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Geological Characteristics, Evaluation Methods and Exploration Prospects of Tight Oil and Gas Resources: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H: Geo-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 3343

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Weiming Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: comprehensive evaluation of tight oil and gas geology; oil and gas migration and accumulation and accumulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jijun Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: evaluation of tight and shale oil enrichment and recovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiyu Qu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: evaluation of tight reservoir
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hongqi Yuan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geosciences, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing 163318, China
Interests: comprehensive evaluation of tight oil and gas geology; oil and gas migration and accumulation and accumulation; reservoir evaluation of shale oil; sequence stratigraphy; sedimentary facies analysis; reservoir evaluation of volcanic oil
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Lei Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Petroleum Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, China
Interests: reservoir sedimentology; comprehensive petroleum geology research; unconventional oil and gas reservoir evaluation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Compared with other types of unconventional oil and gas resources, tight oil and gas reservoirs have better seepage and fracturing properties and are a more realistic choice for increasing reserves and production in the global unconventional oil and gas fields. The exploration and development of tight oil and gas resources are in a golden period of rapid development after undergoing a theoretical and technical preparation period and a policy promotion period. With improvements in tight oil and gas evaluation methods and testing methods, tight oil and gas exploration has seen great progress in many aspects, such as effective source rock evaluation, reservoir evaluation, and accumulation mechanism.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to display and publicize the test characterization methods, research methods, and recent research progress in the field of tight oil and gas geological evaluation.

Topics include but are not limited to:

  • The latest test methods for tight oil and gas;
  • Sedimentary and geochemical characteristics of tight oil and gas;
  • Evaluation of tight oil and gas effective source rocks;
  • Characterization and evaluation of tight oil and gas reservoirs;
  • Occurrence mechanism and accumulation law of tight oil and gas;
  • Comprehensive evaluation and exploration technology of tight oil and gas sweet spots.

Dr. Weiming Wang
Prof. Dr. Jijun Li
Dr. Xiyu Qu
Prof. Dr. Hongqi Yuan
Prof. Dr. Lei Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geological evaluation of tight oil
  • geological evaluation of tight gas
  • tight reservoir evaluation
  • tight hydrocarbon accumulation mechanism
  • tight oil and gas prediction
  • tight reservoir evaluation technology

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 55581 KiB  
Article
Multiscale Pore Architecture and Its Influence on Porosity, Permeability, and Fluid Flow in Tight Gas Reservoirs of the Shihezi H8 Formation, Ordos Basin
by Muhammad Toseef Adnan, Guishan Zhang, Bin Chang, Hu Wei, Ren Peng, Wang Chang and Liang Wang
Energies 2024, 17(23), 5952; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17235952 - 27 Nov 2024
Viewed by 368
Abstract
Characterizing pore network morphology and its influence on critical reservoir properties such as porosity, permeability, and fluid flow pathways is imperative for maximizing production from tight gas sandstone reservoirs. This study integrated petrographic and pore-scale analyses to investigate diagenetic effects on the Shihezi [...] Read more.
Characterizing pore network morphology and its influence on critical reservoir properties such as porosity, permeability, and fluid flow pathways is imperative for maximizing production from tight gas sandstone reservoirs. This study integrated petrographic and pore-scale analyses to investigate diagenetic effects on the Shihezi H8 Formation, Ordos Basin, China. Sixty core plug samples spanning depositional facies from wells were analyzed using thin-section petrography, scanning electron microscopy, laser grain size analysis, mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and porosity–permeability measurements. Thin-section observations indicated that formation primarily comprises litharenite and sub-litharenite sandstones deposited in fluvial–deltaic environments composed primarily of quartz and feldspar grains. Diagenesis caused significant porosity reduction through initial mechanical compaction, 3–13% quartz cementation, and localized dissolution, resulting in secondary porosity of up to 5%. Three diagenetic facies were differentiated based on variations in mineralogy and diagenetic alterations. MICP classified pore networks into three reservoir types defined by mean throat radii ranging from 0.091 to 0.270 μm. NMR distinguished pore architectures as uniformly microporous, bimodally micro–mesoporous, and heterogeneously distributed multiscale pores. Larger throat radii correlated positively with higher porosity (up to 8.6%), gas porosity (10.5%), and permeability (0.1911 mD). Grain size analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between mean detrital grain diameter (>2.6 φ, 0.18 mm, (180 µm)), and significantly elevated average porosity (5–8%) compared to finer lithologies, implying depositional energy and sorting regimes. Integrating depositional features, diagenetic alterations, and multiscale pore architecture characterization quantitatively and qualitatively enhanced predictions of heterogeneity in hydrocarbon flow behavior amongst these tight reservoirs. The optimized insights from this integrated study provide a framework to guide development strategies and field appraisal methods for maximizing recovery from unconventional tight gas formations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geological Characteristics, Evaluation Methods and Exploration Prospects of Tight Oil and Gas Resources: 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 14473 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study on Artificial Fracture Modeling Schemes in Tight Reservoirs—For Enhancing the Production Efficiency of Tight Oil and Gas
by Yonggang Wang, Xuejuan Zhang, Jie Zhang, Yali Zeng, Lei Zhang, Han Wang and Ruolin Li
Energies 2024, 17(20), 5235; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205235 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 577
Abstract
In order to improve the reliability of the deployment of production schemes after artificial fracturing in tight reservoirs, it is urgent to carry out research on the description of fractures after artificial fracturing. In this study, taking the Chang 61 oil formation [...] Read more.
In order to improve the reliability of the deployment of production schemes after artificial fracturing in tight reservoirs, it is urgent to carry out research on the description of fractures after artificial fracturing. In this study, taking the Chang 61 oil formation group in the Wangyao South area of Ordos Basin as an example, three different fracture modeling schemes are used to establish the geological model of fractured reservoirs, and the fitting ratios of the respective reservoir models are calculated by using the method of reservoir numerical simulation of the initial fitting, and the optimal fractured reservoir modeling scheme is screened in the end. The research area adopts three types of fracture prediction results based on FMI fracture interpretation data, seismic fracture prediction data, and rock mechanics artificial fracturing simulation data. On this basis, geological models of fractured reservoirs are established, respectively. The initial fitting of reservoir values of each geological model are compared, and the highest initial fitting rate of reservoir values is 88.44%, which is based on rock mechanics artificial fracturing simulation data. However, the initial fitting rate of the reservoir model was the lowest at 75.76%, which was established based on the fracture random modeling results of FMl fracture interpretation data. Under the constraints of seismic geostress prediction results and microseismic monitoring data, the simulation results of rock mechanics artificial fracturing fracture are used as the basis, on which the geological model of artificially fractured reservoirs is thus established, and this scheme can more realistically characterize the characteristics of fractured reservoirs after artificial fracturing in the study area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geological Characteristics, Evaluation Methods and Exploration Prospects of Tight Oil and Gas Resources: 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 21765 KiB  
Article
Impact of Overpressure on the Preservation of Liquid Petroleum: Evidence from Fluid Inclusions in the Deep Reservoirs of the Tazhong Area, Tarim Basin, Western China
by Peng Su, Jianyong Zhang, Zhenzhu Zhou, Xiaolan Chen and Chunrong Zhang
Energies 2024, 17(19), 4765; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17194765 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 481
Abstract
The complexity of petroleum phases in deep formations plays an important role in the evaluation of hydrocarbon resources. Pressure is considered to have a positive impact on the preservation of liquid oils, yet direct evidence for this phenomenon is lacking in the case [...] Read more.
The complexity of petroleum phases in deep formations plays an important role in the evaluation of hydrocarbon resources. Pressure is considered to have a positive impact on the preservation of liquid oils, yet direct evidence for this phenomenon is lacking in the case of deep reservoirs due to late destruction. Here, we present fluid-inclusion assemblages from a deep reservoir in the Tazhong area of the Tarim Basin, northwestern China, which formed as a direct consequence of fluid pressure evolution. Based on thermodynamic measurements and simulations of the coexisting aqueous and petroleum inclusions in these assemblages, the history of petroleum activities was reconstructed. Our results show that all analyzed fluid-inclusion assemblages demonstrated variable pressure conditions in different charging stages, ranging from hydrostatic to overpressure (a pressure coefficient of up to 1.49). Sequential petroleum charging and partial oil cracking may have been the main contributors to overpressure. By comparing the phases of petroleum and fluid pressures in the two wells, ZS1 and ZS5, it can be inferred that overpressure inhibits oil cracking. Thus, overpressure exerts an important influence on the preservation of liquid hydrocarbon under high temperatures. Furthermore, our results reveal that the exploration potential for liquid petroleum is considerable in the deep reservoirs of the Tarim Basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geological Characteristics, Evaluation Methods and Exploration Prospects of Tight Oil and Gas Resources: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 5377 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Fractures on Shale Oil and Gas Enrichment and Mobility: A Case Study of the Qingshankou Formation in the Gulong Depression of the Songliao Basin, NE China
by Xuefeng Bai, Junhui Li, Wei Liu, Jijun Li, Xiuli Fu, Yangxin Su, Qiang Zheng, Shuangfang Lu, Xu Zeng, Hang You and Yingchao Xu
Energies 2024, 17(17), 4517; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174517 - 9 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 517
Abstract
To study the impact of faults on the enrichment and mobility of shale oil in the Gulong area, representative rock samples were selected in this paper. Based on geochemical data and chemical kinetics methods, coupled with shale oil enrichment and mobility analysis techniques, [...] Read more.
To study the impact of faults on the enrichment and mobility of shale oil in the Gulong area, representative rock samples were selected in this paper. Based on geochemical data and chemical kinetics methods, coupled with shale oil enrichment and mobility analysis techniques, the shale oil generation quantity and in situ oil content were evaluated from the perspectives of shale oil generation and micro migration, and the mobility of shale oil was revealed. At the same time, the hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency (HEE) of shale was qualitatively and quantitatively characterized, combined with the development of faults. The research results indicate that the study area mainly develops organic-rich felsic (ORF)/organic-containing felsic (OCF) shale, their proportion in both wells exceeds 65%, and the resource amount is the largest in this type of lithofacies. The development of a fault controls the enrichment of shale oil, and the in situ oil content and oil saturation index (OSI) of the shale in well Y58, which is close to the fault, are significantly worse than those in well S2. Well Y58 has 9.52 mg/g and 424.83 mg/g TOC respectively, while well S2 has 11.34 mg/g and 488.73 mg/g TOC respectively. The fault enhanced the migration of shale oil, increasing the efficiency of oil expulsion. As a result, the components with weak polarity or small molecules, such as saturated hydrocarbons and low carbon number n-alkanes, are prone to migration, reducing the mobility of shale oil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geological Characteristics, Evaluation Methods and Exploration Prospects of Tight Oil and Gas Resources: 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 11384 KiB  
Article
Logging Identification Methods for Oil-Bearing Formations in the Chang 6 Tight Sandstone Reservoir in the Qingcheng Area, Ordos Basin
by Yanlong Ge, Kai Zhao, Hao Niu, Xinglei Song, Lianlian Qiao, Xiaojuan Cheng and Congjun Feng
Energies 2024, 17(16), 3966; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17163966 - 10 Aug 2024
Viewed by 937
Abstract
The Chang 6 sandstone reservoir of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin is one of the tight-oil-rich intervals in the basin. Owing to the strong heterogeneity and complex lithology of the Chang 6 reservoir, lithology and fluid identification have become [...] Read more.
The Chang 6 sandstone reservoir of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin is one of the tight-oil-rich intervals in the basin. Owing to the strong heterogeneity and complex lithology of the Chang 6 reservoir, lithology and fluid identification have become more challenging, hindering exploration and development. This study focused on the Chang 6 member in the Qingcheng area of the Ordos Basin to systematically analyze the lithology, physical properties, and oil-bearing properties of the Chang 6 reservoir. We adopted the method of normalized superposition of neutron and acoustic time-difference curves, the method of induced conductivity–porosity–density intersection analysis, the method of superposition of difference curves (Δφ), and the induced conductivity curve. Our results indicated that the method of normalized superposition of neutron and acoustic wave time-difference curves could quickly and effectively identify the lithologies of tight fine sandstone, silty mudstone, mudstone, and carbonaceous mudstone. The induced conductivity–porosity–density cross-plot could be used to effectively identify oil and water layers, wherein the conductivity of tight oil layers ranged from 18 to 28.1 mS/m, the density ranged from 2.42 to 2.56 g/cm3, the porosity was more than 9.5%, and the oil saturation was more than 65%. Based on the identification of tight fine sandstone using the dual-curve normalized superposition method, the oil layer thickness within the tight fine sandstone could be effectively identified using the superposition of difference curves (Δφ) and induced conductivity curves. Verified by oil-bearing reservoir data from the field test, the overall recognition accuracy of the plots exceeded 90%, effectively enabling the identification of reservoir lithology and fluid types and the determination of the actual thickness of oil layers. Our results provide a reference for predicting favorable areas in the study area and other tight reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geological Characteristics, Evaluation Methods and Exploration Prospects of Tight Oil and Gas Resources: 2nd Edition)
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