Establishment and Application of a New Parameter Model for Quantitative Characterization of the Heterogeneity of Thick, Coarse-Grained Clastic Reservoirs: A Case Study of the Badaowan Formation in the Western Slope of the Mahu Depression, Junggar Basin, China

Abstract

The rock composition of thick-layer, coarse-grained clastic reservoirs is complex. There are large variations in granularity and poor selectivity. Reservoirs of thick-layer, coarse-grained clastic rocks are extremely heterogeneous. Current conventional parameters for quantitative characterization of reservoir heterogeneity, such as the calculation values of the permeability variation coefficient, the permeability rush coefficient, and the permeability contrast, are unbounded, have different representation angles, and the quantification degree of the characterization method is not high. This study takes the thick layer of the coarse-clastic rock reservoir developed in the western slope of the Badaowan Formation in the Mahu Depression of the Junggar Basin as an example. Through core observation, microscopic characteristics, and analysis of laboratory data, a new quantitative characterization parameter of heterogeneity is proposed, and a reservoir interpretation parameter model is established. The results were as follows. (1) The pore development of the thick, coarse-grained clastic rock reservoir is complicated, the sorting and pore structure are poor, the reservoir heterogeneity is strong, and the permeability has double peaks. (2) We propose a new parameter to evaluate reservoir heterogeneity: the fluctuation a coefficient. This essentially compares the average permeability of two adjacent layer sites with the average permeability. The fluctuation coefficient can reflect the fluctuations in permeability, and the larger the fluctuation coefficient, the stronger the heterogeneity. In addition, it has the advantages of a clear characterization target, bounded calculation data, and the same characterization angle, etc., thereby realizing the quantitative characterization of the macro degree of reservoir heterogeneity under a unified standard. (3) This parameter was used to evaluate the reservoir heterogeneity of the Badaowan Formation in the western slope of the Mahu Depression. Most wells in the study area had a fluctuation coefficient of about 0.3, but others ranged between 0.2 and 0.6. It is concluded that the larger the fluctuation coefficient of the study area, the better the oil content because these types of reservoirs have strong heterogeneity. The fluctuation coefficient can effectively reflect the strength of the heterogeneity and can also provide a reference for further reservoir enrichment research.