Compaction factors of tight reservoirs in the seventh member of Yanchang Formation in the central Ordos Basin during the Late Triassic

The Chang7 reservoir (the seventh member of Yanchang Formation) in the Ordos Basin, with an average porosity of 9% and permeability of 0.1× 10^-3 μm², is a tight reservoir. Reservoirs are mainly sandy debris flows and turbidite sandstones in a semi-deep and deep lacustrine gravity flow environment, featured by fine granularity, high filler content, complicated pore and throat shape, enriched secondary dissolved feldspar pores, and poor primary intergranular porosity. The influencing factors for reservoir physical properties were analyzed according to micro test data such as cast thin section, X-ray diffraction, fluid inclusion and electron probe microscopy. Sedimentation, diagenesis and hydrocarbon charging are the three major factors affecting reservoir physical properties. The sedimentary characteristics of semi-deep and deep lacustrine sandstones were key factors that caused intense compaction and cementation in reservoirs. As a result, sandstone porosity may decrease by 22%. On the other hand, feldspars were dissolved by organic acid liquids produced by the reaction of hydrocarbon emplacement, which in turn improved physical property. Alkaline reservoir fluid after hydrocarbon charging was beneficial to the cementation of ferrous calcites, which was critical to reservoir tightening.