A novel productivity evaluation approach based on the morphological analysis and fuzzy mathematics: insights from the tight sandstone gas reservoir in the Ordos Basin, China

Abstract

Abstract Tight gas reservoirs have rich potential resources, which are hot spots in unconventional oil and gas exploration and development. Due to their strong heterogeneity and complex pore structures, the conventional approaches of productivity evaluation always have difficulty in predicting the gas content. This study aims to devise a new method to interpret the productivity of LX Block in the Ordos Basin using the morphological theory and fuzzy mathematics. First, core test results were used to investigate the reservoir quality and physical properties. Then, the change law of gas content was defined by the morphological theory of logging and mud logging curves. Assignments of those factors that affected the final production were provided based on fuzzy mathematics. Finally, the prediction model of productivity was established. The results show that the lower limit of the reservoir thickness in the LX Block is 3.1 m, whereas the porosity and permeability are 5% and 0.15 × 10−3 μm2, respectively. The morphological characteristic of the gas logging curve for those layers with high potential production normally presents a box shape with a high relative number of serration. The reservoir in the studied area can be classified into four categories according to the relationship between the logging curve shape and daily production, and each category is automatically identified. The coincidence rate between the prediction results and the gas test results is 84.1%, which satisfies the demand on the field. The findings have important theoretical and practical significance for screening the location of fracturing spots and predicting the production of tight gas reservoirs.

Keywords

• Tight gas
• Productivity evaluation
• Morphological analysis
• Gas logging curve method
• Fuzzy mathematics