scholarly journals Compaction control on diagenesis and reservoir quality development in red bed sandstones: a case study of Permian Rotliegend sandstones

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Monsees ◽  
Benjamin Busch ◽  
Christoph Hilgers
Keyword(s):  
Polarized Light ◽  
Reservoir Quality ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
General Effect ◽  
Permeability Heterogeneity ◽  
Vertical Permeability ◽  
Porosity Reduction ◽  
Compaction Control ◽  
Horizontal Permeability

AbstractAuthigenic minerals formed during diagenesis in conjunction with compaction by burial have long been known to lead to porosity-loss of sandstones, and a subsequent deterioration in reservoir quality. The diagenetic impact on reservoir quality and permeability heterogeneity measured horizontal and vertical to bedding was characterized in three fluvio-eolian Lower Permian Rotliegend outcrops from the Flechtingen High, the northern Hesse Basin (both Germany) and the Vale of Eden (UK) using point-counting, polarized light-microscopy, helium pycnometry and permeability measurements. Results show significant porosity (10 to 35%) and permeability (0.01 to 10,000 mD) ranges largely independent of depositional environment. The major control on reservoir quality in Cornberg Sandstones are dolomite and siderite cementation in conjunction with illitization and illite and kaolinite cementation, leading together with quartz cementation to a mostly cemented IGV and poorest reservoir quality (avg. horizontal permeability: 0.96 mD). Flechtingen Sandstones are most intensely compacted due to the lack of significant early diagenetic cement phases and continuous illitic grain-to-grain coatings, which inhibited intense quartz cementation but enhanced chemical compaction at quartz grain contacts, resulting in intermediate reservoir quality (avg. horizontal permeability: 34.9 mD). Penrith Sandstones lack significant authigenic phases besides quartz due to carbonate dissolution during uplift. They show the least amount of detrital feldspars and clay minerals, leading to no major reservoir quality reduction by burial diagenetic clay mineral alterations, resulting in the highest reservoir quality (avg. horizontal permeability: 5900 mD). Additional results highlight higher horizontal to vertical permeability ratios kh/kv in less homogeneous sandstones of < 10 mD of 10, and in more homogenous, higher permeable sandstones > 1000 mD of 1. Although detrital and authigenic sample compositions vary throughout the studied areas, the general effect of grain coatings coverages on syntaxial cement inhibition and chemical compaction can be delineated. This study increases the understanding of porosity reduction in sandstones, as it confirms the necessity to differentiate between the illitic grain-to-grain coatings and illitic grain-to-IGV coatings. As a result, the enhancing effect of illite on chemical compaction on quartz grain-grain boundaries can be better constrained, as well as the effect of grain coatings on quartz cementation. This is relevant for reservoir quality and risk assessment in hydrocarbon and geothermal plays as well as in storage.

A Unified Parameter to Represent Reservoir Heterogeneity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandana Ramabhadra Agastya
Keyword(s):  
Water Saturation ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Universal Method ◽  
Permeability Ratio ◽  
Initial Water ◽  
Vertical Permeability ◽  
Radar Chart ◽  
Horizontal Permeability ◽  
Water Cut ◽  
Thief Zone

Abstract We aim to find a universal method and/or parameter to quantify impact of overall heterogeneity on waterflood performance. For this purpose, we combined the Lorenz coefficient, horizontal permeability to vertical permeability ratio, and thief zone permeability to average permeability ratio, with a radar chart. The area of the radar chart serves as a single parameter to rank reservoirs according to heterogeneity, and correlates to waterflood performance. The parameters investigated are vertical and horizontal permeability. Average porosity, initial water saturation, and initial diagonal pressure ratio are kept constant. Computer based experiments are used over the course of this entire research. We conducted permeability studies that demonstrate the effects of thief zones and crossflow. After normalizing these parameters into a number between 0 and 1, we then plot them on a radar chart. A reservoir's overall degree of heterogeneity can be inferred using the radar chart area procedure discussed in this study. In general, our simulations illustrate that the larger the radar chart area, the more heterogenous the reservoir is, which in turn yields higher water cut trends and lower recovery factors. Computer simulations done during this study also show that the higher the Lorenz coefficient, the higher the probability of a thief zone to exist. Simulations done to study crossflow also show certain trends with respect to under tonguing and radar chart area.

scholarly journals The Case Study of the Medieval Town Walls of Gubbio in Italy: First Results on the Characterization of Mortars and Binders

Heritage ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 468-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Carvalho ◽  
Andreia Lopes ◽  
Antonella Curulli ◽  
Teresa da Silva ◽  
Maria Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polarized Light ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
First Results ◽  
Restoration Practices ◽  
Climate Events

Good conservation and restoration practices of cultural heritage assets rely on the knowledge of original materials. In the framework of the HERACLES Project (HERACLES—HEritage Resilience Against CLimate Events on Site, H2020 Grant Agreement 700395), dealing with the effects of climatic actions and natural hazards on built heritage, a set of important heritage sites are currently under study to improve their resilience against climate events. Among these are the medieval Gubbio Town Walls in Italy. The present work focuses on the mortars and binders of this monument and collected samples related to different parts of the Walls, corresponding to various historical periods of construction and interventions. They were characterized to determine their minerochemical composition, thermal behavior, and morphology. For that purpose, ex-situ laboratory techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), optical microscopy (OM), polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and simultaneous differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetry (TG-DTA) were used to discern trends in different sampling areas due to construction/reconstruction periods and building techniques.

scholarly journals Investigation of Water Composition on Formation Damage and Related Energy Recovery from Geothermal Reservoirs: Geochemical and Geomechanics Insights

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 7415
Author(s):  
Ilyas Khurshid ◽  
Imran Afgan
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Formation Damage ◽  
Breakdown Pressure ◽  
Geothermal Reservoirs ◽  
Water Composition ◽  
Porosity Reduction ◽  
Reduction Case ◽  
Formation Porosity

The main challenge in extracting geothermal energy is to overcome issues relating to geothermal reservoirs such as the formation damage and formation fracturing. The objective of this study is to develop an integrated framework that considers the geochemical and geomechanics aspects of a reservoir and characterizes various formation damages such as impairment of formation porosity and permeability, hydraulic fracturing, lowering of formation breakdown pressure, and the associated heat recovery. In this research study, various shallow, deep and high temperature geothermal reservoirs with different formation water compositions were simulated to predict the severity/challenges during water injection in hot geothermal reservoirs. The developed model solves various geochemical reactions and processes that take place during water injection in geothermal reservoirs. The results obtained were then used to investigate the geomechanics aspect of cold-water injection. Our findings presented that the formation temperature, injected water temperature, the concentration of sulfate in the injected water, and its dilution have a noticeable impact on rock dissolution and precipitation. In addition, anhydrite precipitation has a controlling effect on permeability impairment in the investigated case study. It was observed that the dilution of water could decrease formation of scale while the injection of sulfate rich water could intensify scale precipitation. Thus, the reservoir permeability could decrease to a critical level, where the production of hot water reduces and the generation of geothermal energy no longer remains economical. It evident that injection of incompatible water would decrease the formation porosity. Thus, the geomechanics investigation was performed to determine the effect of porosity decrease. It was found that for the 50% porosity reduction case, the initial formation breakdown pressure reduced from 2588 psi to 2586 psi, and for the 75% porosity reduction case it decreased to 2584 psi. Thus, geochemical based formation damage is significant but geomechanics based formation fracturing is insignificant in the selected case study. We propose that water composition should be designed to minimize damage and that high water injection pressures in shallow reservoirs should be avoided.

scholarly journals Analysis of filtration and electrical properties anisotropy of terrigenous reservoir rocks (for DDB axial zone reservoirs)

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistivity ◽  
Gas Permeability ◽  
Vertical Direction ◽  
Absolute Permeability ◽  
Electrical Anisotropy ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
Vertical Permeability ◽  
Irreducible Water Saturation ◽  
Horizontal Permeability ◽  
Filtration Properties

The paper focuses on the filtration and electrical anisotropy coefficients and relationship between vertical and horizontal permeability in sandstone reservoir rocks. Field case study of DDB reservoir rocks. Petrophysical properties and parameters are estimated from core and log data from a Moscovian and Serpukhovian stages of Dnipro-Donetsk Basin (West-Shebelynka area well 701-Bis and South-Kolomak area well 31). Routine core analysis included estimation of absolute permeability, open porosity, irreducible water saturation and electrical resistivity (on dry and saturated by mineralized solution) of 40 core samples along two orthogonal directions. Shale fraction is estimated using well logging data in wells which are analyzed. The authors report that reservoir rocks are represented by compacted poor-porous (φ <10 %), low permeable (k<1mD) laminated sandstone with different ratios of clay minerals (Vsh from 0,03 to 0,7) and high volume of micaceous minerals (in some cases 20-30 %). Research theory. One of the main objectives of the work is to develop empirical correlation between vertical permeability and other capacitive and filtration properties for compacted sandstone reservoirs. A modified Kozeny-Carman equation and the concept of hydraulic average radius form the basis for the technique. Results. Coefficients of the anisotropy of gas permeability (IA) and electrical resistivity (λ) are defined based on the results of petrophysical studies. The experiments proved that IA lies in a range from 0,49 to 5 and λ from 0,77 to 1,06. Permeability and electrical resistivity anisotropy in most cases have horizontal distribution. It has been shown that in West-Shebelynka area sample №1 (depth 4933 m) there is probably no fluids flow in vertical direction and in samples №№3 and 15 fractures have the vertical orientation. We have also found that the values of electrical and filtration anisotropy for all samples of South-Kolomak area are similar, this characterized the unidirectionality in their filtration properties, as well as the fact that the motion of the fluid flow mainly in the horizontal direction. In the studied rocks the degree of anisotropy has been concluded to depend on the volume of clay and micaceous minerals, their stratification, fractures, density, and their orientation. New correlation between vertical permeability, horizontal permeability and effective porosity are developed for Late Carboniferous DDB intervals that are analyzed.

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