Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2006, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (1): 37-43.doi: 10.11743/ogg20060107

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Characteristics of geotemperature-geopressure system in western Qaidam basin and their relationship with oil and gas distribution

Li Heyong1, Liu Zhen1, Dang Yuqi1,2, Li Weilian1, Liang Quansheng1, Zhang Yongshu2   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory for Hydrocarbon Accumulation Mechanism of Ministry of Education, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 100083, China;
    2. Exploration and Development Research Institute, Qinghai Oilfield Company, PetroChina, Dunhuang, Gansu 736202, China
  • Received:2005-08-11 Online:2006-02-25 Published:2012-01-16

Abstract:

Geothermal gradients range between 2.0℃ and 4.5℃ per hundred meters in western Qaidam basin, with an average value of 3.0℃ per hundred meters. Abnormally high pressure can occur at a depth of 2 300 m and over, and the pressure coefficient can be as high as 2.0. Laterally, the temperature-pressure systems in western Qaidam basin can be divided into 9 subareas such as HPHT, according to the formation pressure coefficients and the distribution intervals of the abnormal geotemperatures. Vertically, they can be divided into the upper static pressure type and the lower overpressure type. The upper and lower temperature-pressure systems have quite different fluid energies, thus hydrocarbons are highly capable of migrating vertically and are prone to accumulate around the boundaries of temperature-pressure systems. Laterally, oil and gas pools are basically distributed in the subareas with relatively low fluid energy; there are also oil and gas pools occurring in the sub-areas with high fluid energy, but most of them are primary oil and gas reservoirs with good sealing and preservation conditions, such as lithologic and structural-lithologic reservoirs. Characteristics of present temperature-pressure systems show that the deep temperature-pressure systems of high pressure type have good sealing conditions and contain most of the oil and gas reserves, thus they would be the main targets of future petroleum exploration.

Key words: formation temperature, formation pressure, geotemperature-geopressure system, hydrocarbon migration and accumulation, Qaidam basin

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