The early Ordovician Majiagou reservoir of the Jingbian Field, Northwest China: Karstic peritidal dolomite

Abstract

The Jingbian Field is located in the central part of the Ordos Basin in the west part of the North China Platform. It is the largest gas field discovery in China in the 1980’s. The field is an example of production from a paleogeomorphic trap formed by karstification of Lower Ordovician peritidal dolomites. In terms of gas potential, the Majiagou Formation is the more important stratigraphic unit. It is composed of six members, the uppermost member (O1m6) has been largely removed by prolonged Caledonian karst erosion, leaving the underlying (O1m5) member to provide the main pay for the field. In spite of the 163 wells drilled the field presents many problems and uncertainties because of the poor seismic definition of the pay zones and the great reservoir heterogeneity of the karst system. Statistical data from more than 30 wells show a poor correlation between individual well-flow rates and thickness of the karstic zone or distance of wells, relative to a paleeochannel. This suggests karstification is not the most important factor controlling productivity. The release of organic acids (during maturation of the source rock) and fracturing in response to Cretaceous tectonic event appear to be key factors responsible for the productivity of the Majiagou-5 (O1m5) reservoir in terms of modifying and enlarging the pore network. Carboniferous clays provide an effective updip seal through the infill of karst-breccia zones. High productivity is prominent along structural axes where karstic fractures, solution vugs and caverns are interconnected by vertical to sub-vertical fractures. On the basis of pore-type the Majiagou-5 Member reservoirs can be divided into four reservoir types, each allowing differentiation of reservoir quality through characteristic porosity-permeability ranges and capillary-pressure curves. Key aspects which affect the commerciality of the field are still uncertain but with recent test wells producing gas with water, considerations should focus on the mechanism of weak edge-water drive and the need to predict fracture zones.