Reservoir characteristics of the first member of Middle Permian Maokou Formation in Sichuan Basin and its periphery and inspirations to petroleum exploration, SW China

Based on a large number of field outcrops and cores taken systematically from boreholes, by microscopic observation, physical property analysis, mineralogy analysis, geochemical analysis etc., reservoir characteristics of the first member of Middle Permian Maokou Formation in Sichuan Basin (Mao 1 Member for short) are analyzed. (1) Rhythmic limestone-marl reservoirs of this member mostly exist in marl layers are a set of tight carbonate fracture-pore type reservoir with low porosity and low permeability, with multiple types of storage space, mainly secondary dissolution pores and fissures of clay minerals. (2) The clay minerals are mainly diagenetic clay minerals, such as sepiolite, talc and their intermediate products, aliettite, with hardly terrigenous clay minerals, and the reservoir in different regions have significant differences in the types of clay minerals. (3) The formation of high quality tight carbonate reservoir with limestone-marl interbeds is related to the differential diagenesis in the early seawater burial stage and the exposure karstification in the early diagenetic stage. It is inferred through the study that the inner ramp of southwestern Sichuan Basin is more likely to have sweet spots with high production, while the outer ramp in eastern Sichuan Basin is more likely to have large scale contiguous reservoir with low production.

Automated summary

Based on field observations and core samples, the reservoir characteristics of the first member of Middle Permian Maokou Formation in the Sichuan Basin were analyzed, revealing a tight carbonate fracture-pore type reservoir with low porosity and permeability. The presence of different clay minerals in the reservoir indicates significant regional variations, with potential sweet spots for high production in the southwestern inner ramp and large contiguous reservoirs with lower production in the eastern outer ramp.