Clay minerals in shales of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Eastern Sichuan Basin, China

Clay Minerals ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-233
Author(s):  
Geng Yi-Kai ◽  
Jin Zhen-Kui ◽  
Zhao Jian-Hua ◽  
Wen Xin ◽  
Zhang Zhen-Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clay Minerals ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
High Pressures ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Longmaxi Formation ◽  
Lower Silurian ◽  
Layer I

AbstractThe present study examines the characteristics of clay minerals in shale gas reservoirs and their influence on reservoir properties based on X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. These analyses were combined with optical microscopy observations and core and well-log data to investigate the genesis, distribution characteristics, main controlling factors and pore features of clay minerals of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the East Sichuan area, China. The clay mineral assemblage consists of illite + mixed-layer illite-smectite (I-S) + chlorite. This assemblage includes three sources of clay minerals: detrital, authigenic and diagenetic minerals. The lower section of the Longmaxi Formation in the Jiaoshiba area has sealing ability which resulted in abnormal high pressures during hydrocarbon generation which inhibited illitization. Therefore, an anomalous transformation sequence is present in which the mixed-layer I-S content increases with depth. This anomalous transformation sequence can be used to infer the existence of abnormal high pressures. The detrital components of the formation also affect the clay-minerals content indirectly, especially the abundance of K-feldspar. The transformation of mixed-layer I-S to illite is limited due to the limited availability of K+, which determines the extent of transformation. Three types of pores were observed in the shale reservoir rocks of the Longmaxi Formation: interparticle (interP) pores, intraparticle (intraP) pores and organic-matter pores. The clay-mineral content controls the development of intraP pores, which are dominated by pores within clay particles. For a given clay mineral content, smectite and mixed-layer I-S were more conducive to the development of shale-gas reservoirs than other clay minerals.

scholarly journals Relationship between Organic Geochemistry and Reservoir Characteristics of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation Shale in Southeastern Chongqing, SW China

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6716
Author(s):  
Shengxiu Wang ◽  
Jia Wang ◽  
Yuelei Zhang ◽  
Dahua Li ◽  
Weiwei Jiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Specific Surface ◽  
Adsorption Capacity ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Clay Mineral ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
Organic Geochemistry ◽  
Quartz Content ◽  
Longmaxi Formation

Shale gas accumulates in reservoirs that have favorable characteristics and associated organic geochemistry. The Wufeng-Longmaxi formation of Well Yucan-6 in Southeast Chongqing, SW China was used as a representative example to analyze the organic geochemical and reservoir characteristics of various shale intervals. Total organic carbon (TOC), vitrinite reflectance (Ro), rock pyrolysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption analyses were conducted, and a vertical coupling variation law was established. Results showed the following: the Wufeng-Longmaxi formation shale contains kerogen types I and II2; the average TOC value at the bottom of the formation is 3.04% (and the average value overall is 0.78%); the average Ro value is 1.94%; the organic matter is in a post mature thermal evolutionary stage; the shale minerals are mainly quartz and clay; and the pores are mainly intergranular, intragranular dissolved pores, organic matter pores and micro fractures. In addition, the average specific surface area (BET) of the shale is 5.171 m2/g; micropores account for 4.46% of the total volume; the specific surface area reaches 14.6%; and mesopores and macropores are the main pore spaces. There is a positive correlation between TOC and the quartz content of Wufeng-Longmaxi shale, and porosity is positively correlated with the clay mineral content. It is known that organic pores and the specific area develop more favorably when the clay mineral content is higher because the adsorption capacity is enhanced. In addition, as shale with a high clay mineral content and high TOC content promotes the formation of a large number of nanopores, it has a strong adsorption capacity. Therefore, the most favorable interval for shale gas exploration and development in this well is the shale that has a high TOC content, high clay mineral content, and a suitable quartz content. The findings of this study can help to better identify shale reservoirs and predict the sweet point in shale gas exploration and development.

scholarly journals Factors Controlling Shale Reservoirs and Development Potential Evaluation: A Case Study

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Chao Luo ◽  
Hun Lin ◽  
Yujiao Peng ◽  
Hai Qu ◽  
Xiaojie Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Longmaxi Formation ◽  
Development Potential ◽  
Reservoir Characteristics ◽  
Lower Silurian ◽  
Single Well ◽  
Shale Reservoir ◽  
Shale Reservoirs

The shale of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation is an important gas-producing layer for shale gas development in southern China. This set of shale reservoir characteristics and shale gas development potential provide an important foundation for shale gas development. This study takes wellblock XN111 in the Sichuan Basin, China, as an example and uses X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), isothermal adsorption, and other techniques to analyze the shale reservoir characteristics of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation. The results show that the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation was deposited in a deep-water shelf environment. During this period, carbonaceous shale and siliceous shale characterized by a high brittle mineral content ( quartz > 40   wt . % , carbonate   mineral > 10   wt . % ) and a low clay mineral content (<30 wt.%, mainly illite) were widely deposited throughout the region. The total organic carbon (TOC) content reaches up to 6.07 wt.%, with an average of 2.66 wt.%. The vitrinite reflectance is 1.6–2.28%, with an average of 2.05%. The methane adsorption capacity is 0.84–4.69 m3/t, with an average of 2.92 m3/t. Pores and fractures are developed in the shale reservoirs. The main reservoir space is composed of connected mesopores with an average porosity of 4.78%. The characteristics and development potential of the shale reservoirs in the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation are controlled by the following factors: (1) the widespread deep-water shelf deposition in wellblock XN111 was a favorable environment for the development of high-quality shale reservoirs with a cumulative thickness of up to 50 m; (2) the high TOC content enabled the shale reservoir to have a high free gas content and a high adsorptive gas storage capacity; and (3) the shale’s high maturity or over maturity is conducive to the development of pores and fractures in the organic matter, which effectively improves the storage capacity of the shale reservoirs. The reservoir characteristic index was constructed using the high-quality shale’s thickness, gas content, TOC, fracture density, and clay content. Using production data from shale gas wells in adjacent blocks, a mathematical relationship was established between the Estimated Ultimate Recovery (EUR) of a single well and the Reservoir Characteristics Index (Rci). The EUR of a single well in wellblock XN111 was estimated.

Effect of Slick Water on Permeability of Shale Gas Reservoirs

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Yuan ◽  
Yongqing Wang ◽  
Zeng Shunpeng
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Immersion Time ◽  
Permeability Change ◽  
Capillary Effect ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Longmaxi Formation ◽  
Lower Silurian ◽  
Shale Reservoirs ◽  
Induced Fractures ◽  
Vdw Force

In this study, we analyzed the flow-back resistance of slick water fracturing fluid in shale reservoirs. The flow-back resistance mainly includes capillary force, Van der Waals (VDW) force, hydrogen bond force, and hydration stress. Shale of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation (LSLF) was used to study its wettability, hydration stress, and permeability change with time of slick water treatment. The results reveal that wettability of LSLF shale was more oil-wet before immersion, while it becomes more water-wet after immersion. The hydration stress of the shale increased with increasing immersion time. The permeability decreased first, then recovered with increasing immersion time. The major reason for permeability recovery is that the capillary effect (wettability) and the shale hydration make macrocracks extension and expansion and hydration-induced fractures formation.

scholarly journals Prediction of Shale Gas Reservoirs Using Fluid Mobility Attribute Driven by Post-Stack Seismic Data: A Case Study from Southern China

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
Jing Zeng ◽  
Alexey Stovas ◽  
Handong Huang ◽  
Lixia Ren ◽  
Tianlei Tang
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Spectral Decomposition ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Seismic Attribute ◽  
Longmaxi Formation ◽  
Shale Gas Reservoirs ◽  
The Sichuan Basin ◽  
Shale Reservoirs

Paleozoic marine shale gas resources in Southern China present broad prospects for exploration and development. However, previous research has mostly focused on the shale in the Sichuan Basin. The research target of this study is expanded to the Lower Silurian Longmaxi shale outside the Sichuan Basin. A prediction scheme of shale gas reservoirs through the frequency-dependent seismic attribute technology is developed to reduce drilling risks of shale gas related to complex geological structure and low exploration level. Extracting frequency-dependent seismic attribute is inseparable from spectral decomposition technology, whereby the matching pursuit algorithm is commonly used. However, frequency interference in MP results in an erroneous time-frequency (TF) spectrum and affects the accuracy of seismic attribute. Firstly, a novel spectral decomposition technology is proposed to minimize the effect of frequency interference by integrating the MP and the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD). Synthetic and real data tests indicate that the proposed spectral decomposition technology provides a TF spectrum with higher accuracy and resolution than traditional MP. Then, a seismic fluid mobility attribute, extracted from the post-stack seismic data through the proposed spectral decomposition technology, is applied to characterize the shale reservoirs. The application result indicates that the seismic fluid mobility attribute can describe the spatial distribution of shale gas reservoirs well without well control. Based on the seismic fluid mobility attribute section, we have learned that the shale gas enrich areas are located near the bottom of the Longmaxi Formation. The inverted velocity data are also introduced to further verify the reliability of seismic fluid mobility. Finally, the thickness map of gas-bearing shale reservoirs in the Longmaxi Formation is obtained by combining the seismic fluid mobility attribute with the inverted velocity data, and two favorable exploration areas are suggested by analyzing the thickness, structure, and burial depth. The present work can not only be used to evaluate shale gas resources in the early stage of exploration, but also help to design the landing point and trajectory of directional drilling in the development stage.

scholarly journals Total Porosity Measured for Shale Gas Reservoir Samples: A Case from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Southeast Chongqing, China

Minerals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangwen Chen ◽  
Shuangfang Lu ◽  
Xue Ding ◽  
Hongqin Zhao ◽  
Yiwen Ju
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Total Porosity ◽  
Gas Reservoir ◽  
Longmaxi Formation ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Lower Silurian ◽  
Shale Gas Reservoir ◽  
Research Institute

Measuring total porosity in shale gas reservoir samples remains a challenge because of the fine-grained texture, low porosity, ultra-low permeability, and high content of organic matter (OM) and clay mineral. The composition content porosimetry method, which is a new method for the evaluation of the porosity of shale samples, was used in this study to measure the total porosity of shale gas reservoir samples from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Southeast Chongqing, China, based on the bulk and grain density values. The results from the composition content porosimetry method were compared with those of the Gas Research Institute method. The results showed that the composition content porosimetry porosity values of shale gas reservoir samples range between 2.05% and 5.87% with an average value of 4.04%. The composition content porosimetry porosity generally increases with increasing OM and clay content, and decreases with increasing quartz and feldspar content. The composition content porosimetry results are similar to the gas research institute results, and the differences between the two methods range from 0.05% to 1.52% with an average value of 0.85%.

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