The Geoscience Frontier of Gulong Shale Oil:Revealing the Role of Continental Shale from Oil Generation to Production

The clay mineral content of Daqing Gulong shale is in the range of about 35%–45%,with particle sizes less than 0.0039 mm.The horizontal fluidity of oil in Gulong shale is poor,with near-zero vertical flowability.As a result,Gulong shale has been considered to lack commercial value.In recent years,however,interdisciplinary research in geoscience,percolation mechanics,thermodynamics,and surface mechanics has demonstrated that Gulong shale oil has a high degree of maturity and a high residual hydrocarbon content.The expulsion efficiency of Gulong shale in the high mature stage is 32%–48%.Favorable storage spaces in Gulong shale include connecting pores and lamellar fractures developed between and within organic matter and clay mineral complexes.The shale oil mainly occurs in micro-and nano-pores,bedding fractures,and lamellar fractures,with a high gas–oil ratio and medium–high movable oil saturation.Gulong shale has the characteristics of high hardness,a high elastic modulus,and high fracture toughness.This study achieves breakthroughs in the exploration and development of Gulong shale,including the theories of hydrocarbon generation and accumulation,the technologies of mobility and fracturing,and recoverability.It confirms the major transition of Gulong shale from oil generation to oil production,which has extremely significant scientific value and application potential for China’s petroleum industry.

A novel model of the carbon cycle in the Cambrian ocean

The classic model of the carbon cycle suggests that the extensive burial of ^(12)C-enriched organic carbon leads to a positive carbon isotope(δ^(13)C)excursion(CIE),while massive oxidation of organic carbon results in a negative CIE.However,global events such as the BAsal Cambrian Carbon isotope Excursion(BACE)and the Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion(SPICE)are global negative and positive δ^(13)C excursions,respectively,and they also exhibit significant organic carbon burial anomalies,displaying decoupling between carbon isotope anomalies and organic carbon burial.Based on the analyses of the Cambrian carbon cycle and paleoceanographic evolution records from well Tadong2 in the Tarim Basin,we propose a novel model of the carbon cycle in the Cambrian ocean that incorporates oceanic dissolved organic carbon(DOC).Our findings are as follows.(1)The Cambrian ocean maintained substantial DOC reservoirs,which were regulated by ocean currents and paleo-redox conditions and exerted significant influence on the oceanic carbon cycle.(2)The oxidation of the oceanic DOC reservoirs during the early Cambrian led to the BACE and the Asian Phenomenon of the Cambrian petroleum systems,while the expansion of the oceanic DOC reservoirs during the SPICE resulted in a global positive δ^(13)C excursion and the absence of significant organic carbon burial.(3)The deep-basin sedimentary environment in the eastern depression of the Tarim Basin may have fostered the development of organic-rich black shales during the Furongian Series,corresponding to organic carbon burial during the SPICE and representing potential prospects for ultra-deep oil and gas exploration.Future research should focus on the formation mechanism,reserve scale,and influencing factors of the oceanic DOC reservoirs,as well as their resource and environmental effects.It is expected that new breakthroughs will be made in the fields of Earth system science and oil and gas exploration.

Multi-spheric interactions driven differential formation and accumulation of hydrocarbon resources in the North Sea Basin

The North Sea Basin is the most important oil and gas producing area in Europe and the birthplace of many classic petroleum geological theories. From the perspective of multi-spheric interactions in the Earth, this study investigated the riftforeland-rift evolution process of the North Sea Basin, which was controlled by the deep dynamic driving forces of the continental collision orogeny, mantle plume uplift, and intraplate deformation. The North Sea Basin was found to have drifted northward since the Carboniferous and passed through the low-latitude Hadley and the mid-latitude Ferrel cells. Two sets of main hydrocarbon source rocks have formed, the coals and coal measures of the Upper Carboniferous Westphalian and the marine shale of the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation. We propose that the deep processes, tectonic activity, and transgression-climate evolution jointly controlled the types and horizons of the source rocks, reservoirs, and seals in different regions of the North Sea Basin. In the southern North Sea Basin, a Carboniferous-Lower Triassic gas-rich petroleum system was formed,which is characterized by transitional coal measure source rocks, desert aeolian sandstone reservoirs, and evaporite cap rocks. In the northern North Sea Basin, an Upper Triassic-Paleogene oil-rich petroleum system was formed, which is characterized by marine graben-type source rocks, deltaic sandstone and marine limestone reservoirs, and marine tight marl and shale cap rocks.The late tectonic burial and uplift in the North Sea Basin further controlled the processes of oil and gas generation and accumulation, ultimately leading to a differential distribution pattern which is oil rich in the northern part and gas rich in the southern part of the basin. In the future, there is an urgent need to re-examine the mechanisms for the petroleum generation and accumulation in large mature exploration areas(e.g., super basins such as the North Sea) and low exploration areas(e.g., the Okhotsk Sea and Arctic regions) from the perspective of multi-spheric interactions in the Earth in order to provide new theoretical support for increasing the identification of oil and gas reserves globally. The development of artificial intelligence in the petroleum industry should focus on the massive amount of exploration and geological data collected in the North Sea Basin.Through digital geological innovation, carbon neutral comprehensive utilization of oil, gas, and associated resources(e.g.,helium and hydrogen) can be achieved, providing a new paradigm for global oil and gas exploration and development.

Proven and Potential Microbial Contributions to the Gulong Shale Oil

0 INTRODUCTION The Gulong shale oil is a new type of hydrocarbon resource enriched in the clay-rich shale of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin.Because it is most typical in the Gulong depression in the northern part of the Songliao Basin and has been commercially developed,it is called Gulong shale oil(Sun et al.,2021).

最小含氧带和硫化环境控制14亿年前有机质生烃能力

显生宙沉积有机质富集和生烃潜力受控于初级生产力和保存环境,但元古宙以原核生物为主的广泛厌氧环境对烃源岩发育的控制作用并不清楚.中国华北燕辽盆地中元古界下马岭组发育一套厚达250 m的富有机质烃源岩,主要形成于硫化厌氧和最小含氧带(oxygen minimum zone,OMZ)水体环境,沉积时限约为1400~1360 Ma.选择有代表性的两类黑色页岩样品开展了黄金管热模拟实验,结果表明,14亿年前富有机质页岩的生油气潜力与显生宙优质烃源岩相当,且明显受控于沉积时的海洋水体环境;硫化厌氧环境的沉积有机质,虽丰度略低(TOC 5%),但生油能力明显高于OMZ环境下的沉积有机质(TOC达12%);两类沉积环境有机质的生烷烃气能力却相反.这说明,厌氧环境不但有利于有机质富集,同时保存了对生油更加有效的富氢脂肪结构;尽管OMZ海洋初级生产力很高,在底层水有氧环境下也能够沉积高丰度的有机碳,但氧化作用使其生油潜力明显降低.研究证实,中元古代海洋环境的动态演化对沉积有机质的母源构成、生烃潜力和产物组成具有重要影响,为深入了解并探索中新元古界的烃源岩发育机制和油气资源潜力提供了一个重要窗口.

中元古代海洋生物碳泵:有机质来源、降解与富集

碳循环是生命改造地球的最主要途径.海洋是地球上最大的活跃碳库,其储碳-释碳的异常波动对地球表层系统演化具有革命性影响.然而,中元古代无机碳同位素的相对稳定表明,地球碳循环达到了一个相对平衡的状态.因此,研究中元古代海洋中由微生物主导的碳循环对于我们认识地球宜居演化具有重要意义.本文从有机质来源、降解与富集等方面论证了中元古代海洋生物碳泵的主要地球化学过程,提出初始有机质来自以蓝细菌为主的多源生物,有机质降解有反硝化细菌、铁还原菌、硫酸盐还原菌、产甲烷菌等多种微生物参与.以中元古界下马岭组为例,定量分析了受初级生产水平和水体氧化还原程度控制的微生物降解作用及降解程度,估算14亿年前的海洋惰性可溶碳库增储可能达1000×10;~2500×10;t,仅燕辽盆地埋藏的有机碳就达6000×10;t.最后,本文讨论了磷、铁供给对海洋碳循环的重要控制作用,提出未来开展高精度沉积地球化学解析和多元素循环精细建模研究的必要性.

Hydrocarbon generation characteristics and exploration prospects of Proterozoic source rocks in China

A large number of primary oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in Proterozoic strata all over the globe.Proterozoic sequences are widely distributed in China, and the discovery of large Sinian-aged gas reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin and Mesoproterozoic liquid oil seepages in North China shows that attention should be paid to the exploration potential of Proterozoic strata. In this paper, the main controlling factors of Proterozoic source rocks are discussed. Principally, active atmospheric circulation and astronomical cycles may have driven intense upwelling and runoff to provide nutrients; oxygenated oceanic surface waters could have provided suitable environments for the organisms to thrive; volcanic activity and terrestrial weathering caused by continental break-up would have injected large amounts of nutrients into the ocean, leading to persistent blooms of marine organisms; and extensive anoxic deep waters may have created ideal conditions for the preservation of organic matter. Additionally, the appearance of eukaryotes resulted in diversified hydrocarbon parent material, which effectively improved the generation potential for oil and gas. Through the comparison of Formations across different cratons, seven sets of Proterozoic organic-rich source rocks have been recognized in China, which mainly developed during interglacial periods and are also comparable worldwide. The Hongshuizhuang and Xiamaling Formations in North China have already been identified previously as Mesoproterozoic source rocks. The early Proterozoic Changchengian System is highly promising as a potential source rock in the Ordos Basin. In the Upper Yangtze area, the Neoproterozoic Datangpo and Doushantuo Formations are extensively distributed, and represent the major source rocks for Sinian gas reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin. Moreover, the Nanhuan System may contain abundant shales with high organic matter contents in the Tarim Basin, although this possibility still needs to be verified. Indeed, all three cratons may contain source rocks of Proterozoic strata; thus, these strata represent major exploration targets worthy of great attention.

Geochemical evidence for strong ongoing methanogenesis in Sanhu region of Qaidam Basin

Sanhu depression of Qaidam Basin is the largest biogenic gas production region in China.Headspace samples were collected from two wells in this region,and hydrogen and propylene compounds were detected in these samples with a certain concentration.The stable hydrogen isotope ratio of H 2 is relatively light (-700‰--820‰).The stable carbon isotope ratio of propylene ranges from -27‰ to -40‰,which coincides with the rule of change of the stable carbon isotope of kerogen at the corresponding horizon.The characteristic analysis of sediments,structures,and Ar and He components in the region indicates that these microelement compounds are the product of degradation of organic substances by microorganisms,rather than from the mantle source,inorganic reaction or other sources.Detection of these components provides solid evidence for the strong ongoing methanogenesis in this region.

The Mesoproterozoic Oxygenation Event

The accumulation of oxygen is one of the most important characteristics that distinguish Earth from other planets in the solar system,which is also considered to be the key factor influencing the birth and evolution of complex life forms.The oxygenation process of the Earth surface has long been viewed to be episodic with two critical intervals occurring in the early Paleoproterozoic(2.45-2.10 Ga)and the late Neoproterozoic(0.80-0.54 Ga),with a 1.3-billion-year-long low oxygen period in between.Recently,increasing independent works carried out by different scientific teams in the Yanliao Basin,North China are demonstrating that the atmospheric oxygen concentrations had reached>4%PAL(present atmospheric levels)at least during 1.59-1.56,1.44-1.43,and 1.40-1.36 Ga.These estimated values are higher than the previously recommended values of<0.1-1%PAL.Such a scenario discovered in the Yanliao Basin is consistent with the synchronously deposited strata in Australia and Siberia,pointing to a Mesoproterozoic oxygenation event(1.59-1.36 Ga)between the two major oxygenation intervals during the Proterozoic.This Mesoproterozoic oxygenation event is coupled with the break-up of the Columbia(Nuna)supercontinent,the formation of organic-rich shales and Fe-Mn deposits,and the early innovation of eukaryotic algae,indicating that the geological and biological co-evolutionary processes control the Earth surface system.

Carboniferous and Permian integrative stratigraphy and timescale of North China Block

The Carboniferous-Permian strata in the North China Block(NCB) contain abundant fossils, coals and natural gases.Establishing a high-resolution timescale for the Carboniferous and Permian in the NCB is essential to understand the geologic events and explore the spatial and temporal distributions of the natural resources. The upper Carboniferous and the basal part of Permian are relatively well correlated because they yield marine conodont and fusuline fossils. However, the Permian terrestrial strata mostly rely on poorly constrained palynostratigraphy and phytostratigraphy and are short of the precise geochronologic constraints on the correlation with the marine strata. This study provides a critical review on the state-of-the-art of the latest Carboniferous and Permian chronostratigraphic and biostratigraphic frameworks and stratigraphic correlation in the NCB. The Penchi Formation ranges from lower Bashkirian to lower Gzhelian;the Taiyuan Formation is assigned to the upper Gzhelian to lower Asselian;the Shansi and Lower Shihhotse formations are from middle Asselian to lower Sakmarian;the Upper Shihhotse Formation is assigned to upper Artinskian to lower Kungurian, and the Sunjiagou Formation was assigned to Lopingian, respectively. A long hiatus up to ~20 Myr between the Upper Shihhotse and Sunjiagou formations, mainly marked by a large-scale erosional surface at the base of a coarse conglomeratic sandstone unit and/or multiple paleosol layers as well as significant differences of floras between these two lithostratigraphic units, is present probably due to tectonic uplift in association with the closure of the Paleo Asian Ocean(PAO) during the Cisuralian and Guadalupian. The possible amplitude of sea-level changes from Carboniferous to Permian on the NCB is estimated from 0 to 40 m.The floral succession, depositional records and organic carbon isotope profiles suggest that the latest Carboniferous and earliest Permian was a favorable period for coal accumulation under an ever-wet and warm climate, followed by a prominent shift to dry climate from early-middle Cisuralian. This climatic shift during the Permian was mainly resulted from northward migration of the Pangea and the closure of the PAO, which is comparable with the Carboniferous and Permian trends in central Europe.

What are the Limiting Environmental Factors for the Evolution of Early Eukaryotic Diversity?

Exploring the mysteries of life is an eternal frontier of science. Containing complex and diverse organisms on the surface of the Earth is one of the most crucial characteristics that distinguish the Earth from other planets in the Solar system. Almost all animals, plants, and fungi that can be seen with the naked eye belong to eukaryotes。