Accumulation Mechanisms and Evolution History of the Giant Puguang Gas Field, Sichuan Basin, China

Abstract

Abstract:Solid bitumens were found throughout the carbonate reservoirs in the Puguang gas field, the largest gas field so far found in marine carbonates in China, confirming that the Puguang gas field evolved from a paleo‐oil reservoir. The fluid conduit system at the time of intensive oil accumulation in the field was reconstructed, and petroleum migration pathways were modeled using a 3‐D model and traced by geochemical parameters. The forward modeling and inversion tracing coincided with each other and both indicated that oils accumulated in the Puguang‐Dongyuezhai structure originated from a generative kitchen to the northwest of the Puguang gas field. The deposition of organic‐rich Upper Permian source rocks dominated by sapropelic organic matter in the Northeast Sichuan Basin, the development of fluid conduit system that was vertically near‐source rock and laterally near‐generative kitchen, and the focusing of oils originated from a large area of the generative kitchen, were the three requirements for the formation of the giant paleo‐oil reservoir from which the giant Puguang gas field evolved. The Puguang gas field had experienced a three‐stage evolution. The post‐accumulation processes, especially the organic‐inorganic interaction in the hydrocarbon‐water‐rock system, had not only profoundly altered the composition and characteristics of the petroleum fluids, but also obviously changed the physicochemical conditions in the reservoir and resulted in complicated precipitation and solution of carbonate minerals.