Impacts of diagenesis of tight sandstone gas reservoir on reservoir physical properties: A case study, Sulige gas field, Ordos Basin, China

Abstract

Diagenesis is one of the most important factors impacting the performance of many reservoirs and is perhaps the most important factor impacting the performance of tight sandstone reservoirs, such as those of the Sulige gas field in the Ordos Basin of China. However, the relationship between diagenesis and related parameters determining reservoir physical properties remains unclear. Therefore, we have analyzed experimental data from high-pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and thin sections in addition to using a porosity recovery calculation model to investigate microscopic characteristics, diagenesis, and pore-evolution processes of the low-permeability tight gas reservoir of the He-8 unit of the Sulige gas field in the Ordos Basin. In addition, we have identified the impacts of diagenesis on reservoir characteristics and established the relationship between diagenesis and reservoir quality evolution. We also used the Beard primary porosity model to recover the primary porosity, and to built the reducing and enhancing calculation models for intergranular pore, dissolution pore, and intercrystalline pore during diagenesis. Based on the quantitative relationship between diagenesis processes and porosity evolution, we found that the results of simulation calculation and experimental works were in close agreement with minimal error.