Energies, Vol. 19, Pages 19: Source–Reservoir Structure of Member 2 of Xujiahe Formation and Its Control on Differential Enrichment of Tight Sandstone Gas in the Anyue Area, Sichuan Basin

Energies, Vol. 19, Pages 19: Source–Reservoir Structure of Member 2 of Xujiahe Formation and Its Control on Differential Enrichment of Tight Sandstone Gas in the Anyue Area, Sichuan Basin

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19010019

Authors:
Hui Long
Tian Gao
Dongxia Chen
Wenzhi Lei
Xuezhen Sun
Hanxuan Yang
Zhipeng Ou
Chao Geng
Chenghai Li
Tian Liu
Qi Han
Jiaxun Lu
Yani Deng

Member 2 of the Xujiahe Formation in the Anyue area of the Sichuan Basin exhibits significant resource potential for tight sandstone gas. However, its characteristic of “extensive gas presence with localized enrichment” leads to substantial variations in single-well productivity, challenges in target zone optimization, and unclear enrichment mechanisms, which hinder efficient exploration and development. This study proposes a hierarchical classification scheme of “two-level, six-type” source–reservoir structures based on the developmental characteristics of fault–fracture systems and vertical source–reservoir configurations. The gas-bearing heterogeneity is quantitatively characterized using parameters such as effective gas layer thickness, charge intensity, and effective gas layer probability, thereby revealing the differential enrichment mechanisms of tight sandstone gas controlled by source–reservoir structures. Our key findings include the following: (1) Member 2 of the Xujiahe Formation develops six subtypes of source–reservoir structures grouped into two levels, with gas-bearing capacities ranked as follows: source–reservoir separation type > source–reservoir adjacent type I > source–reservoir adjacent type II. Among these, the source–reservoir separation type (Level I) and fault–fracture conduit type (Level II) represent the most favorable structures for gas enrichment. (2) Tight sandstone gas enrichment is governed by a tripartite synergistic mechanism: hydrocarbon supply from source rocks, vertical cross-layer migration dominated by fault–fracture systems, and reservoir storage capacity determined by fracture density and reservoir thickness. (3) Three enrichment models are established: (i) a strong enrichment model characterized by “multi-layer source rocks beneath the reservoir, cross-layer migration, and thick fractured reservoirs”; (ii) a moderate enrichment model defined by “single-layer source rocks, localized migration, and medium-thick fractured reservoirs”; and (iii) a weak enrichment model featuring “single-layer hydrocarbon supply, pore-throat migration, and thin tight reservoirs.” This research provides a theoretical basis for optimizing exploration targets in Member 2 of the Xujiahe Formation in the Anyue area and offers insights applicable to analogous continental tight gas reservoirs.