A new method for continental shale oil enrichment evaluation

We have evaluated continental shale oil enrichment via experiments. Rock pyrolysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and pulse permeability tests were conducted to establish the pore saturation index (PSI), which comprehensively evaluates the enrichment of shale oil features using the characteristics of self-generation and self-preservation, the parameters of which include the pyrolysis-free hydrocarbon ([Formula: see text]) and total organic carbon of source rocks as well as the porosity and permeability of reservoir rocks. The correlation of the oil content ([Formula: see text]) and PSI values indicated that PSI values greater than 50 generally indicate good oil enrichment plays, whereas those smaller than 50 imply poor conditions for oil enrichment. This conclusion was successfully applied to the Zhanhua Sag with shale oil plays in the Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, China. In addition, the shale oil plays of the Dongying Sag in the Jiyang Depression were investigated to verify the effectiveness and reliability of the new method.