What are the functions of oil exploration components
Information summary:Petroleum exploration components are the core equipment components used in the process of petroleum exploration (from surface detection to underground formation analysis) to "obtain geological information, identify oil and gas reservoirs, and ensure the safety of exploration operations", covering the three core links of "surface exploration, drilling exploration, and logging exploration". The func
Petroleum exploration components are the core equipment components used in the process of petroleum exploration (from surface detection to underground formation analysis) to "obtain geological information, identify oil and gas reservoirs, and ensure the safety of exploration operations", covering the three core links of "surface exploration, drilling exploration, and logging exploration". The functions of different components revolve around "correct detection, data collection, and risk prevention", directly determining the exploration efficiency and the correctness of oil and gas reservoir discovery. The specific classification and functions are as follows:
1、 Ground exploration components: collection of surface geological information, preliminary identification of exploration target areas
Ground exploration is the "first step" of petroleum exploration, which determines the existence of oil and gas reservoirs underground through surface and shallow geological analysis. The core components and functions are as follows:
The core component of seismic exploration is seismic exploration, which is the mainstream technology of ground exploration. It analyzes the geological structure by artificially exciting seismic waves (such as source vehicles) and receiving underground reflected waves. The key components play the following roles:
Source components (such as vibration plates and excitation devices of controllable source vehicles): generate stable and controllable seismic waves (frequency 5-100Hz), ensuring that seismic waves can penetrate different depths of strata (from hundreds of meters to several kilometers), providing clear signals for subsequent reflection wave analysis;
Detector (such as piezoelectric detector, fiber optic detector): receives seismic waves reflected from underground formations, converts mechanical vibration signals into electrical/optical signals, and correctly records the propagation time and amplitude of the reflected waves (calculates the depth of the formation through time difference, and determines the lithology of the formation based on amplitude difference - sandstone is easy to store oil, and mudstone is mostly a barrier);
Data acquisition station: real-time reception of signals from detectors, filtering, amplification, and digital processing (to avoid signal interference), and then transmitting them to the control system to form raw seismic data (providing a basis for subsequent "seismic profile drawing").
Gravity/magnetic exploration components are designed for complex terrains (such as mountainous areas and deserts) to determine underground geological structures based on differences in gravity and magnetic fields. The core component functions as follows:
Gravity meter (such as quartz spring gravity meter): measures small changes in surface gravity acceleration (with an accuracy of ± 0.01mGal), and gravity anomaly areas often correspond to underground density differences (such as oil and gas reservoirs with lower density than surrounding rocks, which can form local gravity low anomalies);
Magnetometer (such as proton magnetometer): detects changes in surface magnetic field intensity (with an accuracy of ± 0.1nT), and magnetic anomaly areas can indicate the distribution of underground magnetic rock layers (such as basalt and granite), assisting in the exclusion of non oil storage structures (such rock layers usually do not have oil and gas storage conditions).
2、 Drilling exploration components: ensuring drilling operations and obtaining downhole core/fluid samples
After surface exploration locks in the "potential target area", it is necessary to drill deep underground (from hundreds of meters to thousands of meters) to directly obtain underground formation information. The core components and functions focus on "safe drilling, sample collection, and wellbore stability":
The drilling power and transmission components ensure that the drill bit can continuously break rocks and drill underground. The core components play a role in:
Drilling motors (such as turbodrill and screw drill): convert the hydraulic/electrical energy of drilling fluid into mechanical energy, drive the drill bit to rotate at high speed (50-300r/min), and break different hardness formations (roller bits for soft formations and PDC bits for hard formations);
Drill pipe/drill collar: Drill pipe (hollow steel pipe, diameter 50-130mm) connects ground equipment and drill bit, transmitting torque and drilling fluid; Drill collars (with thicker walls and heavier weight) provide "drilling pressure" (keeping the drill bit tightly attached to the rock) while keeping the wellbore vertical (avoiding wellbore misalignment and subsequent logging difficulties).
Drilling fluid circulation and control components: Drilling fluid (mud) is the "drilling blood", and related components ensure the realization of drilling fluid functions:
Drilling pump: pressurize the drilling fluid (pressure 10-30MPa) and pump it into the drill pipe, spraying it towards the bottom of the well through the water hole of the drill bit, carrying rock debris (broken rock particles) back to the surface;
Vibration screen/desander: the core component of the ground circulation system. The vibration screen separates large particles of rock debris (particle size>0.3mm) from the drilling fluid through a sieve, while the desander removes fine sand (particle size 0.07-0.3mm) to ensure the cleanliness of the drilling fluid (avoiding rock debris blocking the drill bit water hole or scratching the wellbore);
Wellhead preventer (such as gate preventer, annular preventer): If there is a "blowout" (sudden release of high-pressure oil and gas) during the drilling process, the preventer can quickly close the wellhead (response time<10 seconds), block the oil and gas from spraying, and avoid safety accidents (such as fire and explosion).
Core/fluid collection components directly obtain downhole formation samples to determine the presence of oil and gas. The role of core components is to:
Core barrel: With the drill bit, it enters the bottom of the well and cuts the rock into cylindrical cores (diameter 50-100mm, length 1-5m) in a certain formation (such as the predicted "oil reservoir" in seismic exploration). After being lifted out of the ground, the porosity (oil storage capacity) and permeability (oil and gas flow capacity) of the core are analyzed;
Core drill bit: in conjunction with a core barrel, it can break rocks while preserving intact cores (such as diamond core drill bits, which have high hardness and low wear, suitable for coring in hard formations);
Formation tester (such as MDT modular dynamic tester): After entering the wellbore, the target formation is sealed by a "packer", and formation fluid (crude oil, natural gas, formation water) samples are extracted to detect fluid density, viscosity, and oil content (directly determining whether the formation is an "industrial reservoir").
3、 Logging exploration components: downhole formation analysis to determine oil and gas reservoir parameters
After drilling is completed, the downhole formation needs to be scanned through "logging" (measuring physical parameters of the formation with downhole instruments). The core component is to "convert the physical characteristics of the formation into quantifiable data", providing a basis for oil and gas reservoir evalsuation:
The electrical logging component determines lithology and oil content (significant differences in resistivity among oil, water, and gas) by measuring the differences in formation resistivity. The core component functions as follows:
Electrode system (such as double-sided electrode system, induction logging coil): emits current/electromagnetic field to the formation, receives electrical signals feedback from the formation, and calculates the formation resistivity (the resistivity of oil-bearing formations is much higher than that of water bearing formations, such as sandstone reservoirs, where the resistivity of the oil layer may reach 100 Ω· m and the resistivity of the water layer is only 1-10 Ω· m);
Signal processor: amplifies and filters the weak electrical signals received by the electrode system, converts them into a digital "resistivity curve", and determines the thickness of the reservoir (the abnormal section of the curve corresponds to the reservoir) and oil content (the high resistivity section is likely to be the oil layer) through the shape of the curve.
The acoustic logging component utilizes the difference in propagation speed of sound waves in different formations to analyze the lithology and porosity of the formation. The core component functions as follows:
Sound wave transmitter/receiver: The transmitter emits sound waves (longitudinal waves, frequency 20-30kHz) to the formation, and the receiver records the time when the sound waves pass through the formation ("sound wave time difference"). The sound wave time difference of sandstone, mudstone, and limestone is significant (such as sandstone time difference of about 50-60 μ s/ft, mudstone time difference of about 70-90 μ s/ft);
Data interpretation module: calculate the formation porosity by acoustic time difference (the higher the porosity, the slower the acoustic wave propagation, and the greater the time difference). Only the formation with porosity>15% can have oil storage conditions, providing a key basis for subsequent "production".
The radioactive logging component assists in determining lithology and fluid properties by measuring natural or artificial radioactivity in the formation. The core component functions as follows:
Gamma ray detector (such as scintillation counter): measures the natural gamma ray intensity of the formation (shale contains more radioactive elements and has high gamma values; sandstone and limestone have low gamma values), used to divide the formation interface (the gamma curve mutation is the formation boundary);
Neutron detector: emits neutrons into the formation and receives reflected "thermal neutrons". Strata with high hydrogen content (such as oil and water layers) will absorb more neutrons, resulting in a low count of thermal neutrons; Gas bearing formations (natural gas with low hydrogen content) have high thermal neutron counts, which can distinguish between "oil layers, water layers, and gas layers".