Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characteristics and accumulation mechanisms of the Dongfang 13-1 high temperature and overpressured gas field in the Yinggehai Basin, the South China Sea

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Dongfang 13-1 is located in the diapiric structure belt of the Yinggehai Basin. The formation pressure of its main gas reservoir in the Miocene Huangliu Formation is up to 54.6 MPa (pressure coefficient=1.91) and the temperature is as high as 143°C (geothermal gradient 4.36°C/100 m), indicating that it is a typical high-temperature and overpressured gas reservoir. The natural gas is interpreted to be coal-type gas derived from the Miocene mature source rocks containing type II2–III kerogens as evidenced by high dryness index of up to 0.98 and heavy carbon isotopes, i.e., the δ 13C1 ranging from −30.76‰ to −37.52‰ and δ 13C2 ranging from −25.02‰ to −25.62‰. The high temperature and overpressured Miocene petroleum system is related mainly to diapir in the Yinggehai Basin and contains more pore water in the overpressured reservoirs due to undercompaction process. The experimental and calculated results show that the solubility of natural gas in formation water is as high as 10.5 m3/m3 under the temperature and pressure conditions of the Sanya Formation, indicating that at least part of the gas may migrate in the form of water-soluble phase. Meanwhile, the abundant gas source in the Basin makes it possible for the rapid saturation of natural gas in formation water and exsolution of soluble gas. Therefore, the main elements controlling formation of the Dongfang 13-1 gas pool include that (1) the diapir activities and accompanying changes in temperature and pressure accelerate the water-soluble gas exsolution and release a lot of free gas; (2) submarine fan fine sandstone in the Huangliu Formation provides good gas-water segregation and accumulation space; and (3) the overlying overpressured mud rocks act as effective caps. The accumulation mechanism reveals that the high temperatural and high pressure structure belt near the diapir structures has a good potential for large and medium-sized gas field exploration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Dai J X. 1993. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions and origin identification of different types natural gas (in Chinese). Nat Gas Geosci, 4: 1–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong W L, Huang B J. 1999. Compositional heterogeneity of and episodic charging process of natural gases in the Dongfang 1-1 gas field (in Chinese). Petrol Explor Dev, 26: 15–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong W L, Huang B J. 2000. Overpressure fluid fracturing, heat fluid flowing and episodic gas migration in diapir belt, Yinggehai basin (in Chinese). Petrol Explo Dev, 27: 36–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu X T, Wang Z P, Lu S F, et al. 2000. Mechanism of natural gas disssolving in brines and the dissolving equation (in Chinese). Acta Petrolei Sin, 21: 89–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Hao F, Li S T, Gong Z S, et al. 2001. Mechanism of diapirism and episodic fluid injections in the Yinggehai Basin. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 45: 151–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hao S S, Zhang Z Y. 1993. The characteristic the solubility of natural gas in fomation waters and its geological significance (in Chinese). Acta Petrolei Sin, 14: 12–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang B J, Xiao X M, Li X X. 2003. Geochemistry and origins of natural gases in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins, Offshore South China Sea. Org Geochem, 34:1009–1025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang B J, Xiao X M, Dong W L. 2002. Migration and accumulation of natural gases and their relationship to the formation of diapir structures in the Dongfang gas field, South China Sea. Mar Petrol Geol, 19: 861–872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang B J, Huang H T, Li L, et al. 2010, Characteristics of marine source rocks and effect of high temperature and overpressure to organic matter maturation in Yinggehai-Qiongdongnan Basins (in Chinese). Mar Oil-Gas Geol, 15: 11–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang B J, Xiao X M, Zhu W L. 2004. Geochemistry, origin and accumulation of CO2 in natural gases in the Yinggehai Basin, offshore South China Sea. AAPG Bull, 88: 277–1293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang B J, Xiao X M, Hu Z L, et al. 2005. Geochemistry and episodic accumulation of natural gases from the Ledong gas field in the Yinggehai Basin, offshore South China Sea. Org Geochem, 36: 1689–1702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt J M. 1990. Generation and migration of petroleum from abnormally pressured fluid compartments. AAPG Bull, 74: 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Z L, Li J, Fang J H, et al, 2004. Experimental investigation on physical simulation of gas dissolved in water during migration (in Chinese). Nat Gas Geosci, 15: 32–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu J T, Li S G. 2012. Accumulation conditions and modes of the exsolved gas from water phase (in Chinese). J Xian Shiyou Univ, 27: 31–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo X R, Yang J H, Wang Z F. 2000. The over pressuring mechanisms in aquifers and pressure prediction in basins (in Chinese). Geol Rev, 46: 22–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Mcauliffe C D. 1978. Chemical and physical constraints on petroleum migration with emphasis on hydrocarbon solubility in water. AAPG Bull, 10: 123–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Price L C. 1979. Aqueous solubility of methane at elevated pressures and temperatures. AAPG Bull, 63: 1527–1533

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts S J, Nunn J A. 1995. Episodic fluid expulsion from geopressure sediments. Mar Petrol Geol, 12: 195–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z F, Pei J X. 2011. A new accumulation model of high pressure gas in Huangliu Formation of the middle-deep interval in Yinggehai basin: The significance of discovering a good-quality gas pay with overpressure and high production in Well DF14. China Offshore Oil Gas (in Chinese), 23: 213–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie X N, Li S T, Hu X Y, et al. 1999. Conduit system and formation mechanism of heat fluids in diapiric belt of Yinggehai basin, China. Sci China Ser-D Earth Sci, 1999, 42: 561–571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie Y H, Fan C W. 2010. Some new knowledge about the origin of Huangliu Formation reservoirs in Dongfang area, Yinggehai Basin (in Chinese). China Offshore Oil Gas, 22: 355–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q X, Zhang Q M. 1991. Evidence of primary migration of condensate by molecular solution in aqueous phase in Yacheng Field, offshore South China. J Southeast Asian Earth Sci, 5: 101–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q M, Dong W L. 2000. Overpressure system of hydrocarbon-bearing basins in China (in Chinese). Acta Petrolei Sin, 21: 1–11

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhanjiang Branch, China National Offshore Oil Corporation China Limited, Zhanjiang, 524057, China

    YuHong Xie & BaoJia Huang

Authors
  1. YuHong Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. BaoJia Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to BaoJia Huang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xie, Y., Huang, B. Characteristics and accumulation mechanisms of the Dongfang 13-1 high temperature and overpressured gas field in the Yinggehai Basin, the South China Sea. Sci. China Earth Sci. 57, 2799–2807 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-014-4934-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-014-4934-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation