Abstract
Tight sandstone gas (hereafter “tight gas”) has become a subject of unconventional gas exploration globally. The large-scale development and use of tight gas resources in the USA, in particular, facilitated the rapid rebound of natural gas production in the USA, in addition to driving the rapid development of tight gas worldwide. In the eastern Ordos Basin, the Upper Paleozoic feature includes multiple layers of gas, a shallow depth, and notable potential for exploration and development. However, the reservoirs in the area are relatively tight, exhibit strong heterogeneity, and possess a complex micropore structure, thus restricting the effective economic development of oil and gas. Thus, research on the primary parameters controlling pore throat structure and the seepage capability of low-permeability reservoirs will be beneficial for the efficient exploration and development of natural gas in the eastern Ordos Basin. The parameters of reservoir porosity and percolation ability, as well as permeability, were analyzed using systematic sampling of the of the Upper Paleozoic Benxi, Taiyuan, and Shanxi Formations in the eastern Ordos Basin, constant-rate mercury injection experiments, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, and gas–water-phase experimental studies. The results indicate that reservoir porosity is controlled by the effective pore volume and number, whereas permeability is controlled by the largest throat radius, rather than the average. The effective pore volume controls the movable fluid saturation, while reservoir percolation capability is controlled by the effective pore volume, irreducible water saturation, and size of the gas–water two-phase seepage zone.
Highlights
In recent years, oil and gas researchers have shifted their focus from high-quality reservoir to tight reservoirs and from local trap exploration to large-area exploration and the whole basin
According to the statistical analysis of numerous casting thin sections (Table 1, Fig. 2), the reservoir porosity of Shanxi Formation, Taiyuan Formation, and Benxi Formation in the Upper Paleozoic of the eastern Ordos Basin is primarily distributed between 3.06% and 16.29%
4.2 Reservoir pore throat structure characterized by constant-rate mercury injection experiments (CRMI) experiment
Summary
Oil and gas researchers have shifted their focus from high-quality reservoir to tight reservoirs and from local trap exploration to large-area exploration and the whole basin. Tight gas and tight oil are the most realistic pending exploitation of unconventional oil and gas resources in China (Ma 2004; Jiang et al 2015). Conventional gas reservoirs generally exhibit a clear gas–water interface, and porosity and permeability values are the primary physical parameters of conventional reservoir evaluation. The most remarkable characteristic of unconventional gas reservoirs is the absence of a clear gas–water interface, primarily non-Darcy seepage, complex seepage characteristics, strong reservoir heterogeneity, small pore throat, and diverse types. Some limitations exist in evaluating the reservoir performance and seepage ability of unconventional reservoirs using conventional porosity and permeability parameters
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