Advanced Determination of Heat Flow Density on an Example of a West Russian Oil Field

Reliable geothermal data are required for basin and petroleum system modeling. The essential shortcomings of the methods and results of previous geothermal investigations lead to a necessity to reappraise the data on the thermal properties and heat flow. A new, advanced experimental basis was used to provide reliable data on vertical variations in the thermal properties of formation and heat flow for the area surrounding a prospecting borehole drilled through an unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir of the Domanik Formation in the Orenburg region (Russia). Temperature logging was conducted 12.5 months after well drilling. The thermal properties of the rocks were measured with continuous thermal core profiling on all 1699 recovered core samples. Within non-cored intervals, the thermal conductivity of the rocks was determined from well-logging data. The influence of core aging, multiscale heterogeneity and anisotropy, in situ pressure and temperature on the thermal properties of rock was accounted for. The terrestrial heat flow was determined to be 72.6 ± 2.2 mW·m−2—~114% larger than the published average data for the studied area. The experiment presents the first experience of supporting basin modeling in unconventional plays with advanced experimental geothermal investigations.

Basin and petroleum system modeling in conjunction zone of the Alexander and Srednevasyugan anticlines and Ust-Tym depression, southeastern part of the West Siberian hydrocarbon province (Russia)

The paper is aimed at the basin and petroleum system modeling in the conjunction zone of the Alexander and Srednevasyugan anticlines and Ust-Tym depression during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic time. The exploration area is located in the southeastern part of the West Siberian hydrocarbon province. The present research primarily identifies the oil-window-entry time, maturity, generation points, generation power, and remaining potential of the Togur and Bazhenov source rocks. The Togur oil-window-entry time is 139.5 Ma. The Bazhenov oil-window-entry time is 99 Ma. Liquid hydrocarbons are extensively generated by the source rocks at the present time, since the Togur and Bazhenov Formations are found to be in the oil window. The significant amount of generated hydrocarbons is lost in migration processes. The source rock generation power and remaining potential are 1.1 and 1.5 billion tons of hydrocarbons, respectively.