Coupling relationship between reservoir diagenesis and gas accumulation in Xujiahe Formation of Yuanba–Tongnanba area, Sichuan Basin, China

Abstract

The relationship between reservoir tightening time and gas charge period are the key subjects that have not been well solved considering the studies on the tight sand gas accumulation mechanism and enrichment regularity. The diagenetic evolution history, interaction sequence of organic–inorganic in aquiferous rock, gas charge history, the tightening mechanism of tight sandstone reservoir and the relationship between reservoir tightening time and gas accumulation period of the Xujiahe Formation have been analyzed in the Yuanba–Tongnanba area of the Sichuan Basin. It has been confirmed that the main reason for the tight sandstone reservoir formation is the intensive mechanical compaction which has dramatically reduced the sandstone reservoir quality, and it resulted to a semi-closed to a closed diagenetic fluid system formation at the early diagenetic stage. In the semi-closed to a closed diagenetic fluid system, at the later part of the diagenetic stage, the fluid circulation is not smooth, and the migration of the dissolution products are blocked, hence, the dissolution products mainly undergo the in situ precipitation and cementation. Such dissolution products block the dissolution pores and the residual primary pores; and the stronger the dissolution is, the higher the cement content is, which makes the reservoir further tightened. The hydrocarbon generation and expulsion history of source rocks and reservoir fluid inclusion characteristics in the Xujiahe Formation show that the charge of natural gas occurs in the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (mainly Early Cretaceous). A comprehensive analysis of the reservoir tightening history, gas charge history, and interaction sequence of organic–inorganic aquiferous in rock indicate that the sandstone reservoir experienced a tightening process when gas charging took place in the Xujiahe Formation in the Yuanba–Tongnanba area of the Sichuan Basin.