Influences of sandstone superimposed structure and architecture on waterflooding mechanisms: A case study of Kumkol Oilfield in South Turgay Basin, Kazakhstan

Abstract Taking the Kumkol oilfield of high water cut in the South Turgay Basin, Kazakstan as an example, this article built the architecture models of meandering river sandstones, braided river sandstones and delta sandstones, and analyzed the influence of the superimposed structure characteristics between different types of sandstones and internal architecture features on warterflooding mechanisms and effects. The meandering river sandstones are mainly characterized by lateral accretion shale beddings inside, with simple overlay-relationship in sand bodies. In meandering river sandstones, injected water almost sweeps through the bottom of sand bodies and the bottom part of the sandstones is previously waterflooded, and the thickness ratio of strong and moderate waterflooded zone is about 51.8%. Braided river sandstones are characterized by nearly horizontal interlayers inside, with low heterogeneity and uniform waterflooding sweep vertically, and the thickness ratio of strong and moderate waterflooded zone is as high as 81.7%. The superimposed structure and architecture of delta sandstone is relatively complicated; different types of sandstones overlay each other frequently and shale interbeds are developed in sandstones. The injected water is obstructed not only by impermeable or low-permeable layers between sand bodies but also by shale interbeds in sandstones, with low sweep range of injected water, and the thickness ratio of strong and moderate waterflooded zone is only 32.6%. The braided river sandstone has low rising velocity of water cut and high no-water recovery degree, and its waterflooding development effect is the best. The waterflood sweep of delta sandstones is poor, with fast rising velocity of water cut and low no-water recovery degree, and its waterflooding development effect is the worst. The waterflooding development effect of meandering river sandstones is moderate among these three types of sandstones.