Coupling relationship between tight sandstone reservoir and gas charging: An example from lower Permian Taiyuan Formation in Kangning field, northeastern Ordos Basin, China

Abstract

The Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation is a lithic-abundant, tight gas sandstone reservoir in the Kangning field, northeastern Ordos Basin. To clarify the gas accumulation process in tight gas sands, the relationship between the densification of Taiyuan Formation sandstones and gas charging is analyzed. Core porosities of the Taiyuan Formation are mostly below 10%, and air permeabilities are below 1 mD. The sandstone reservoirs are characterized by strong heterogeneity. Dissolution pores and large amounts of micropores in clay minerals dominate the storage space. This porosity is the result of the impact of diagenesis. Porosity evolution modeling confirmed well the prediction of the period of sandstone densification (225-215 Ma) based on the basin analysis as well as diagenetic calibration. Strong compaction dominated the physical property (porosity and permeability) reduction with cementation as a subordinate factor. The integration of burial history and fluid inclusion data suggested that large quantities of gas migrated into the Taiyuan sandstone reservoirs from 176 Ma to 80 Ma when the reservoirs were already tight (porosity <10%). Gas expansion forces provided by source rocks were the main driving force for gas charging instead of buoyancy. Since the late Cretaceous, uplift activity had little influence on Taiyuan tight gas-sands due to self-generation and self-storage. Overlapping sandstone bodies interbedded with high-thickness and good-quality source rocks jointly determined development of tight gas sands. These study results may explain the gas accumulation process and provide insights into gas exploration and development when this method is applied elsewhere.