Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2014, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 258-265.

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Key parameter selection for tight gas resource potential:a case from Turfan-Hami Basin

Wang Weiming1, Zhao Xu2, Sun Jiwen3, Duan Shengqiang4, Wang Yang5, Wang Guilei6, Yan Xu6, Tian Weichao1   

  1. 1. Research institute of Unconventional Oil and Gas and New Energy, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, China;
    2. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, SINOPEC, Beijing 100083, China;
    3. Shenyang Oil Producing Plant, PetroChina Liaohe Oilfield Company, Xinming, Liaoning 110316, China;
    4. Qinghai Division of Logging Co., Ltd., PetroChina, Dunhuang, Gansu 736202, China;
    5. No.1 Oil Production Plant, PetroChina Qinghai Oilfield Company, Mangya, Qinghai 816499, China;
    6. School of Earth Sciences, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, Heilongjiang 163318, China
  • Received:2013-10-08 Revised:2014-01-09 Online:2014-04-08 Published:2014-05-21

Abstract: Selection of methods and relevant parameters is crucial for estimation of tight gas resources.The volumetric method was selected in this paper based on analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of different evaluation methods and relevant two key parameters were defined,namely tightness limit and gas saturation.The results show that volumetric method is the most reliable method to evaluate tight gas resource potential.However,the accurate determination of relevant parameters should be based on the features of tight sandstone reservoir.Tight sandstone reservoirs are generally cha-racterized by small throat,strong hydrophilicity and high bound water saturation.The size of throat controls the permeabi-lity.Hydrophilicity is controlled by clay mineral components and their contents rather than the total amount of clay mine-rals.The higher content of Illite is,the smaller the wetting angle is and the stronger the hydrophilicity is.The contrary is true for chloride.The balance relationship between gas buoyancy and capillary force determines the limits of reservoir properties,which is significantly influenced by wetting angle.The critical tightening limit progressively decreases from central to edge of the basin.Electric double layer formed by the strong adsorption water on Illite surface has strong conductivivity,which makes the Archie formula not suitable for the interpretation of tight gas saturation.While Indonesia's formula fully takes the influence of shale content into consideration,thus is more suitable for determining gas saturation of tight sandstone reservoir.

Key words: volumetric method, resource potential, tight gas, unconventional oil & gas, Turfan-Hami Basin

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