Controlling effect of fractures on gas accumulation and production within the tight sandstone: A case study on the Jurassic Dibei gas reservoir in the eastern part of the Kuqa foreland basin, China

Using Dibei tight sandstone gas reservoir in the eastern part of the Kuqa foreland basin as an example, this paper discusses tight sandstone reservoir fractures characterization, its effect on storage space and gas flow capacity, and its contribution to gas accumulation, enrichment and production in tight sandstone reservoir by using laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) observation, mercury intrusion capillary pressure (MICP) testing, and gas-water two-phase relative permeability testing. The statistics of laser scanning confocal microscopy observation showed that the microstructural fractures width in the Dibei gas reservoir was mainly 8–25 μm, and the associated micro-fractures width was mainly 4–10 μm. Additionally, the throat radius was mainly 1–4 μm. The fractures width was significantly wider than the throat radius that served as the main channel of in gas flow. In addition, it illustrated that the samples with developed fractures became easier for gas to flow under equal porosity condition, because of lower expulsion pressure, higher mercury injection saturation, and increased gas relative permeability based on the physical simulation experiment of gas charging into core samples with saturated water, mercury injection and gas-water two-phase permeability experiments. Furthermore, it had been concluded that the fractures control tight gas in the following aspects: (1) Fractures play a significant role in reservoir property improvement. The isolated pores were linked by the fractures to form connective reservoir spaces, and dissolution is prone to occur along the fractures forming new pores. The fractures with bigger width are reservoir space as well. (2) Fractures increased fluid flow capacity because it decreased the starting pressure gradient, and it increased gas effective permeability. Thus, fractures improved the gas injection efficiency as well as gas production. (3) Fractures that developed in different time and spatial places have different effects on gas accumulation, enrichment, and production in tight sandstone reservoirs.