Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale

Shale reservoirs are characterized by low permeability and natural fractures. In the process of reservoir development, the working fluid enters the reservoir. This may result in the formation of new fractures or expansion of natural fractures. When shale reservoirs are exploited, the fluid pressure...

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Main Authors: Xiangjun Liu, Yan Zhuang, Lixi Liang, Jian Xiong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Geofluids
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2598727
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author Xiangjun Liu
Yan Zhuang
Lixi Liang
Jian Xiong
author_facet Xiangjun Liu
Yan Zhuang
Lixi Liang
Jian Xiong
author_sort Xiangjun Liu
collection DOAJ
description Shale reservoirs are characterized by low permeability and natural fractures. In the process of reservoir development, the working fluid enters the reservoir. This may result in the formation of new fractures or expansion of natural fractures. When shale reservoirs are exploited, the fluid pressure in the fracture or pore is reduced. This destroys the stress balance of the reservoir, produces stress sensitivity damage, and reduces the reservoir permeability. Organic-rich shale from the Yanchang Formation, Chang 7 Member of the Ordos Basin, was selected for core flow experiment with helium. The effects of the type of brine, salinity, and soaking time on the stress sensitivity of an organic-rich shale reservoir were investigated. The acoustic characteristics were also investigated to study the effect of interactions between water and shale on stress sensitivity. The experimental results demonstrate that the interactions of water and shale increase the permeability of shale and reduce its stress sensitivity. Furthermore, when the permeability of the shale is excessively low, the stress sensitivity is high. In the acoustic studies, a higher attenuation coefficient of the acoustic wave corresponds to a larger variation in the shale structure and thus a larger permeability of the shale and smaller stress sensitivity coefficient. Whereas there is no apparent effect of the salt water type on the stress sensitivity, higher salinity levels cause higher stress sensitivity. After reacting with 15000 mg/L brine, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale did not decrease significantly compared with that before action, all of which were above 0.97. However, after reacting with distilled water or 5000 mg/L brine, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale decreased significantly, and all of them decreased to less than 0.9. Longer water exposures, corresponding to an increased duration of water-shale interactions, result in higher impacts on the stress sensitivity of shale. After 6 hours of shale-brine interaction, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale is as high as 0.93, while after 48 hours of shale-brine interaction, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale is reduced to 0.88. This study provides a highly effective reference with regard to the influence of the working fluid on the reservoir during drilling operations and the study of reservoir characteristics after fracturing.
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spelling doaj-art-62ac501785ee424ea57c7e0ff4b092a22025-08-20T02:24:01ZengWileyGeofluids1468-81151468-81232019-01-01201910.1155/2019/25987272598727Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich ShaleXiangjun Liu0Yan Zhuang1Lixi Liang2Jian Xiong3State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 Sichuan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 Sichuan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 Sichuan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500 Sichuan, ChinaShale reservoirs are characterized by low permeability and natural fractures. In the process of reservoir development, the working fluid enters the reservoir. This may result in the formation of new fractures or expansion of natural fractures. When shale reservoirs are exploited, the fluid pressure in the fracture or pore is reduced. This destroys the stress balance of the reservoir, produces stress sensitivity damage, and reduces the reservoir permeability. Organic-rich shale from the Yanchang Formation, Chang 7 Member of the Ordos Basin, was selected for core flow experiment with helium. The effects of the type of brine, salinity, and soaking time on the stress sensitivity of an organic-rich shale reservoir were investigated. The acoustic characteristics were also investigated to study the effect of interactions between water and shale on stress sensitivity. The experimental results demonstrate that the interactions of water and shale increase the permeability of shale and reduce its stress sensitivity. Furthermore, when the permeability of the shale is excessively low, the stress sensitivity is high. In the acoustic studies, a higher attenuation coefficient of the acoustic wave corresponds to a larger variation in the shale structure and thus a larger permeability of the shale and smaller stress sensitivity coefficient. Whereas there is no apparent effect of the salt water type on the stress sensitivity, higher salinity levels cause higher stress sensitivity. After reacting with 15000 mg/L brine, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale did not decrease significantly compared with that before action, all of which were above 0.97. However, after reacting with distilled water or 5000 mg/L brine, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale decreased significantly, and all of them decreased to less than 0.9. Longer water exposures, corresponding to an increased duration of water-shale interactions, result in higher impacts on the stress sensitivity of shale. After 6 hours of shale-brine interaction, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale is as high as 0.93, while after 48 hours of shale-brine interaction, the stress sensitivity coefficient of shale is reduced to 0.88. This study provides a highly effective reference with regard to the influence of the working fluid on the reservoir during drilling operations and the study of reservoir characteristics after fracturing.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2598727
spellingShingle Xiangjun Liu
Yan Zhuang
Lixi Liang
Jian Xiong
Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale
Geofluids
title Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale
title_full Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale
title_fullStr Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale
title_full_unstemmed Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale
title_short Investigation on the Influence of Water-Shale Interaction on Stress Sensitivity of Organic-Rich Shale
title_sort investigation on the influence of water shale interaction on stress sensitivity of organic rich shale
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2598727
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AT jianxiong investigationontheinfluenceofwatershaleinteractiononstresssensitivityoforganicrichshale