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Main Controlling Factors and Prediction Model of Fracture Scale in Tight Sandstone: Insights from Dynamic Reservoir Data and Geomechanical Model Analysis

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Abstract

Natural fractures are effective storage spaces and the main seepage channels of tight reservoirs, and the spacing and role of structural fractures of different scales in tight reservoirs are also different. However, the opening or height of underground natural fractures is often difficult to determine directly using seismic data or imaging logging, which restricts the characterization, modeling, and analysis of the formation mechanisms of reservoir fractures. This paper uses the morphology of water absorption profiles and conventional logging data to calculate the ratio of the isotope intensity of a single well to natural gamma values from logging and characterize the types of water absorption profiles. The size (opening and height) of the fractures is closely related to the height of the water absorption profile and the fluctuation in the water absorption intensity. The calculated rock mechanics parameters along a single well, combined with the internal friction angle of the rock and the fracture strike, are used to determine the magnitude and direction of the paleostress of the Y290-Y414 Block in the southeastern Ordos Basin during the Himalayan period. By establishing a single-well geomechanical model to simulate the three-dimensional distribution of paleostress and paleostrain during the formation of fractures, a database model for constructing the scale of fractures is established. Through correlation analysis, a model for predicting the strength and thickness of the water absorption profile is established. Finally, the three-dimensional distribution pattern of the scale of structural fractures is predicted, and the reliability of the prediction results is verified using dynamic development data. The research results have certain reference significance for explaining the mechanism of fracture formation, characterizing the scale of underground fractures, and modeling reservoir fractures.

Highlights

A model for predicting the height and opening of structural fractures is established.

The scale of fractures is closely related to the mechanical structure of the rock layers.

The presence of large-scale fractures is the main cause of water channeling and flooding.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42102156), and the “CUG Scholar” Scientific Research Funds at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) (Project No. 2022046).

Funding

The work of **gshou Liu was funded by Young Scientists Fund under Grant No. 42102156.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    **gshou Liu & Yuanhong Lu

  2. School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    **gshou Liu, Yuanhong Lu, Yang Luo & Lin Lu

  3. Research Institute of Exploration and Development, Tarim Oilfield Company, PetroChina, Korla, 841000, **njiang, China

    Ke Xu

  4. College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China

    Haimeng Yang

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  1. **gshou Liu
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Correspondence to **gshou Liu.

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Liu, J., Lu, Y., Xu, K. et al. Main Controlling Factors and Prediction Model of Fracture Scale in Tight Sandstone: Insights from Dynamic Reservoir Data and Geomechanical Model Analysis. Rock Mech Rock Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-024-03979-3

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