Several issues worthy of attention in current lacustrine shale oil exploration and development

Based on the current research status of shale oil exploration and development at home and abroad,through field observations,dissection of typical shale oil regions,analysis and testing of organic-rich shale samples,etc.,we compare the differences in geological and engineering characteristics of shale oil reservoirs in marine and continental basins in China and the United States,put forward several issues worthy of attention in the exploration and development of lacustrine shale oil in typical basins of China,including the concept of tight oil and shale oil,vertical permeability and horizontal permeability,differences between continental and marine shale oil reservoirs,medium-low maturity and medium-high maturity,source-reservoir and source-caprock,geology and engineering,selection criteria of favorable areas and“sweet spots”,basic scientific research and application research.By comparing and analyzing organic-rich shales in the Triassic Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin,the Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Jimsar Sag of the Junggar Basin,the Permian Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag,the Cretaceous Qingshankou&Nenjiang Formation in the Songliao Basin and the Paleogene Kongdian&Shahejie Formation in the Bohai Bay Basin,we believe that three key scientific issues must be studied in-depth from shale oil exploration to development in the future:(1)the physical,chemical and biological processes during the deposition of terrestrial fine-grained sediments and the formation mechanism of terrestrial organic-rich shale;(2)the dynamic evolution of diagenesis-hydrocarbon generation-reservoir formation,and the mechanisms of hydrocarbon formation and accumulation;(3)the fracturing mechanisms of terrestrial shale layers in different diagenetic stages and the multi-phase and multi-scale flow mechanism of shale oil in shale layers of different maturities.In addition,we should clarify the main controlling factors of shale oil reservoir characterization,oil-bearing properties,compressibility and fluidity of shale oil with different maturities,establish a lacustrine shale oil enrichment model and the evaluation methodology,to provide effective development methods,and ultimately to establish theoretical foundation and technical support for the large scale economical exploration and development of lacustrine shale oil resources in China.

Exploration breakthrough and its significance of Gulong lacustrine shale oil in the Songliao Basin,Northeastern China

Lacustrine shale oil resources are abundant in many petroliferous basins in China.The shale oil formations are characterized by low API gravity,high viscosity,poor mobility,high clay content,low brittleness and etc.Exploration of lacustrine shale oil started relatively late in China,but its progress is very rapid and breakthroughs have been made successively.In this short communication,we introduced the most significant shale oil discovery which is made recently in the Qingshankou Formation of the Gulong sag in the Songliao Basin.Key exploratory wells including Guye 1H(GY1H),Yingye 1H(YY1H)and Guye 2HC(GY2HC)tested stable and high oil flow in shale reservoirs,revealing the relatively stable and high oil production capacity of shale in the Gulong sag of Daqing Oilfield.It marks a leap of petroleum theoretical recognition from lacustrine shale generating oil to producing oil and from the theory of traditional oil migration and accumulation to the theory of indigenous oil accumulation in organic-rich shale.Although lacustrine shale oil exploration and development still faces many challenges in China,its prospect is quite promising.

Accumulation contribution differences between lacustrine organic-rich shales and mudstones and their significance in shale oil evaluation

The differences in organic matter abundance and rock composition between shale and mudstone determine the discrepancy of their contributions to the formation of conventional and shale oil/gas reservoirs.The evaluation criteria of source rocks are different in the future exploration in self-sourced petroleum systems.Shales are deposited in deep/semi-deep lacustrine,with low sedimentation rate and chemical depositions of various degrees,while mudstones are mostly formed in shallow lacustrine/lakeside,with high deposition rate and density flow characteristics.Three factors contribute to the enrichment of organic matter in shales,including the"fertility effect"caused by volcanic ash deposition and hydrothermal injection,excessive and over-speed growth of organisms promoted by radioactive materials,and deep-water anaerobic environment and low sedimentation rate to protect the accumulation of organic matter from dilution.Lamellations in shales are easy to be stripped into storage space,and acid water produced during hydrocarbon generation can dissolve some particles to generate new pores.The massive mudstones with high clay content are of poor matrix porosity.Shales with high total organic carbon,developed laminations,relatively good reservoir property,and high brittle mineral content,are the most favorable lithofacies for shale oil exploration and development.It is necessary to conduct investigation on the differences between shale and mudstone reservoirs,to identify resources distribution in shale and mudstone formations,determine the type and standard of"sweet-spot"evaluation parameters,optimize"sweet-spot areas/sections",and adopt effective development technologies,which is of great significance to objectively evaluate the total amount and economy of shale oil resources,as well as the scale of effective exploitation.

Elemental characteristics of lacustrine oil shale and its controlling factors of palaeo-sedimentary environment on oil yield： a case from Chang 7 oil layer of Triassic Yanchang Formation in southern Ordos Basin

As an important unconventional resource, oil shale has received widespread attention. The oil shale of the Chang 7 oil layer from Triassic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin represents the typical lacustrine oil shale in China. Based on analyzing trace elements and oil yield from boreholes samples, characteristics and paleo-sedi- mentary environments of oil shale and relationship between paleo-sedimentary environment and oil yield were studied. With favorable quality, oil yield of oil shale varies from 1.4% to 9.1%. Geochemical data indicate that the paleo-redox condition of oil shale＇s reducing condition from analyses of V/Cr, V/（V ＋ Ni）, U/Th, δU, and authi genic uranium. Equivalent Boron, Sp, and Sr/Ba illustrate that paleosalinity of oil shale is dominated by fresh water. The paleoclimate of oil shale is warm and humid by calculating the chemical index of alteration and Sr/Cu. Fe/Ti and （Fe ＋ Mn）/Ti all explain that there were hot water activities during the sedimentary period of oil shale. In terms of Zr/Rb, paleohydrodynamics of oil shale is weak. By means of Co abundance and U/Th, paleo-water-depth of oil shale is from 17.30 to 157.26 m, reflecting sedimentary environment which is mainly in semi deep-deep lake facies. Correlation analyses between oil yield and six paleoenvironmental factors show that the oil yield of oil shale is mainly controlled by paleo-redox conditions, paleoclimate, hot water activities, and depth of water.Paleosalinity and paleohydrodynamics have an inconspicuous influence on oil yield.

Investigation of oil and water migrations in lacustrine oil shales using 20 MHz 2D NMR relaxometry techniques

The behavior of oil and water in tight rocks can change the distribution of oil or water in pores,which affects the production of crude oil.Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR)method is an effective and nondestructive tool for evaluating rocks with comparison and analysis both quantitatively and qualitatively.In our study,20 MHz NMR Relaxometry is used as a key technique to study the changes of water and oil behaviors in Chinese lacustrine Qingshankou shales under different saturated states(imbibition and evaporation without pressure).The results show that variation in different proton populations(water,oil and organic)can be distinguished using 2D T_(1)-T_(2)maps.The comparison among T_(1)-T_(2)maps with different saturated states shows that different signal regions changed during oil and water migrations,which the 1D NMR Relaxometry may be not easy to approach.Combined with the pyrolysis analysis,T2 shift and differences of signal regions in T_(1)-T_(2)maps can reflect properties such as wettability and composition(organic matter,clay and magnetic minerals)to some extent.This study provides better insight into oil and water behaviors in lacustrine oil shales with further understanding of 20 MHz NMR 2D T_(1)-T_(2)maps both in qualitative and quantitative analysis.