• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 2008

Oil sands in Canada are representative example of unconventional resources whose reserve estimates are as large as those in Saudi Arabia. Typical reservoir rocks of oil sands consist of channel-related deposits formed in a tide-dominated depositional setting. The tidal deposits are commonly characterized by spatially complicated and heterogeneous properties. Successful engineering methods to develop oil sands require in-depth understanding in the spatial distribution of reservoir properties. Geological model for oil sand reservoir characterization can be built on the basis of comparative studies of ancient and modem analogues. In particular, modern analogue studies become increasingly indispensable, since they provide better understanding in the reservoir-rock forming process and more importantly in the external mechanism responsible for the reservoir heterogeneity. Tide-dominated environment along the west coast of Korea is considered as one of the most excellent modem analogues of oil-sand forming depositional environment. Korean tidal environment provides insights on the origin of mud breccia, facies and stratigraphic architecture which are key issues to the characterization of oil sand reservoirs.

• 한국지구과학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2010.04a
• /
• pp.106-106
• /
• 2010

오일샌드는 비투멘(bitumen), 물, 점토, 모래의 혼합체로 이루어진 비재래형 탄화수소 자원으로 세계적인 고유가 시대에 큰 관심을 받고 있는 석유자원 중 하나이다. 오일샌드는 대부분이 캐나다 앨버타주에 분포하고 있으며 주요 저류층으로는 아스바스카(Athabasca), 콜드레이크(Cold Lake) 지역의 멕머레이층(McMurray Formation), 클리어워터층(Clearwater Formation), 그랜드래피드층(Grand Rapid Formation)과 피스리버(Peace River) 지역의 블루스카이층(Bluesky Formation), 게팅층(Gathing Formation)이 있다. 오일샌드 저류층은 고생대 탄산염 기반암 위에 하성-에스츄어리에 이르는 다양한 퇴적환경에서 형성되어 매우 복잡한 지질특성이 나타난다. 오일샌드 저류층의 효율적인 개발을 위해서는 저류층의 복잡한 지질학적 특성의 이해가 반드시 필요하다. 본 연구에서 캐나다 오일샌드 시추코어 분석 DB, 물리검층 자료, 현장 및 현생 시추코어를 통하여 오일샌드 저류층의 지질특성화 정보의 도출을 시도하였다. 우선 캐나다 앨버타 전역에 분포하는 시추공의 기본 정보(표고, 위경도, 층서별 최상부 심도, 생산광구명, 광구개발업체)를 제공하는 AccuMap DB 프로그램을 이용하여 광역적인 오일샌드 저류층의 분포 특성을 이해하고자 주요층서에 대한 고지형도 및 층후도를 생산광구별로 도면화하여 분석하였다. 또한 캐나다 ENCANA사와 국제공동연구의 일환으로 확보된 크리스티나 레이크(Christina Lake)광구의 현장 시추코어를 이용하여 코어의 상세기재, 비파괴 물성측정, 입도/비투멘 함유량 분석과 같은 다양한 실내 시추코어분석 실험을 수행 중이다. 비파괴 물성측정은 현장 시추코어의 물리적/화학적 특성을 파악하고자 MSCL(Multi sensor core logger)과 XRF 코어 스캐너(X-ray fluorescence core scaner)를 통해 이루어지며, 분석결과로 시추코어의 감마밀도(gamma density), P파 속도(P-wave velocity), 전기비저항(resistivity), 대자율(magnetic susceptibility) 및 색지수의 물성과 정량적 화학조성을 측정한다. 현장 시추코어의 일부는 유기용매를 이용하여 퇴적물 내의 비투멘을 완전히 추출하고 퇴적물 입도와 저류층 비투멘 함유량 측정에 이용되었다. 현장 시료 분석 결과들은 물리검층 자료와 대비를 통하여 저류층의 지질특성을 규명하는 연구에 이용될 예정이다. 마지막으로 오일샌드의 현생 유사 퇴적환경으로 알려진 서해 경기만 조간대에서 시추코어 퇴적물을 획득하여 상세 기재하였으며, 이를 통해 오일샌드 저류층의 퇴적 모델을 제시하고자 퇴적층서 연구를 진행 중이다. 향후 오일샌드 관련 시추코어의 분석 결과들이 종합되면 기존 보다 비투멘 회수효율을 향상시킬 수 있는 정밀한 오일샌드 저류층 지질모델을 수립할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Journal of the Geological Society of Korea
• /
• v.54 no.5
• /
• pp.477-488
• /
• 2018

Fluid muds commonly occur in estuarine environments, but their ancient examples have rarely been studied in terms of depositional characteristics and processes. Cores of estuarine channel deposits of the Early Cretaceous McMurray Formation, Alberta, Canada show various mudstone layers that possess depositional characteristics of high clay-concentration flows. These mudstone layers are examined in detail through microscopic observation of thin sections and classified into three microfacies (<1 to 25 mm thick) on the basis of sedimentary texture and structures. Structureless mudstone (Microfacies 1) consists mainly of clay particles and contains randomly dispersed coarser grains (coarse silt to fine sand). This microfacies is interpreted as being deposited by cohesive mud flows, i.e., fluid muds, which possessed sufficient strength to support suspended coarser grains (quasi-laminar plug flow). Silt-streaked mudstone (Microfacies 2) mainly comprises mudstone with dispersed coarse grains and includes very thin, discontinuous silt streaks of coarse-silt to very-fine-sand grains. The texture similar to Microfacies 1 indicates that Microfacies 2 was also deposited by cohesive fluid muds. The silt streaks are, however, suggestive of the presence of intermittent weak turbulence under the plug (upper transitional plug flow). Heterolithic laminated mudstone (Microfacies 3) is characterized by alternation of relatively thick silt laminae and much thinner clay laminae. It is either parallel-laminated or low-angle cross-laminated, occasionally showing low-amplitude ripple forms. The heterolithic laminae are interpreted as the results of shear sorting in the basal turbulent zone under a cohesive plug. They may represent low-amplitude bed-waves formed under lower transitional plug flows. These three microfacies reflect a range of flow phases of fluid muds, which change with flow velocities and suspended mud concentrations. The results of this study provide important knowledge to recognize fluid-mud deposits in ancient sequences and to better understand depositional processes of mudstones.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
• /
• v.4 no.1_2 s.5
• /
• pp.27-39
• /
• 1996

In the Cretaceous, the Gulf Coast Basin evolved as a marginal sag basin. Thick clastic and carbonate sequences cover the disturbed and diapirically deformed salt layer. In the Cretaceous the salinities of the Gulf Coast Basin probably matched the Holocene Persian Gulf, as is evidenced by the widespread development of supratidal anhydrite. The major Lower Cretaceous reservoir formations are the Cotton Valley, Hosston, Travis Peak siliciclastics, and Sligo, Trinity (Pine Island, Pearsall, Glen Rose), Edwards, Georgetown/Buda carbonates. Source rocks are down-dip offshore marine shales and marls, and seals are either up-dip shales, dense limestones, or evaporites. During this period, the entire Gulf Basin was a shallow sea which to the end of Cretaceous had been rimmed to the southwest by shallow marine carbonates while fine-grained terrigengus clastics were deposited on the northern and western margins of the basin. The main Upper Cretaceous reservoir groups of the Gulf Coast, which were deposited in the period of a major sea level .rise with the resulting deep water conditions, are Woodbinefruscaloosa sands, Austin chalk and carbonates, Taylor and Navarro sandstones. Source rocks are down-dip offshore shales and seals are up-dip shales. Major trap types of the Lower and Upper Cretaceous include salt-related anticlines from low relief pillows to complex salt diapirs. Growth fault structures with rollover anticlines on downthrown fault blocks are significant Gulf Coast traps. Permeability barriers, up-dip pinch-out sand bodies, and unconformity truncations also play a key role in oil exploration from the Cretaceous Gulf Coast reservoirs. The sedimentary sequences of the major Cretaceous reseuoir rocks are a good match to the regressional phases on the global sea level cuwe, suggesting that the Cretaceous Gulf Coast sedimentary stratigraphy relatively well reflects a response to eustatic sea level change throughout its history. Thus, of the three main factors controlling sedimentation (tectonic subsidence, sediment input, and eustatic sea level change) in the Gulf Coast Basin, sea-level ranks first in the period.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
• /
• v.10 no.1_2 s.11
• /
• pp.23-33
• /
• 2004

The Lago Sofia conglomerate in southern Chile is a lenticular unit encased within mudstone-dominated, deep-sea successions (Cerro Toro Formation, upper Cretaceous), extending from north to south for more than $120{\cal}km$. The Lago Sofia conglomerate is a unique example of long, gravelly deep-sea channels, which are rare in the modern environments. In the northern part (areas of Lago Pehoe and Laguna Goic), the conglomerate unit consists of 3-5 conglomerate bodies intervened by mudstone sequences. Paleocurrent data from these bodies indicate sediment transport to the east, south, and southeart. The conglomerate bodies in the northern Part are interpreted as the tributary channels that drained down the Paleoslope and converged to form N-S-trending trunk channels. In the southern part (Lago Sofia section), the conglomerate unit comprises a thick (> 300 m) conglomerate body, which probably formed in axial trunk channels of the N-5-trending foredeep trough. The well-exposed Lago Sofia section allowed for detailed investigation of sedimentary facies and large-scale architecture of the deepsea channel conglomerate. The conglomerate in Lago Sofia section comprises stratified conglomerate, massive-to-graded conglomerate, and diamictite, which represent bedload deposition under turbidity currents, deposition by high-density turbidity currents, and muddy debris flows, respectively. Paleocurrent data suggest that the debris flows originated from the failure of nearby channel banks or slopes flanking the channel system, whereas the turbidity currents flowed parallel to the orientation of the overall channel system. Architectural elements produced by turbidity currents represent vertical stacking of gravel sheets, lateral accretion of gravel bars, migration of gravel dunes, and filling of channel thalwegs and scoured hollows, similar to those in terrestrial gravel-bed braided rivers. Observations of large-scale stratal pattern reveal that the channel bodies are offset stacked toward the east, suggestive of an eastward migration of the axial trunk channel. The eastward channel migration is probably due to tectonic tilting related to the uplift of the Andean protocordillera just west of the Lago Sofia deep-sea channel system.