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Shale Lamina and Its Effect on Shale Oil Enrichment

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H3: Fossil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 5267

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shang Xu

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Guest Editor

School of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China
Interests: hydrocarbon accumulation mechanism; unconventional petroleum geology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Songtao Wu

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Guest Editor

Central Laboratory of Geological Sciences, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, CNPC, Beijing, China
Interests: sedimentology and reservoir evaluation of shale reservoir; unconventional O&G research; CO₂ EOR and storage; shale reservoir heterogeneity
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Dr. Juye Shi

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Guest Editor

School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: cyclostratigraphy; sequence stratigraphy; unconventional petroleum geology

Dr. Yuanyin Zhang

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Guest Editor

Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: geophysics; reservoir/fluid prediction; unconventional petroleum geology

Dr. Feng Yang

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
Interests: petrophysics; fluid transport; unconventional reservoir
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Shale oil exploration in China has demonstrated that laminated shale is a favorable lithofacies. The type and development degree of the lamina have important influence on shale oil productivity. A systematic study of the characteristics, genesis mechanisms, and sedimentary structure of the different laminae is not only of great scientific significance but also of great practical importance for shale oil exploration. Compared with marine shales, lacustrine shales are characterized as having a diverse mineral composition, high frequency cycle, and various laminae, which are seriously influenced by paleoclimatic changes. Earlier studies suggested that fine-grained laminated shale was deposited in a slowly suspended hydrodynamic environment. The types of fine-grained laminae can be divided into clastic laminae, biogenic laminae, and chemically induced laminae from the aspect of genesis. Laminae are intrinsically related to the hydrocarbon generation, expulsion, and storage, as well as engineering fracturing. Hence, the systematic study of lamina is not only helpful for revealing the enrichment mechanism of shale oil, but also for clarifying the high yield law of hydrocarbons.

We invite authors to submit novel research articles to enhance our understanding of the characteristics, genesis mechanisms, and sedimentary structure of different shale laminae. Submissions on the influence of laminae on oil migration, retention, storage, mobility, and other shale oil enrichment factors are highly encouraged. This Special Issue is also interested in research that explores key technologies and effective methods to evaluate full-scale laminar structures.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

Mineral composition, laminated structure, and lithofacies division of organic-rich shales.
Multiscale laminae identification, genesis mechanisms, and influencing factors.
Petroleum migration, retention, and storage within various laminated structure.
Distribution, occurrence state, and movability of oil in shales.
Sweet spot identification, evaluation, and prediction of shale oil resources.
Key technologies for reservoir fracturing and engineering development.

Prof. Dr. Shang Xu
Dr. Songtao Wu
Dr. Juye Shi
Dr. Yuanyin Zhang
Dr. Feng Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

shale laminar structure and genesis mechanisms
multiscale laminae identification and evaluation
petroleum migration, retention, and storage
oil occurrence state and movability
shale oil sweet spot identification

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3870 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Hydrous Pyrolysis of Source Rocks with Different Maturity in Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China: Implications for Shale Oil Exploration and Development

by Jingong Cai, Chuan Cai, Longfei Lu, Qigui Jiang, Xiaoxiao Ma and Jinyi He

Energies 2023, 16(17), 6219; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16176219 - 27 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 761

Abstract

Shale oil yield, movability, and reservoir brittleness are three factors that must be focused on for shale oil exploration and development. The yield and composition of hydrocarbons and mineral composition have changed significantly during diagenesis, affecting the yield and movability of shale oil and the brittleness of the rock. In this study, the source rocks at different depths in the Dongying Sag were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis, and the yield and composition of pyrolyzed hydrocarbons and mineral composition were systematically analyzed. The brittleness index (BEI), weighted average specific surface area (SSA_WA), and polarity index (PI) have been established to quantitatively characterize the brittleness and adsorption capacity of rock as well as the mobility of shale oil. The results suggest that diagenetic evolution controls rocks’ brittleness and adsorption capacity by changing their mineral composition. In the low-temperature stage, the mineral transformation is not obvious, and the BEI and SSA_WA fluctuate in a small range. In the high-temperature stage, the rapid smectite illitization leads to an increase in the brittleness and a decrease in the adsorption capacity. In addition, the nonpolar components such as saturates and aromatics in the pyrolyzed hydrocarbons gradually increased with the increasing temperature, enhancing the mobility of the shale oil. Based on the three evaluation indexes of BEI, PI, and SSA_WA, and combined with the changes in hydrocarbon yields during hydrous pyrolysis, we comparatively analyzed the differences in the mobility and yields of original soluble organic matter as well as pyrolyzed hydrocarbons of the source rocks at different depths. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that the shale in the depth range of 3300–3795 m is a favorable area for shale oil exploration and development in the study area. This work suggests that predicting the sweet spot for shale oil exploration and development requires more attention to the impact of diagenetic evolution on the composition of minerals and hydrocarbons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shale Lamina and Its Effect on Shale Oil Enrichment)

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19 pages, 18036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Astronomical Cycles on Laminated Shales of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China

by Qiqi Li, Shang Xu, Junliang Li, Ruichao Guo, Guangwei Wang and Yufan Wang

Energies 2023, 16(9), 3624; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093624 - 23 Apr 2023

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Abstract

Laminated shales are widely developed in the Dongying Sag and have attracted much attention as an oil reservoir. Macroscopically, these shales generally have multi-scale cyclicity, which is closely related to the development of laminae. Therefore, analyzing the origin of their cyclicity is helpful to understanding the formation mechanism of laminated shales and the vertical heterogeneity of shale reservoirs, which are of great significance for continental shale oil exploration and development. In this study, a gamma ray (GR) logging series, high-resolution elemental geochemical data, high-resolution core scanning photos and grayscale data, and mineralogical data were used to characterize the cyclicity of shale at different scales, and their relationship with different astronomical cycles was discussed. The results show that the Es3L and Es4U shale in the Dongying Sag has cyclicity from the meter-scale to the ten-meter scale and then to the hundred-meter scale, which is mainly manifested by periodic changes in organic matter abundance, mineral composition, element abundance, and grayscale. These cycles of different scales coincide with different astronomical periods. Specifically, the hundred-meter scale cyclicity is mainly controlled by the very long orbital period; the ten-meter scale cyclicity is mainly related to the eccentricity cycle; while the precession period is the main driver of the meter-scale cyclicity. Finally, we propose a simplified model for illustrating the formation of rhythmic organic-rich shale. This study is helpful to understanding the origin of continental organic-rich shale and predicting shale reservoir properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shale Lamina and Its Effect on Shale Oil Enrichment)

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22 pages, 12361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Characteristics of Lithofacies and Depositional Model of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in the Ordos Basin, China

by Zhenhong Chen, Xincheng Li, Hao Chen, Zhennan Duan, Zhen Qiu, Xiaoqian Zhou and Yuguang Hou

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2390; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052390 - 02 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1358

Abstract

In order to clarify the characteristics of fine-grained sedimentary lithofacies and the depositional models in lacustrine environments of the Chang 7 Member of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, we focus on the lacustrine lithofacies classification and controlling factors. Based on the typical field sections of the southern Ordos Basin, combined with the methods of organic geochemical analysis, polarizing microscopic observation, XRD and elemental geochemistry, we summarize the main controlling factors of the lithofacies under different sedimentary environments and establish the sedimentary model under different sedimentary backgrounds. Results show that the Chang 7 Member of the Ordos Basin includes six major lithofacies types, i.e., quasi-laminated clayey shale facies, blocky silty mudstone facies, quasi-laminated silty shale facies, laminated silty shale facies, blocky mixed mudstone facies, and laminated argillaceous siltstone facies. Al₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Na₂O, K₂O, and SiO₂ are relatively depleted, while TiO₂, TFe₂O₃, and P₂O₅ are relatively enriched in the Chang 7₂₊₃. Meanwhile, the trace elements are relatively enriched in Cd, Cu, Mo, U, and V. The fine-grained sedimentary facies were influenced by various sedimentary environments, such as paleoclimate, redox conditions, productivity and terrigenous input. According to lithofacies types and genetic mechanisms of the Chang 7 Member in the study area, two types of lithofacies assemblages are identified. The rapid rise in lake level during the deposition of the Chang 7₂₊₃ resulted in an anoxic water column, high productivity, and low terrigenous input under a humid climate and weak-to-moderate weathering conditions. Therefore, clayey shale lithofacies assemblage is developed in the lower Chang 7 Member. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shale Lamina and Its Effect on Shale Oil Enrichment)

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Review

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17 pages, 13219 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Controls of Laminae on Lacustrine Shale Oil Content in China: A Review from Generation, Retention, and Storage

by Qiyang Gou and Shang Xu

Energies 2023, 16(4), 1987; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041987 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1457

Abstract

The successful development of shale oil in China has claimed that laminated shale is a favorable lithofacies for the effective extraction of petroleum. Clarifying the role of laminae in shale oil generation, migration, storage, and enrichment is urgent and important. Starting from the describing and classifying of the lamina, the common methods and terms used to delineate lamina types are briefly summarized. The results of different schemes are often mutually inclusive, which prompted scholars to work towards a unified division scheme. The influencing factors of oil retention in shale systems, including organic matter (OM) type, total organic carbon (TOC) content, OM maturity, mineral composition, pore structure, and preservation conditions, are systematically discussed. Subsequently, comparative work on source rock quality, reservoir properties, and hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency of shales with different laminar structures is carried out. The comparison results of shale with different rock structures reveal that the laminated shale has a high expulsion efficiency. However, the strong oil generation capacity and superior storage space of laminated shale synergistically control the considerable amount of retained oil in the shale system. Especially the oil mobility of laminated shale is also considered because of great pore size and pore connectivity. The fine evaluation of laminar structure and prediction of laminar distribution has great significance for the selection of shale oil “sweet spot area” or “sweet spot interval”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shale Lamina and Its Effect on Shale Oil Enrichment)

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