Applicability evaluation of pressure-driven development techniques for low- and ultra-low-permeability sandstone reservoirs

Low and ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoirs are widely developed in Xinjiang, China and represent important targets for maintaining oilfield production and enhancing oil recovery. However, strong reservoir heterogeneity and poor pore structures severely limit the effectiveness of conventional development methods. Field practice and previous studies indicate that the applicability of pressure-driven techniques varies markedly among different low and ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoirs, and the lack of reliable criteria for block selection has become a key constraint on large-scale application. Based on laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and field case analyses, this study elucidates the key controlling factors governing pressure-driven performance, clarifies the geological conditions favorable for effective implementation, and develops an applicability evaluation framework for pressure-driven development in low and ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoirs. The results demonstrate that pressure-driven applicability is jointly controlled by rock mechanical properties and flow capacity, with elastic modulus and permeability identified as the dominant controlling factors. Pressure-driven techniques exhibit optimal performance in low-to-moderate permeability reservoirs, whereas their effectiveness is limited under ultra-low permeability conditions and diminishes in relatively higher-permeability reservoirs. On this basis, an evaluation index system incorporating indicators related to microfracture generation, reservoir stimulation and volumetric expansion behavior, and reservoir petrophysical properties is established, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process is employed to determine indicator weights. Application of the proposed framework to typical blocks and the study area shows that evaluation scores are in good agreement with actual field performance and effectively distinguish pressure-driven applicability among different blocks. Among the evaluated blocks, the M2 block exhibits the most favorable combination of rock mechanical properties, flow capacity, and reservoir scale parameters, making it the optimal target for pressure-driven development in the study area. The proposed framework provides a quantitative basis for pressure-driven technology selection and deployment in low and ultra-low permeability sandstone reservoirs in Xinjiang.