Reservoir quality database (for enhanced prediction and risk reduction)

随着我们对更深、更热的油气藏进行勘探，储集岩的质量（孔隙度和渗透率）变得越来越重要，因为埋藏和加热通常会导致极端程度的压实和矿物胶结生长（这些统称为成岩作用）。目前还没有通用的方法来预测砂岩储层的质量，特别是在高压和高温环境下，因此这方面的油气勘探变得越来越重要。这项研究不仅为勘探提供了宝贵的工具，而且有望对沉积盆地深处砂岩储层质量控制的起源和分布产生新的见解和结论。本研究旨在收集已发表的砂岩油气储层质量数据，这些数据分散在世界各地的书籍章节、期刊和已发表的政府档案中，并将其收集到一个关系数据库中。该数据库将包含孔隙度和渗透率数据以及沉积岩的年龄、深度、温度和类型等信息。最重要的是，它将包含控制储层质量的基本特征的数据；原始砂粒的矿物学和结构，矿物胶结物的种类和数量，粘土基质的数量。这项任务艰巨，但并非不可能；在为期一年的初始项目中，建议将数据库建设限制在英国盆地和邻近地区（北海挪威部分，爱尔兰领海）。最终目标是获取地球上所有沉积盆地的所有相关公布数据。该数据库将帮助石油和天然气勘探公司预测砂岩储层的质量，从而降低风险，允许勘探者找到合适的类似物。该数据库将有助于延长英国境内成熟盆地的寿命，并有助于在具有挑战性的高压和高温环境中进行勘探和开发，例如设得兰群岛西部地区。预计对这类知识的需求将不断增加。最终用户组织（石油和天然气勘探公司：BG、BP和Nexen）已经参与了这项研究计划的启动和设计，并将在工作开始时广泛咨询，以确保数据库设计符合目的。这项研究将包括对BG、BP和Nexen进行为期两周的访问，以便将专有数据输入数据库。这将证明它有潜力成为储层质量预测的行业标准。在项目期间，将编制一份关于联合工业方案（JIP）的正式提案，以继续这项工作，并分发给所有石油和天然气勘探公司。在这个短期项目即将结束时，将在利物浦大学举行一个讲习班，向所有感兴趣的石油和天然气勘探公司推广储层质量数据库。讲习班将促进联合ip维持和继续这项工作。作为新JIP的一部分，油气公司将被邀请开发公司特定的专有版本的储层质量数据库，与开放访问版本完全兼容，因为这些公司通常不会系统地存档自己的数据。他们将被邀请将当前或正在进行的项目的数据以及旧数据存档，以确保历史勘探和油田评价活动的最大影响。这项初步工作的成果将在一个主要的石油地质学会议上提出，并作为一篇论文提交给一份国际期刊。预计这种独特的砂岩储层质量数据整理将为压实作用和胶结作用带来新的视角，从而在利物浦和石油和天然气勘探公司中产生新的研究计划。

As we explore for deeper and hotter oil and gas reservoirs, the quality (porosity and permeability) of the host reservoir rock becomes ever more critical, since burial and heating typically lead to extreme degrees of compaction and mineral cement growth (these are collectively known as diagenesis). There is no universal way of predicting sandstone reservoir quality, especially in high-pressure and high-temperature settings, so that this aspect of oil and gas exploration is becoming increasingly critical. As well as ultimately producing an invaluable tool to help exploration, it is expected that this research will result in new insights and conclusions about the origin and distribution of the controls on sandstone reservoir quality deep in sedimentary basins.This research is designed to collect published data on sandstone oil and gas reservoir quality, dispersed over the world's literature in book-chapters, journals and published government archives, into a relational database. The database will contain porosity and permeability data and information on the age, depth, temperature and type of sedimentary rock. Most crucially, it will contain data on the fundamental characteristics that control reservoir quality; the mineralogy and texture of the original sand grains, type and quantity of mineral cements and the quantity of clay matrix.This task is substantial but not impossible; in the one year initial project it is proposed that the database-build is restricted to UK basins and neighbouring areas (Norwegian sector of North Sea, Irish territorial waters). The ultimate goal is to capture all relevant published data for all sedimentary basins on Earth.This database will help oil and gas exploration companies predict sandstone reservoir quality, and so reduce risk, by allowing explorers to find appropriate analogues. The database will help to extend the life of mature basins within UK territories and should help exploration and exploitation in challenging high pressure and high temperature environments such as the areas west of the Shetland Islands. It is expected that there will be an ever-increasing demand for this type of knowledge.End-user organisations (oil and gas exploration companies: BG, BP and Nexen) have been involved in the inception and design of this research initiative and will be consulted extensively at the outset of the work to ensure that the database design is fit for purpose. The research will involve two-week visits to BG, BP and Nexen in order to input proprietary data into the database. This will demonstrate its potential to be an industry standard for reservoir quality prediction.During the project a formal proposal for a Joint Industry Programme (JIP), to continue this work, will be prepared and circulated to all oil and gas exploration companies. A workshop will be held at Liverpool University, towards the end of this short project, to promote the Reservoir Quality Database to all interested oil and gas exploration companies. The workshop will promote the JIP to sustain and continue this work.As part of the new JIP, oil and gas companies will be invited to develop company-specific, proprietary versions of the Reservoir Quality Database, fully compatible with the open-access version, since these companies do not typically systematically archive their own data. They will be invited to have data from current or ongoing projects archived as well as older data, in order to ensure maximum impact of historical exploration and oil field appraisal activities.The output from this initial phase of the work will be presented at a major petroleum geology-focussed conference and submitted as a paper to an international journal. It is expected that this unique collation of sandstone reservoir quality data will lead to a new perspective on compaction and cementation and so result in new research initiatives, both at Liverpool and possibly within oil and gas exploration companies.