Stress Sensitivity Characteristics of Deep Fractured Carbonate Gas Reservoirs: Gas Reservoir in the 4th Member of Leikoupo Formation in Western Sichuan Basin
Deep fractured carbonate gas reservoirs are characterized by low matrix porosity and permeability, diverse storage-seepage spaces, and strong heterogeneity. Depletion development may induce stress sensitivity effects, thereby constraining efficient gas reservoir exploitation. Revealing the stress sensitivity characteristics of fractured reservoirs and proposing targeted development strategies are crucial for ensuring the effective development of such gas reservoirs. Taking the Leikoupo Formation gas reservoir in the Chuanxi gas field of the Sichuan Basin as an example, a typical structural unit of storage and permeability space and a stress sensitive mathematical model were constructed to quantitatively evaluate reservoir damage. Numerical simulation of the gas reservoir was used for application analysis and development strategies were proposed. The results indicate that increasing effective stress alters pore structures and physical properties, with varying stress sensitivity impacts across different media. Fracture development dominates the intensity of stress sensitivity in fractured gas reservoirs, where stress-induced permeability damage in fracture-dominated spaces exhibits stronger persistence and severity compared to pore-dominated systems. Numerical simulations demonstrate that incorporating stress sensitivity improves history matching accuracy. Stress sensitivity effects reduce cumulative gas production by 1.19 billion m3 and decrease the recovery rate by 3.23% in the Chuanxi Lei-4 gas reservoir. For fractured carbonate gas reservoirs, gas production rates in fracture-developed zones should be appropriately controlled during early development stages to minimize stress sensitivity damage, while avoiding frequent well shut-ins. In mid-to-late development phases, optimizing production pressure differentials in fracture-underdeveloped zones can enhance production contributions. The research provides theoretical guidance for stress sensitivity characterization and development policy formulation in deep fractured carbonate gas reservoirs.
DENG Wen-long, FU Dong-yu.
Stress Sensitivity Characteristics of Deep Fractured Carbonate Gas Reservoirs: Gas Reservoir in the 4th Member of Leikoupo Formation in Western Sichuan Basin[J].
Science Technology and Engineering, 2026, 26(1): 151-162 DOI:10.12404/j.issn.1671-1815.2409121
LiMing, ZhouFujian, LiBen, et al. Stress sensitivity model of sandstone reservoirs considering temperature variation[J]. Science Technology and Engineering, 2021, 21(34): 14542-14547.
LinYongxue, GaoShuyang, CaoNai, et al. Theoretical model of stress-sensitive triple-media well testing analysis for fractured-vuggy reservoirs[J]. Science Technology and Engineering, 2021, 21(11): 4345-4351.
KangYili, LiChaojin, YouLijun, et al. Stress sensitivity of deep tight gas-reservoir sandstone in Tarim Basin[J]. Natural Gas Geoscience, 2020, 31(4): 532-541.
[13]
JiangL W, LiuT J, YangD Y. Effect of stress-sensitive fracture conductivity on transient pressure behavior for a horizontal well with multistage fractures[J]. SPE Journal, 2019, 24(3): 1342-1363.
MengFankun, LeiQun, XuWei, et al. Production performance analysis for stress-sensitive and composite carbonate gas reservoirs[J]. Natural Gas Geoscience, 2018, 29(3): 429-436.
WangRong, LiLongxin, HeQi, et al. Influence factors of deliverability change for gas wells in carbonate reservoirs with natural fractures[J]. Fault-Block Oil & Gas Field, 2020, 27(3): 335-338.
WangYufei, FangTao, ChenHuaxing, et al. Numerical simulation and prediction of stress sensitivity of fractured reservoir[J]. Journal of Shengli College China University of Petroleum, 2022, 36(2): 62-67.
CaoNai, LeiGang, DongPingchuan, et al. Stress sensitivity evaluation of permeability of fractured reservoir and its effect on production[J]. Fault-block Oil & Gas Field, 2019, 26(2): 195-199.
XiaoZunrong, ZhaoYulong, ZhangLiehui, et al. Factors affecting the productivity of tight oil reservoirs based on a dual medium embedded discrete fracture model[J]. Science Technology and Engineering, 2023, 23(25): 10780-10790.
ChenLi, DengHui, ChenSong, et al. Research on the stress sensitivity of reservoirs in the Sinian Dengying-4 gas reservoir in GM area[J]. Journal of Chongqing University of Science and Technology(Science & Technology Edition), 2018, 20(6): 9-12.
DouHongen, ZhangHujun, YaoShanglin, et al. Measurement and evaluation of the stress sensitivity in tight reservoirs[J]. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2016, 43(6): 1022-1028.
HeZuqing, LiXiaoyi, LongWu, et al. Experiment study on stress sensitivity of carbonate reservoir considering the effect of temperature[J]. Journal of Chengdu University of Technology(Science & Technology Edition), 2021, 48(5): 626-631.
[32]
ShaoJ X, YouL J, KangY L, et al. Experimental study on stress sensitivity of underground gas storage[J]. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2020, 195(1): 107577.
ChengYouyou, GuoChunqiu, ChenPengyu, et al. Stress sensitivity of carbonate gas reservoirs and its microscopic mechanism[J]. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2023, 50(1): 152-159.
HeJian, KangYili, LiuDawei, et al. The stress sensitivity research on porous and fractured porous carbonate reservoirs[J]. Drilling & Production Technology, 2005, 28(2): 84-86.
WangGuoli, SongXiaobo, LiuYong, et al. Natural gas accumulation characteristics and exploration prospects of the 4th member of Leikoupo Formation in the western Sichuan Basin[J]. Natural Gas Geoscience, 2022, 33(3): 333-343.
ZhangYan, WangQiongxian, DengMeizhou, et al. Geological characteristics and development technological strategies on gas reservoirs of Leikoupo Formation, western Sichuan Basin[J]. Natural Gas Technology and Economy, 2023, 17(4): 14-21.
ZhangYonggang, MaZongjin, YangKeming, et al. The forecast of natural oil & gas potential in marine strata in western Sichuan Basin, southwest China[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica, 2007, 81(8): 1041-1047.
SongXiaobo, LongKe, WangQiongxian, et al. Sedimentary characteristics of the upper part of the fourth member of Leikoupo Formation of Middle Triassic in western Sichuan Basin[J]. Petroleum Geology & Experiment, 2021, 43(6): 976-985.
XiaoKaihua, LiHongtao, DuanYongming, et al. Reservoir characteristics and main controlling factors of the Leikoupo gas pools in the western Sichuan Basin[J]. Natural Gas Industry, 2019, 39(6): 34-44.
YeTairan, MaLingwei, ZhangHong, et al. Strategy for identifying thin reservoirs in tide-flat facies in Leikoupo Formation, Pengzhou, western Sichuan[J]. Geophysical Prospecting for Petroleum, 2020, 59(3): 409-421.
SuChengpeng, HeYing, SongXiaobo, et al. Reinterpretation of gas sources in the Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation in western Sichuan gas field, Sichuan Basin[J]. Oil & Gas Geology, 2022, 43(2): 341-352.
GaoHengyi, WangYongfei, DengMeizhou, et al. Characteristics and main controlling factors of dolomite reservoir in the upper member of fourth member of Leikoupo Formation in western Sichuan gas field[J]. Marine Oil and Gas Geology, 2021, 26(4): 367-374.
ZhaoXiangyuan, HuXiangyang, XiaoKaihua, et al. Characteristics and major control factors of natural fractures in carbonate reservoirs of Leikoupo Formation in Pengzhou area, western Sichuan Basin[J]. Oil & Gas Geology, 2018, 39(1): 30-39.
ChenYulin, ZengYan, DuanYongming, et al. Pore structure characteristics and reservoir classification of dolomite reservoirs in fourth member of Leikoupo Formation, Longmen Mountain front, western Sichuan Basin[J]. Petroleum Geology & Experiment, 2018, 40(5): 621-631.
[57]
ZhaoJ Z, FuD Y, LiY M, et al. REV-scale simulation of gas transport in shale matrix with lattice Boltzmann method[J]. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2018, 57(1): 224-237.
[58]
ZhaoT Y, ZhaoH W, NingZ F, et al. Permeability prediction of numerical reconstructed multiscale tight porous media using the representative elementary volume scale lattice Boltzmann method[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2018, 118(1): 368-377.
XuJiaxiang, YangLifeng, DingYunhong, et al. Stress sensitivity analysis of the shale reservoir by the quartet structure generation set[J]. Natural Gas Geoscience, 2019, 30(9): 1341-1348.
LiJiangtao, WangZhiming, WeiJianguang, et al. The numerical simulation of the shale gas fluid-structure interaction based on the digital rock and LBM[J]. Scientia Sinica Technologica, 2018, 48(5): 499-509.
[63]
赵天逸. 页岩气赋存方式及渗流规律研究[D]. 北京: 中国石油大学(北京), 2018.
[64]
ZhaoTianyi. Study on storage and microscale seepage mechanism of shale gas[D]. Beijing: China University of Petroleum-Beijing, 2018.
ZhangXisheng, YangShenglai, ZhangZheng, et al. Influence of stress sensitivity on gas reservoir development of the 4th Member of Dengying Formation in Gaoshiti-Moxi Block[J]. Fault-block Oil & Gas Field, 2022, 29(5): 673-679.
WangLu, LuoRuilan, ZhangLin, et al. Investigation of productivity prediction model and influencing factors of ultradeep carbonate gas reservoir[J]. Petroleum Geology and Recovery Efficiency, 2024, 31(3): 88-98.
ZhangYuxiang, YanHaijun, WeiYunsheng, et al. Effect of pore throat structure on flow capacity of multi-type ultra-deep carbonate gas reservoirs[J]. Journal of China University of Petroleum (Edition of Natural Science), 2024, 48(4): 131-140.