos Basin. The diagenesis and paragenesis of the Ma 55 submember were identified and interpreted through petrological study, combined with data from electron probe, X-ray diffraction analysis, and geochemical parameters of diagenetic minerals. The color of the very fine crystalline dolomite under the cathodeluminescence is dark red and red. The order degree of dolomite ranges from 0.54 to 0.91, showing the origin of early seepage-reflux dolomitization. There are a large number of different calcite cements as fills within the pores and fractures. The color of the calcite cement under the cathodoluminescence is orange-yellow, with a zonal structure. Hydrothermal fluid during late diagenesis could be identified by the authigenic fluorite filling in the fractures. According to the assembly of diagenetic minerals, the very fine crystalline dolostones have experienced the seepage-reflux dolomitization, meteoric water dissolution, shallow burial cementation and late cementation. The void spaces of the very fine crystalline dolostones are intercrystalline pores and microfractures. Although a large number of dissolved pores and caves developed in the period of meteoric water dissolution, these caves and dissolved pores has been mostly filled by multi-stages of cementation. Therefore, the effect of meteoric water on dolostone reservoirs in the shallow burial zone beneath the phreatic surface is not obvious. The main controlling factor for the quality of dolostone reservoir was dolomitization. This study provides a new understanding of the influence of meteoric water on reservoir quality in the shallow burial zone during the paleokarst period

Laboratory Evaluation and Field Application of a Gas-Soluble Plugging Agent: Development of Bottom Water Plugging Fracturing Technology

The currently reported bottom water sealing materials and fracturing technologies can hardly simultaneously achieve the high production and low water cut of gas reservoirs due to the complexity of various formation conditions. Therefore, without controlling the fracturing scale and injection volume, a kind of polylactide polymer water plugging material with a density of 1.15–2.0 g/cm3 is developed, which can be used to seal the bottom water of a gas–water differential layer by contact solidification with water and automatic degradation with natural gas. This technology can not only fully release the production capacity of the gas reservoir but also effectively control water production and realize the efficient fracturing development of the target gas reservoir. Laboratory test results show that the smart plugging agent has a bottom water plugging rate of 100%, and the low-density plugging agent has a dissolution rate of 96.7% in methane gas at 90 °C for 4 h and a dissolution rate of 97.6% in methane gas at 60 °C for 6 h, showing remarkable gas degradation performance. In addition, settlement experiments show that the presence of a proppant can increase the settlement rate of a plugging agent up to many times (up to 21 times) in both water and guanidine gum solution. According to the actual conditions of well J66-8-3, a single-well water plugging fracturing scheme was prepared by optimizing the length of fracture, plugging agent dosage, and plugging agent sinking time, and a post-evaluation method was proposed. It has guiding significance to the development of similar gas reservoirs

FGG-NUFFT-Based Method for Near-Field 3-D Imaging Using Millimeter Waves

In this paper, to deal with the concealed target detection problem, an accurate and efficient algorithm for near-field millimeter wave three-dimensional (3-D) imaging is proposed that uses a two-dimensional (2-D) plane antenna array. First, a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT) is performed on the scattered data along the antenna array plane. Then, a phase shift is performed to compensate for the spherical wave effect. Finally, fast Gaussian gridding based nonuniform FFT (FGG-NUFFT) combined with 2-D inverse FFT (IFFT) is performed on the nonuniform 3-D spatial spectrum in the frequency wavenumber domain to achieve 3-D imaging. The conventional method for near-field 3-D imaging uses Stolt interpolation to obtain uniform spatial spectrum samples and performs 3-D IFFT to reconstruct a 3-D image. Compared with the conventional method, our FGG-NUFFT based method is comparable in both efficiency and accuracy in the full sampled case and can obtain more accurate images with less clutter and fewer noisy artifacts in the down-sampled case, which are good properties for practical applications. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the FGG-NUFFT-based near-field 3-D imaging algorithm can have better imaging performance than the conventional method for down-sampled measurements

Classification of Void Space Types in Fractured-Vuggy Carbonate Reservoir Using Geophysical Logging: A Case Study on the Sinian Dengying Formation of the Sichuan Basin, Southwest China

The fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs display strong heterogeneity and need to be classified into different types for specific characterization. In this study, a total of 134 cores from six drilled wells and six outcrops of the Deng #2 and Deng #4 members of the Dengying Formation (Sichuan Basin, Southwest China) were selected to investigate the petrographic characteristics of void spaces in the fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs. Four void space types (VSTs) were observed, namely the solution-filling type (SFT), cement-reducing type (CRT), solution-filling breccia type (SFBT) and solution-enlarging fractures and vugs type (SEFVT). The CRT void spaces presented the largest porosity and permeability, followed by the SEFVT, SFBT and SFT. The VSTs presented various logging responses and values, and based on these, an identification method of VSTs using Bayes discriminant analysis (BDA) was proposed. Two test wells were employed for the validation of the identification method, and the results show that there is good agreement between the identification results and core description. The vertical distribution of VSTs indicates that the SFT and SEFVT are well distributed in both the Deng #2 and Deng #4 members. The CRT is mainly found in the Deng #2 member, and the SFBT occurs in the top and middle of the Deng #4 member

Laboratory Evaluation and Field Application of a Gas-Soluble Plugging Agent: Development of Bottom Water Plugging Fracturing Technology

The currently reported bottom water sealing materials and fracturing technologies can hardly simultaneously achieve the high production and low water cut of gas reservoirs due to the complexity of various formation conditions. Therefore, without controlling the fracturing scale and injection volume, a kind of polylactide polymer water plugging material with a density of 1.15–2.0 g/cm3 is developed, which can be used to seal the bottom water of a gas–water differential layer by contact solidification with water and automatic degradation with natural gas. This technology can not only fully release the production capacity of the gas reservoir but also effectively control water production and realize the efficient fracturing development of the target gas reservoir. Laboratory test results show that the smart plugging agent has a bottom water plugging rate of 100%, and the low-density plugging agent has a dissolution rate of 96.7% in methane gas at 90 °C for 4 h and a dissolution rate of 97.6% in methane gas at 60 °C for 6 h, showing remarkable gas degradation performance. In addition, settlement experiments show that the presence of a proppant can increase the settlement rate of a plugging agent up to many times (up to 21 times) in both water and guanidine gum solution. According to the actual conditions of well J66-8-3, a single-well water plugging fracturing scheme was prepared by optimizing the length of fracture, plugging agent dosage, and plugging agent sinking time, and a post-evaluation method was proposed. It has guiding significance to the development of similar gas reservoirs

FGG-NUFFT-Based Method for Near-Field 3-D Imaging Using Millimeter Waves

In this paper, to deal with the concealed target detection problem, an accurate and efficient algorithm for near-field millimeter wave three-dimensional (3-D) imaging is proposed that uses a two-dimensional (2-D) plane antenna array. First, a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT) is performed on the scattered data along the antenna array plane. Then, a phase shift is performed to compensate for the spherical wave effect. Finally, fast Gaussian gridding based nonuniform FFT (FGG-NUFFT) combined with 2-D inverse FFT (IFFT) is performed on the nonuniform 3-D spatial spectrum in the frequency wavenumber domain to achieve 3-D imaging. The conventional method for near-field 3-D imaging uses Stolt interpolation to obtain uniform spatial spectrum samples and performs 3-D IFFT to reconstruct a 3-D image. Compared with the conventional method, our FGG-NUFFT based method is comparable in both efficiency and accuracy in the full sampled case and can obtain more accurate images with less clutter and fewer noisy artifacts in the down-sampled case, which are good properties for practical applications. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the FGG-NUFFT-based near-field 3-D imaging algorithm can have better imaging performance than the conventional method for down-sampled measurements

The Diagenetic Alteration of the Carbonate Rocks from the Permian Qixia Formation as Response to Two Periods of Hydrothermal Fluids Charging in the Central Uplift of Sichuan Basin, SW China

The hydrothermal fluid–carbonate rock reaction is frequently regarded to occur in deep-burial diagenesis, and the hydrothermal dissolution is usually distributed and takes place along the faults. Previous studies have suggested that there was hydrothermal fluid activity locally in the Permian Qixia Formation in Sichuan Basin, likely related to the Emeishan basalt eruption. However, the effect of hydrothermal fluids on the carbonate rocks of the Qixia Formation in the central uplift of Sichuan Basin is still unclear. Based on the characteristics and geochemical parameters of the diagenetic minerals, this study aims to reveal the diagenetic alteration related to the hydrothermal fluid–rock reaction in the Qixia Formation and reestablish the diagenetic evolution by using the timing of diagenetic mineral precipitation. The methods include petrographic observation; trace and rare earth element (REE) analysis; C, O and Sr isotope measurement; fluid inclusion temperature measurement and cathodoluminescence analysis. According to the petrographic characteristics, the dolostones are mainly of crystalline structure, namely fine-medium crystalline dolostone, meso-coarse crystalline dolostone, and coarse crystalline dolostone, with the cathodoluminescence color becoming brighter in that order. The limestones from the Qixia Formation are of the bioclastic limestone type, with no cathodoluminescence color. Compared with dolostones, limestones have higher Sr content, lower Mn content, and heavier oxygen isotopes. With the crystalline size of dolostone becoming coarser, the oxygen isotopes of dolostones tend to become lighter. The meso-coarse crystalline dolostone has the highest Mn content and negative carbon isotope. Both limestones and dolostones have an obvious positive Eu anomaly in the Qixia Formation. However, the REE patterns of fine-medium crystalline dolostones are very different from those of meso-coarse crystalline dolostones. It is credible that there were two periods of hydrothermal fluid charging, with different chemical compositions. The first period of hydrothermal fluids could laterally migrate along the sequence boundary. Fine-medium crystalline dolostones were almost completely distributed below the sequence boundary and were dolomitized during the shallow burial period. As products of the hydrothermal fluid–dolostone reaction, the saddle-shaped dolomites in the meso-coarse crystalline dolostones were the evidence of the second period of hydrothermal fluids. As a result, the dolomitization model was established according to the timing of diagenetic mineral precipitation, which can improve that the geological understanding of the effect of hydrothermal fluid activities on the carbonate rocks in the Qixia Formation

A new method for restoration of sedimentary paleogeomorphology based on lithofacies and geochemistry: A case study of the Qixia Formation in central Sichuan

Objective The sedimentary palaeogeomorphology of the Permian Qixia Formation in Sichuan Basin has key influence over the distribution and evolution of carbonate reservoirs. Restoring and characterizing the sedimentary palaeogeomorphology of Gaoshiti area can gain further understanding of the distribution of favorable sedimentary facies and predict the distribution of high-quality reservoirs. Methods Based on the division of the third-order sequence, the high-resolution sequence stratigraphic framework was established by using geochemical proxies, petrological markers and logging markers. Two kinds of sedimentary microfacies, i.e. beach core and beach wing, were also identified. In addition, this study has calculated the difference of layer thicknesses in the sequence, and has identified different types of sedimentary sequences. A number of values including the beach core/beach wing value, Fe/Mn and MgO/Al2O3 ratios and other geochemical parameters were also calculated. The characteristics of the above parameters on the plane are analyzed and re-evaluated, which are all used to restore the palaeogeomorphic characteristics of the sedimentary period of the Qixia Formation in the study area. Results The result of research shows that the palaeogeomorphic characteristics of the 1st Member of Qixia are higher in the northwest and south, lower in the middle, and the palaeogeomorphic drop is obvious. Our new results show that the palaeogeomorphic highlands of the 2nd Member of Qixia are distributed in the middle of the study area, that the western palaeogeomorphology is low, and that the overall difference of palaeogeomorphology is small. Conclusion According to the results of ancient landform restoration, Gaoshiti-Moxi area forms a shallow water ring zone in the northeast-southwest direction where granular shoals are developed. Local micro-positive structures and granular shoals are developed in the south. However, the distribution of micro-positive structures is so limit that the extension range of granular shoals is limit. This study highlights that future exploration and development should focus on the development area of granular shoals in the northeast-southwest direction

The Diagenetic Alteration of the Carbonate Rocks from the Permian Qixia Formation as Response to Two Periods of Hydrothermal Fluids Charging in the Central Uplift of Sichuan Basin, SW China

The hydrothermal fluid–carbonate rock reaction is frequently regarded to occur in deep-burial diagenesis, and the hydrothermal dissolution is usually distributed and takes place along the faults. Previous studies have suggested that there was hydrothermal fluid activity locally in the Permian Qixia Formation in Sichuan Basin, likely related to the Emeishan basalt eruption. However, the effect of hydrothermal fluids on the carbonate rocks of the Qixia Formation in the central uplift of Sichuan Basin is still unclear. Based on the characteristics and geochemical parameters of the diagenetic minerals, this study aims to reveal the diagenetic alteration related to the hydrothermal fluid–rock reaction in the Qixia Formation and reestablish the diagenetic evolution by using the timing of diagenetic mineral precipitation. The methods include petrographic observation; trace and rare earth element (REE) analysis; C, O and Sr isotope measurement; fluid inclusion temperature measurement and cathodoluminescence analysis. According to the petrographic characteristics, the dolostones are mainly of crystalline structure, namely fine-medium crystalline dolostone, meso-coarse crystalline dolostone, and coarse crystalline dolostone, with the cathodoluminescence color becoming brighter in that order. The limestones from the Qixia Formation are of the bioclastic limestone type, with no cathodoluminescence color. Compared with dolostones, limestones have higher Sr content, lower Mn content, and heavier oxygen isotopes. With the crystalline size of dolostone becoming coarser, the oxygen isotopes of dolostones tend to become lighter. The meso-coarse crystalline dolostone has the highest Mn content and negative carbon isotope. Both limestones and dolostones have an obvious positive Eu anomaly in the Qixia Formation. However, the REE patterns of fine-medium crystalline dolostones are very different from those of meso-coarse crystalline dolostones. It is credible that there were two periods of hydrothermal fluid charging, with different chemical compositions. The first period of hydrothermal fluids could laterally migrate along the sequence boundary. Fine-medium crystalline dolostones were almost completely distributed below the sequence boundary and were dolomitized during the shallow burial period. As products of the hydrothermal fluid–dolostone reaction, the saddle-shaped dolomites in the meso-coarse crystalline dolostones were the evidence of the second period of hydrothermal fluids. As a result, the dolomitization model was established according to the timing of diagenetic mineral precipitation, which can improve that the geological understanding of the effect of hydrothermal fluid activities on the carbonate rocks in the Qixia Formation