Prediction Method for the Distribution of the Effective Dominant Path of Sand Bodies Transporting Oil and Gas and Its Application

To study the oil and gas distribution law in the slope area of a hydrocarbon-bearing basin, one must first define the dominant hydrocarbon transport paths of sand bodies as the superimposed area of the contiguously distributed area of the sand bodies and the paleotectonic ridges at the top interface of the formation. Then, the oil and gas supply area of the oil source faults must be defined, as the overlapped area of the favorable transport paths of oil source faults and the width of their associated fracture zones. Stacking the two areas, we can delineate the distribution of the effective dominant paths of sand bodies transporting oil and gas. The results from our case study of the Qinan area show that the effective dominant paths of sand bodies transporting oil and gas in the lower sub-member within the first member of the Shahejie Formation (Es 1 L ) in the Qinan area are distributed throughout the region, with better development in the west than in the east. And, the effective dominant paths in the eastern part extend from north to south, while those in the western part extend from northeast to southwest. These are favorable for the convergence of oil and gas generated from source rocks in the third member of the Shahejie Formation (Es 3 ) in the main depression of Qikou Sag in the Es 1 L in the Qinan area. The results are consistent with the fact that oil and gas discovered in the Es 1 L in the Qinan area are mainly distributed in the central and western regions, with a small amount in the southeast. Therefore, the suggested method is feasible for predicting the effective dominant paths of sand bodies transporting oil and gas.