Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2020, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 684-695.doi: 10.11743/ogg20200403

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Types and characteristics of tight sandstone sweet spots in large basins of central-western China

Xunyu Cai1(), Guiqiang Qiu2, Dongsheng Sun2, Hongquan Zhu3, Wei Wang4, Zhiping Zeng5   

  1. 1. SINOPEC Exploration&Production Department, Beijing 100728, China
    2. Petroleum Exploration&Production Research Institute, SINOPEC, Beijing 100083, China
    3. Exploration and Development Research Institute of Southwest Oil and Gas Company, SINOPEC, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
    4. Geophysical Research Institute of Exploration Company, SINOPEC, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
    5. Exploration and Development Research Institute of Shengli Oilfield Company, SINOPEC, Dongying, Shandong 257015, China
  • Received:2020-01-15 Online:2020-08-01 Published:2020-08-11

Abstract:

The major basins of central-western China are rich in tight (sandstone) oil and gas deposits, which are the key exploration and development targets of the petroleum industry.However, the formation and distribution of these resources are complex and has put economic restrictions on their extraction.One way to solve this problem is to evaluate, screen and exploit "sweet spots" (promising reservoirs) to reduce uncertainties.Based on a characterization of tight oil and gas in clastic sequences of these basins, this study focused on classifying sweet spots by analyzing geological factors that controlled the formation and distribution of the sweet spots and by taking into consideration the applicability of prediction technologies to field data, a relative consistency between forming mechanisms and distribution patterns, and an integration of economic and technical strategies.The sweet spots were generally classified into the lithofacies-restrained, fracture-dominated, and unconformity-regulated types.Of which, the lithofacies-restrained sweet spots were controlled by diagenesis during burial and developed inside certain lithofacies; the fracture-dominated sweet spots were controlled by fracture networks and mainly formed in faults and folds with strong structural-deformation; and the unconformity-regulated sweet spots were controlled by leaching layers inside weathering crust and formed during long-term uplifting and strong weathering.The Jurassic "narrow channel" in the east slope of the West Sichuan Depression, the Xujiahe "fault-fractured complex" in Malubei area of northern Sichuan Basin, and the Carboniferous System in Chepaizi area of western Junggar Basin were selected to respectively analyze the formation, distribution and controlling factors of the three types of sweet spots.The results show that the classification by reservoir-forming geological processes and products is helpful for further studying the sweet spots and formulating more suitable geological, geophysical and engineering strategies to better evaluate, optimize and develop the sweet spots.

Key words: narrow-channel, fault-fractured complex, lithofacies-restrained sweet spot, fracture-dominated sweet spot, unconformity-regulated sweet spot, reservoir, tight sandstone oil and gas, basins in central-western China

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