Tight sandstone reservoirs have ultralow physical properties and strong heterogeneity, and there is a need to describe the corresponding pore structure characteristics systematically to promote research on unconventional reservoirs. The pore structure, controlled by the diagenesis and volcanic activity of the tight reservoirs in the third member of the Shahejie Formation (Es₃) of the Gaoshangpu structural belt in the Nanpu Sag, is studied by high-pressure mercury injection, nuclear magnetic resonance, and constant-rate-controlled mercury porosimetry. The results show that the Es₃ reservoir can be divided into three types: the pore radii of Type I reservoirs range from 120 to 180 μm, and the throat radii are larger than 1 μm, resulting in good pore connectivity; pore radii of Type II reservoirs are approximately 100 μm, and the throat radii range from 0.1 to 1 μm, resulting in moderate pore connectivity; and pore radii of Type III reservoirs are much smaller than 100 μm, and the throat radii are smaller than 0.1 μm, resulting in worst pore connectivity. The pore size of Type I reservoirs is most sensitive to compaction, and the pore connectivity is mainly controlled by carbonate cementation; the pore throat size and pore connectivity of Type II reservoirs are seriously affected by clay cementation, and pores are mainly formed by dissolution. However, the pore structure of Type III reservoirs is the worst among those investigated in this study but can be further improved by dissolution to a certain extent. Volcanic activity controls cementation and affects dissolution, thus changing the pore structure. A pore structure evolution model is established, which can provide a reference for future oil gas exploration.

Karst reservoirs have always been a key field of oil and gas exploration. However, quantifying the process of meteoric transformation remains a persistent challenge that limits the accuracy of reservoir quality prediction. To explore the controlling factors of meteoric cementation on karst reservoirs, the Majiagou Formation of the Ordos Basin in China was selected as an example. The petrology; carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopes; and in situ major, trace, and rare earth elements were used, types and origins of calcite cements were analyzed in detail. The results revealed five types of calcite cements (Cal-1~Cal-5), four types of cathodoluminescence (CL) intensities (dull, dull red, deep red, and bright red luminescence), and six types of rare earth element patterns (Pattern-1~Pattern-6). These five types of calcite cements developed in three periods. Cal-1 (transition CL) and Cal-2 (dull CL) were precipitated during the Early Pennsylvanian period, the meteoric freshwater was clean; Cal-3 (transition CL) and Cal-4 (bright red CL) were precipitated at the end of the Late Carboniferous period, the fluids had strong dissolution ability and were polluted by terrigenous debris; Cal-5 (transition CL) was deposited during the burial period, the fluid was pure pore water or groundwater. The control of the cement on the reservoir during the burial period was much weaker than that of meteoric cements. Therefore, explorations of karst reservoirs should be focused on weak cementation during the epigenetic period.

Petrological analysis, thin-section observation and laboratory analysis data were selected to systematically study the physical and diagenetic features of the first member of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Es₁) in the No. 3 structural belt of the Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin. The intensities of different diagenetic processes were determined, the diagenetic evolution sequence was reconstructed, the typical diagenetic facies were identified and the effects of different diageneses on the reservoir were quantitatively analyzed. The results show that the main intergranular fillings include authigenic-quartz, quartz secondary enlargement, clay minerals, carbonate cement and matrix. The pore types include intergranular porosity, dissolution porosity and microfractures. The reservoir has experienced compaction, early cementation, dissolution and late cementation, among which compaction is the most important porosity reducer. Compaction was the main diagenetic process involved in porosity reduction, accounting for about 24.4% of the loss of thin-section porosity. The dissolution process clearly improved the porosity, increasing thin-section porosity by 2.7%. Five diagenetic facies were identified on the basis of petrographic analyses, namely, (a) strongly compacted-weakly cemented-weakly dissolved facies; (b) weakly compacted-strongly cemented-weakly dissolved facies; (c) moderately compacted-moderately cemented-weakly dissolved facies; (d) strongly compacted-weakly cemented-moderately dissolved facies; and (e) strongly compacted-weakly cemented-strongly dissolved facies. According to the analysis of diagenesis intensity, the porosity evolution model of various diagenetic facies was reconstructed, and the reservoir quality of various diagenetic facies was quantitatively predicted. The reservoir quality of different diagenetic facies clearly changed with depth. The best reservoir quality was in strongly compacted–weakly cemented–strongly dissolution facies, which have good sorting, contain a large amount of feldspar and soluble debris, and are mainly developed in the main part of the river channel. Our study can provide a reference for the subsequent exploration and development of deep petroleum systems.