Geological conditions and reservoir characteristics of various shales in major shalehosted regions of China

China is home to shales of three facies:Marine shale,continental shale,and marine-continental transitional shale.Different types of shale gas are associated with significantly different formation conditions and major controlling factors.This study compared the geological characteristics of various shales and analyzed the influences of different parameters on the formation and accumulation of shale gas.In general,shales in China’s several regions exhibit high total organic carbon(TOC)contents,which lays a sound material basis for shale gas generation.Marine strata generally show high degrees of thermal evolution.In contrast,continental shales manifest low degrees of thermal evolution,necessitating focusing on areas with relatively high degrees of thermal evolution in the process of shale gas surveys for these shales.The shales of the Wufeng and Silurian formations constitute the most favorable shale gas reservoirs since they exhibit the highest porosity among the three types of shales.These shales are followed by those in the Niutitang and Longtan formations.In contrast,the shales of the Doushantuo,Yanchang,and Qingshankou formations manifest low porosities.Furthermore,the shales of the Wufeng and Longmaxi formations exhibit high brittle mineral contents.Despite a low siliceous mineral content,the shales of the Doushantuo Formation feature a high carbonate mineral content,which can increase the shales’brittleness to some extent.For marine-continental transitional shales,where thin interbeds of tight sandstone with unequal thicknesses are generally found,it is recommended that fracturing combined with drainage of multiple sets of lithologic strata should be employed to enhance their shale gas production.

New insights into marine hydrocarbon geological conditions in the South Yellow Sea Basin:evidence from borehole CSDP-2

The South Yellow Sea Basin(SYSB) has multiple sets of proven source rocks and good hydrocarbon prospects,but no industrial oil and gas has been explored at present.To solve this puzzle for petroleum geologists,we systematically investigated the marine hydrocarbon geological conditions based on cores and testing data from borehole CSDP-2,the first exploration well with continuous coring in SYSB.The qualities of source rocks are evaluated in detail according to organic matter abundance,type,and maturity.The reservoir characterization mainly includes porosity,permeability,and reservoir space.Displacement pressure test and stratum thickness are the main foundations for defining the caprocks.Then,the oil-source rock correlation in the Permian and stratum model are analyzed to determine the favorable source-reservoir-caprock assemblages.The results show that three sets of effective source rocks(the Lower Triassic,Upper Permian,and Lower Permian),two sets of tight sandstone re servoirs(the Upper Permian and Lower Silurian-Upper Devonian),and two sets of caprocks(the Lower Triassic and Carboniferous) combine to constitute the hydrocarbon reservoir-forming as se mblages of "lower-ge neration and upper-accumlation" and "self-generation and self-accumlation",thus laying a solid foundation for promising petroleum prospects.The three sets of marine source rocks are characterized by successive generation and expulsion stages,which guarantees multistage hydrocarbon accumulation.Another three sets of continental source rocks distributed across the Middle Jurassic,Upper Cretaceous,and Paleogene depression areas,especially in the Northern Depression,may supplement some hydrocarbons for the Central Uplift through faults and the Indosinian unconformity.The favorable Permian exploration strata have been identified in the Central Uplift of SYSB.First,the Lower Permian and Upper Permian source rocks with high organic matter abundance and high thermal maturity supply sufficient hydrocarbons.Secondly,the interbedding relationship between the source rocks and sandstones in the Upper Permian strata ensures that hydrocarbons have been migrated into the nearby Upper Permian sandstones,reflecting near-source hydrocarbon accumulation.Finally,the good sealing property of the Lower Triassic Qinglong Formation caprocks plays an indispensable role in hydrocarbon preservation of the Permian reservoirs.This conclusion is supported by direct oil shows,gas logging anomalous layers,and hydrocarbon-bearing fluid inclusions.

Geological Conditions and Prospect Forecast of Shale Gas Formation in Qiangtang Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The presence of shale gas has been confirmed in almost every marine shale distribution area in North America.Formation conditions of shale gas in China are the most favorable for marine,organic-rich shale as well.But there has been little research focusing on shale gas in Qiangtang Basin,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,where a lot of Mesozoic marine shale formations developed.Based on the survey results of petroleum geology and comprehensive test analysis data for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,for the first time,this paper discusses characteristics of sedimentary development,thickness distribution,geochemistry,reservoir and burial depth of organic-rich shale,and geological conditions for shale gas formation in Qiangtang Basin.There are four sets of marine shale strata in Qiangtang Basin including Upper Triassic Xiaochaka Formation （T3x）,Middle Jurassic Buqu Formation （J2b）,Xiali Formation （J2x） and Upper Jurassic Suowa Formation （J3s）,the sedimentary types of which are mainly bathyal-basin facies,open platform-platform margin slope facies,lagoon and tidal-fiat facies,as well as delta facies.By comparing it with the indicators of gas shale in the main U.S.basins,it was found that the four marine shale formations in Qiangtang Basin constitute a multi-layer distribution of organic-rich shale,featuring a high degree of thickness and low abundance of organic matter,high thermal evolution maturity,many kinds of brittle minerals,an equivalent content of quartz and clay minerals,a high content of feldspar and low porosity,which provide basic conditions for an accumulation of shale gas resources.Xiaochaka Formation shale is widely distributed,with big thickness and the best gas generating indicators.It is the main gas source layer.Xiali Formation shale is of intermediate thickness and coverage area,with relatively good gas generating indicators and moderate gas formation potential.Buqu Formation shale and Suowa Formation shale are of relatively large thickness,and covering a small area,with poor gas generating indicators,and limited gas formation potential.The shale gas geological resources and technically recoverable resources were estimated by using geologic analogy method,and the prospective areas and potentially favorable areas for Mesozoic marine shale gas in Qiangtang Basin are forecast and analyzed.It is relatively favorable in a tectonic setting and indication of oil and gas,shale maturity,sedimentary thickness and gypsum-salt beds,and in terms of mineral association for shale gas accumulation.But the challenge lies in overcoming the harsh natural conditions which contributes to great difficulties in ground engineering and exploration,and high exploration costs.

Characteristics of Changchengian rifts in southern margin of North China Craton and its hydrocarbon geological conditions

The Meso-Neoproterozoic strata are wildly distributed in North China Craton(NCC),of which Changchengian strata are most widely developed.Taking Changchengian strata in south margin of NCC as the study object,and combined with comprehensive analysis of isotopic chronology and petrology,it can be concluded that the Xiong'er rift is a plume rift which responds to breakup of Columbia supercontinent.Seismic data shows that Changchengian rifts are developed in the Qinshui Basin and the southern part of Ordos Basin covered by Phanerozoic strata,respectively are large-scale graben rifts and half-graben rifts.Aero magnetic data indicates that a NE-trending rift is developed in the west of the Xiong'er rift,and the Qinshui Basin rift is the extension of the north branch of the Xiong'er rift.The filling process of Changchengian rifts can be divided into four stages:the early rifting stage developing thick andesitic volcanic rocks,the late rifting stage developing large suite of coarse clastic sedimentary rocks,the depression stage developing fine clastic rocks,and the epeiric sea stage developing carbonate rocks.The dark argillaceous rocks are developed in Cuizhuang Formation and Chenjiajian Formation during the depression stage,and the black shale in Cuizhuang Formation is the effective source rocks.The bitume is filled in fractures of dolomite in Luoyukou Formation,as well as dissolution pores and large caves in Longjiayuan Formation.The argillaceous sandstone and muddy limestone of Lower Cambrian is the effective cap rocks,which can form an potential accumulation assemblage of Changchengian strata with underlying source rocks of Cuizhuang Formation and reservoirs of Luoyu Group,and this assemblage may be still effective at present.

Evaluation of underground blast-induced ground motions through nearsurface low-velocity geological layers

Surface ground motion produced by underground blasts is significantly influenced by near-surface geological conditions.However,near-surface low-propagation velocity layers were always ignored in past analyses of ground motions due to their thin thickness.With the rising concern about surface ground motions produced by the ascendant scale and frequentness of underground excavation and mining,close attention is gradually paid to ground blast vibrations.Therefore,systemic experiments were conducted and took seven months in an underground mine to clarify the variation of motion from underground rock to surface ground.The attenuation of surface ground peak particle velocities(PPVs)is compared to that in underground rock,and horizontal amplitudes are compared to vertical amplitudes.Differences between bedrock and surface ground vibrations are analyzed to illustrate the site effect of near-surface lower-propagation velocity layers.One-dimensional site response analysis is employed to quantify the influence of different geological profiles on surface ground vibrations.The experimental data and site response analysis allowed the following conclusions:(1)geological site effects mainly produce decreasing dominant frequency(DF)of surface ground vibrations;(2)the site amplification effect of blast vibration needs to be characterized by peak particle displacement(PPD);(3)shear waves(S-waves)begin to dominate and surface Rayleigh waves(R-waves)develop as blast-induced ground vibrations travel upward through rock and lower-velocity layers to the surface.The comparison of response relative displacement to a critical value is best to assess the potential for cracking on surface structures.

Assessing Future Flooding Risk in a Coastal Lagoon Using Hydrogeological Approaches and Analysis of the 2021 Flood Event: A Case Study of Tasi-Tolu Lagoon, Dili, Timor-Leste

This study aims to apply a hydrogeological approaches and analysis of the 2021 flood event of Tasi-Tolu Lagoon to achieve four specific goals. Firstly, the study seeks to determine the natural characteristics of the lagoon, which include factors such as size, depth, water quality, and ecosystem composition. Secondly, the influence of precipitation on the water volume in the lagoon will be examined. This analysis involves assessing historical rainfall patterns in the region, as well as the amount and frequency of precipitation during the 2021 flood event. Thirdly, the hydrogeologic and geologic conditions of the lagoon will be evaluated. This involves examining factors such as the type and structure of the soil and bedrock, the presence of aquifers or other underground water sources, and the movement of water through the surrounding landscape. Finally, the study seeks to assess the risk of future flooding in Tasi-Tolu Lagoon, based on the insights gained from the previous analyses. Overall, this study’s goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the hydrogeological factors that contribute to flooding in Tasi-Tolu Lagoon. This knowledge could be used to inform flood mitigation strategies or to improve our ability to predict and respond to future flooding events in the region.

Probabilistic prediction of expected ground condition and construction time and costs in road tunnels

Ground condition and construction （excavation and support） time and costs are the key factors in decision-making during planning and design phases of a tunnel project. An innovative methodology for probabilistic estimation of ground condition and construction time and costs is proposed, which is an integration of the ground prediction approach based on Markov process, and the time and cost variance analysis based on Monte-Carlo （MC） simulation. The former provides the probabilistic description of ground classification along tunnel alignment according to the geological information revealed from geological profile and boreholes. The latter provides the probabilistic description of the expected construction time and costs for each operation according to the survey feedbacks from experts. Then an engineering application to Hamro tunnel is presented to demonstrate how the ground condition and the construction time and costs are estimated in a probabilistic way. In most items, in order to estimate the data needed for this methodology, a number of questionnaires are distributed among the tunneling experts and finally the mean values of the respondents are applied. These facilitate both the owners and the contractors to be aware of the risk that they should carry before construction, and are useful for both tendering and bidding.

Conditions of Petroleum Geology of the Qiangtang Basin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau located in the Tethyan tectonic domain is the best developed region of Mesozoic and Cenozoic marine sediments in China. The Qiangtang basin is the biggest and relatively stable area of the plateau. Triassic and Jurassic hydrocarbon source rocks are extensively distributed in the basin. There exist good dolomite and organic reef reservoirs and mudstone and evaporite cap rocks, as well as well-developed structural traps in the basin; in addition destroyed petroleum traps have been discovered. Therefore, the conditions of petroleum geology in the Qiangtang basin are excellent

Forming Condition and Geology Prediction Techniques of Deep Clastic Reservoirs

1 Introduction As new exploration domain for oil and gas,reservoirs with low porosity and low permeability have become a hotspot in recent years(Li Daopin,1997).With the improvement of technology,low porosity and low

Information and knowledge behind data from underground rock grouting

Data related to the pre-grouting work of a large underground project are systematically analyzed to reveal the mechanism behind,to shed some light on the execution of practical grouting,and to enrich the theory of engineering geology.Grouting is generally taken as an effective way for controlling nonignorable water seepage during underground rock excavation.Though various models have been developed to guide grouting design or to specify criteria for grouting stop,it does not change the fact that grouting is still highly experience-based.Therefore,explanation of the current situation due to grouting complexity is given through step-by-step data analysis,where the impact on grouting parameters from the geological and hydrogeological conditions is investigated,and the grouting features of two tunnels located at the same depth below the sea surface are compared and discussed.Then,the data from individual grout hole are used to construct the regional geological conditions via inverse analysis.It is found that grouting of fractured rock masses is accompanied with great uncertainty,and field grouting data can contribute significantly to a better understanding of the regional geological conditions around an underground tunnel or rock cavern.

Geological and Geophysical Conditions for Potential Natural Gas Hydrate Resources in Southern South China Sea Waters

The water depth in Nansha（南沙） waters,which is located in the southern South China Sea,varies from 200 to 2 500 m,with a deep-water（500 m） area of 500 000 km2.In this region,there are many depositional basins with various structural features,prone to the accumulation of organic material.The temperature and pressure conditions in the deep-water environment are suitable for the preservation of gas hydrate.At several sites,we have recognized bottom-simulating reflectors（BSRs） from seismic data.Regional geology analyses show that the Nansha waters may have abundant gas hy-drate prospects,especially in localities such as the Nansha trough and other deep-water basins of the central Nansha waters.

Reservoir formation conditions and key technologies for exploration and development in Qingcheng large oilfield

The Qingcheng oilfield,the largest shale oil field in China,was discovered in 2019 in source rock of Chang 7 Member of Mesozoic Yanchang Formation,Changqing Oilfield in Ordos Basin,with newly increased proven geological reserves of 358 million tons,predicted geological reserves of 693 million tons,and a total of 1.051 billion tons of shale oil resources.This achieves a historic breakthrough in exploration of shale oil in Chang 7 Member.In recent years,focusing on key issues,such as whether there develop sweet spots in source rock,whether commercial oil production capacity can be formed,and whether scale-effective development can be achieved,studies about geological conditions for shale oil accumulation have been continuously carried out,key supporting technologies have been developed,and a series of theoretical innovations and technological breakthroughs have been achieved in oil exploration in source rocks.The results indicate that shale oil accumulation in Chang 7 Member is controlled by following factors.Firstly,lacustrine black shale,dark mudstone and other high-quality source rocks lay a material foundation for shale oil formation.Secondly,sandy deposits intercalated within black shale and dark mudstones are exploration sweet spots,and sandbody combination types are controlled by morphology of bottom of the lacustrine basin.Thirdly,reservoir properties are good due to development of micro-nano pore throats.Finally,reservoirs with high oil saturation and high gas-oil ratio are formed due to high-intensity oil charging in source rock.Effective matching of multiple factors is a key for shale oil accumulation in Chang 7 Member in Ordos Basin.Through innovation of key supporting technologies,exploration and development technologies for shale oil are developed,and substantial breakthrough on exploration and development of shale oil is realized.The first application of logging-seismic combination technology in loess plateau improves significantly quality of 3D seismic data,which effectively guides prediction of sandy sweet spots.Three-quality well logging technology is used for further evaluation of geological and engineering sweet spots of shale oil.With volumetric fracturing technology based on precise segmentation of long horizontal wells,initial daily oil production of individual well is increased from previously 10 tons to more than 18 tons.The exploration breakthrough in source rocks in Chang 7 Member in Qingcheng oilfield provides an important resource base for the second accelerated development of Changqing Oilfield.It is predicated that oil production from shale in Chang 7 Member in Qingcheng oilfield will reach three million tons in 2022 and five million tons in 2025.

A Novel Risk Informatization Assessment System for In-Service Highway Slope Based on Network

Aiming at the information evaluation of traffic infrastructure in-service roadside slope risk assessment,the method of risk assessment for highway slope engineering is proposed by using the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods,and a new risk assessment method is proposed and improved.The system,in order to prevent the risks in slope engineering,serves the scientific decision-making of the maintenance,operation and management of the in-service road slopes.Based on the analysis of the special geological conditions,complex surrounding environment and construction schemes of existing highway slopes in China,this paper establishes an in-service slope evaluation model for in-service roads,and designs the scheme diagram of the in-service road slope evaluation system based on the networked Internet platform.Moreover,a set of in-service roadside slope risk assessment system software,the system component block diagram and the main design interface are given.This system can meet the needs of comprehensive evaluation of multi-factors in service road slopes.