Fracture systems and petrophysical properties of tight sandstone undergoing regional folding: A case study of the Cretaceous reservoirs in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt, Tarim Basin

Abstract

Abstract The Kuqa foreland thrust belt of the Tarim Basin hosts a prolific hydrocarbon system. The main reservoirs are characterized by tight sandstone with low-porosity and ultra-low permeability, buried presently at more than 5000 m depth. Natural fracture systems have a significant impact on reservoir performance, and it may form paths for fluid flow in tight sandstone reservoirs, and therefore plays an essential role in controlling high production rates. With the aim of analyzing the distribution of favorable reservoir, we studied subsurface fracture patterns and petrophysical properties of the Bashijiqike Formation with data collected from Dabei structure and Keshen structure. We document the presence of four fracture systems whose distribution is related to far-field stress, thrusting and folding. In the Keshen anticlines, higher fracture intensities are observed in the limbs, with principal east-west (hinge-parallel fracture system) direction. The hinge-parallel fracture system includes a moderate-dipping fracture set and a vertical fracture set. Crosscutting relationships stress field inversion and fracture surface textures suggest that the moderate-dipping fracture set consists of shear fractures and can be explained by intra-layer shear caused by thrusting. The vertical fracture set may be formed due to the local outer arc extension during folding. The oblique fracture system shows scattering in strike, and is supposed to be related to a shear event of locally left-lateral strike-slip. Whereas, in the Dabei anticlines, the major system is hinge-perpendicular fracture system (NW-SE), showing a trending of increasing fracture intensity from limbs to hinge. The hinge-perpendicular fractures system in the Dabei anticlines consist of shear fractures and tension fractures. Stress inversion result shows it corresponds to northwest-southeast orientation compression stage. Besides, we analyzed petrophysical properties include porosity, permeability, Young's module, Poisson ratio and compressive strength of the Bashijiqike Formation concerning their structural position within folds. It indicates that the highest porosity and permeability are associated with dissolution and fracturing. The compressive strength of different structural positions also restrict the variations of mechanical properties of rocks. The best reservoir quality is suggested in the hinge zone and areas close to thrust. The findings have given maybe helpful for providing favorable reservoir targets for prospecting in the compressional basin.