Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2019, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (3): 636-644.doi: 10.11743/ogg20190318

• Petroleum Development and Engineering • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Reservoir conditions and mechanism of shale oil flow

Dong Mingzhe1, Li Yajun1, Sang Qian1, Li Sheng2, Li Meng1, Su Yuliang1   

  1. 1. School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum(East China), Qingdao, Shandong 266580, China;
    2. Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, AB Calgary T2N1N4, Canada
  • Received:2019-01-24 Revised:2019-03-01 Online:2019-06-28 Published:2019-04-26

Abstract: With the development of horizontal wells through multi-stage hydraulic fracturing techniques,the shale oil production rate and its decline rate are closely related to the flow ability of shale oil in the matrixes.Although the shale re-servoir rich in crude oil is characterized by fine pores and extremely low permeability,it is possible to accomplish commercial production of shale oil if the laminated texture (featuring sandstone alternating with shale) is well developed.The mechanism of shale oil flow in laminated formations is not clear yet.The commonly applied dual-media or equivalent permeability methods in field-scale reservoir simulations cannot be used to describe the microscopic phenomena of shale oil flow in laminated reservoirs,and consequently the simulated shale oil production is not reliable.Therefore,we established a macroscopic conceptual model for shale oil reservoirs based on the features of continental shale reservoirs,and analyzed the flow mechanisms of shale oil in laminated reservoirs.Besides,the effects of laminated texture properties and fracture distribution on shale oil flow in shale reservoirs during primary production were investigated through simulation.The simulated results verify the presence of transverse flow and the significant control of laminated sandstone intervals' permeability on the overall reservoir permeability,and demonstrate the important role of both natural and artificial fractures in enhancing fluid communication within the laminated reservoirs.

Key words: flow mechanism, movability, laminated reservoir, reservoir condition, fracture, reservoir model, shale oil, reservoir simulation

CLC Number: