Organic matter accumulation in lacustrine shale of the Permian Jimsar Sag,Junggar Basin,NW China

The lacustrine organic-rich shale in the Permian Lucaogou(LCG)Formation of the Jimsar Sag,Junggar Basin,is one of the main shale oil plays in China.In this paper,geological and geochemical research techniques were employed to evaluate the geochemical variability of the lacustrine shale and the pro-duction of organic matter and its preservation conditions.The LcG Formation is characterized by its complex mineral compositions and a wide range of organic matter richness and quality.The presence of high proportions ofβ-carotane and C2g steranes,indicates that the organic matter mainly originated from phytoplankton and aquatic algal-bacterial organisms,especially cyanobacteria.This study found that the productivity of the Lower LCG Member(P2li)was highest,and the Middle LCG Member(P_(2)l_(2))was the lowest.During the deposition of the Lower LCG Member,the lake's bottom water was predominantly a reducing environment,and the degradation of organic matter was largely a result of bacterial sulfate reduction.During the deposition of the Middle and Upper LCG members,the lake's bottom water was mainly oxidizing,and the degradation of organic matter was likely to be caused by aerobic processes.Based on a comprehensive analysis of the origin and production of organic matter,as well as its depo-sitional environment and preservation conditions,two organic matter accumulation models were pro-posed to explain the distribution of the organic-rich shale.In model A,the high influx of volcanic ash released nutrients and brought abundant sulfate into the water,the accumulation of organic matter was mainly controlled by the preservation of organic matter,which was mainly controlled by BsR.In the model B,the influx of volcanic ash was small,organic matter was mainly degraded by oxygen and the accumulation of organic matter is mainly determined by the production of organic matter.

Orbital control on cyclical organic matter accumulation in Early Silurian Longmaxi Formation shales

High resolution(939 samples)total organic carbon content(TOC)analyses were conducted on the Shuanghe Section of^152.6 m in the Changning area,Sichuan Basin.The sampling section was divided into two units considering the distinct-different deposit environment and sediments accumulation rate.The lower part(Unit 1)and the peer part(Unit 2)with high resolution sample spacing(0.08–0.4 m)enables the identification of the precession cycle in two sedimentary sequences with distinct different sedimentary accumulation rate.MTM Power spectral analyses on untuned TOC series reveals significant peaks exceeding above the 95%confidence level and shows that both Unit 1 and Unit 2 have recorded Milankovitch cycles of 405 kyr long eccentricity,short eccentricity,obliquity and precession.The floating astronomical time scale(ATS)was constructed on the Shuanghe Section in the Early Silurian(~439.673–444.681 Ma),and which was calibrated by 405 kyr long eccentricity cycles.The total duration of the Wufeng and Longmaxi shales is 5.01 Myr.The floating ATS used for estimating the duration of the graptolite zones and each stage in the study interval.Finally,we postulated two models that could verify the linkage between orbital cycle and organic accumulation.To make sure whether productivity or preservation is the main factor that under long eccentricity control,the phase correlation between the obtained filtered signal and the theoretical orbital solution should be made clear in the further research.

Geochemical Characteristics of the Upper Permian Longtan Formation from Northeastern Sichuan Basin:Implications for the Depositional Environment and Organic Matter Enrichment

A set of organic-rich shales of the upper Permian Longtan Formation,which is widely developed in the northeastern part of the Sichuan Basin,is a key formation for the next step of exploration and development.At present,most studies on this set of formations have focused on the reservoir characteristics and reservoir formation mechanism of the shales,and basic studies on the palaeoenvironment and organic matter(OM)enrichment mechanism have not been fully carried out.In this paper,we recovered the sedimentary palaeoenvironment by mineralogical,elemental geochemical and organic geochemical analyses,and explored the enrichment mechanism of OM under the constraints of palaeoenvironmental evolution.The shales can be divided into two stages of sedimentary evolution:compared with the shales of the Lower Longtan Formation,the shales of the Upper Longtan Formation are relatively rich in quartz,poor in clay and carbonate minerals,and the OM type changes from typeⅢto typeⅡ_(2).The depositional environment has undergone a change from sea level rise,from warm and wet climate to dry and cold climate,and from oxygen-poor condition restricted to open reduction environment;the land source input has decreased,the siliceous mineral content has increased,the biological productivity has improved,and the deposition rate has changed from high to low.A depositional model was established for the shales of the Longtan Formation,reflecting the differential reservoir formation pattern of organic matter.For the Lower Longtan Formation shales,the most important factors controlling OM content are terrestrial source input and deposition rate,followed by paleoclimate and paleooxygen conditions.For the Upper Longtan Formation shales,the most important controlling factor is paleo-productivity,followed by sedimentation rate.The depositional model constructed for the Upper and Lower Longtan Formation shales can reproduce the enrichment of organic matter and provide a basis for later exploration and development.

Unconventional Petroleum Sedimentology:A Key to Understanding Unconventional Hydrocarbon Accumulation

The commercial exploitation of unconventional petroleum resources(e.g.,shale oil/gas and tight oil/gas)has drastically changed the global energy structure within the past two decades.Sweet-spot intervals(areas),the most prolific unconventional hydrocarbon resources,generally consist of extraordinarily high organic matter(EHOM)deposits or closely associated sandstones/carbonate rocks.The formation of sweet-spot intervals(areas)is fundamentally controlled by their depositional and subsequent diagenetic settings,which result from the coupled sedimentation of global or regional geological events,such as tectonic activity,sea level(lake level)fluctuations,climate change,bottom water anoxia,volcanic activity,biotic mass extinction or radiation,and gravity flows during a certain geological period.Black shales with EHOM content and their associated high-quality reservoir rocks deposited by the coupling of major geological events provide not only a prerequisite for massive hydrocarbon generation but also abundant hydrocarbon storage space.The Ordovician-Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi shale of the Sichuan Basin,Devonian Marcellus shale of the Appalachian Basin,Devonian-Carboniferous Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin,and Triassic Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin are four typical unconventional hydrocarbon systems selected as case studies herein.In each case,the formation of sweet-spot intervals for unconventional hydrocarbon resources was controlled by the coupled sedimentation of different global or regional geological events,collectively resulting in a favorable environment for the production,preservation,and accumulation of organic matter,as well as for the generation,migration,accumulation,and exploitation of hydrocarbons.Unconventional petroleum sedimentology,which focuses on coupled sedimentation during dramatic environmental changes driven by major geological events,is key to improve the understanding of the formation and distribution of sweet-spot intervals(areas)in unconventional petroleum systems.

Soil organic matter content and chemical composition under two rotation management systems in a Mediterranean climate

The crop rotation system in organic farming is a determinant factor to accumulate and preserve soil organic matter(SOM),and in depth knowledge on its effects is still lacking.Tillage intensity in particular is crucial to maintain soil aggregates and protect SOM from degradation.The evolution of SOM was tested in two adjacent fields under two different rotation cropping systems(low-intensity tillage and high-intensity tillage),and the effect of a further cultivation of legume in both fields was evaluated using ^(13)carbon(C)-nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and elemental analysis of samples isolated through combined aggregate size and density fractionation.The two adjacent fields had been managed using the following organic farming methods for 13 seasons since 1998:i)alfalfa-based,with nitrogen(N)enrichment and low-frequency tillage with alfalfa(Medicago sativa)(9 seasons),winter wheat(Triticum durum)(3 seasons),and broad bean(Vicia faba)(1 season)and ii)cereal-based,with N depletion and annual tillage with barley(Hordeum vulgare)(7 seasons),sunflower(Helianthus annuus)(2 seasons),broad bean(Vicia faba)(3 seasons),and bare fallow(1 season).Soil sampling was carried out at the end of the 13-year rotation(T0,November 2011)and after winter wheat and chickpea cultivation in both fields over two subsequent years(T1,July 2013).Bulk organic C was significantly higher in the alfalfa-based system than in the cereal-based system at both T0 and T1,with SOM occluded in soil aggregates and associated with mineral particles.In terms of the macroaggregates heavy fraction at T0,the alfalfa-based field contained twice the organic C of that in the cereal-based field,as well as three times the organic C in the occluded particulate organic matter(POM).The occluded POM(oPOM)had a lower aryl/O-alkyl C ratio in the alfalfa-based system than in the cereal-based system,suggesting that oPOM undergoes a lower degree of decomposition during low-intensity management.The aryl/O-alkyl C ratios of the macro-and microaggregate oPOM decreased from T0 to T1 in the cereal-based system,suggesting increased protection of these fractions by soil aggregates.Thus,including legumes in crop rotation appears to positively affect the accumulation of SOM associated with mineral particles and within soil aggregates.

Formation,evolution,reconstruction of black shales and their influence on shale oil and gas resource

Black shales are important products of material cycling and energy exchange among the lithosphere,atmosphere,hydrosphere,and biosphere.They are widely distributed throughout geological history and provide essential energy and mineral resources for the development of human society.They also record the evolution process of the earth and improve the understanding of the earth.This review focuses on the diagenesis and formation mechanisms of black shales sedimentation,composition,evolution,and reconstruction,which have had a significant impact on the formation and enrichment of shale oil and gas.In terms of sedimentary environment,black shales can be classified into three types:Marine,terrestrial,and marine-terrestrial transitional facies.The formation processes include mechanisms such as eolian input,hypopycnal flow,gravity-driven and offshore bottom currents.From a geological perspective,the formation of black shales is often closely related to global or regional major geological events.The enrichment of organic matter is generally the result of the interaction and coupling of several factors such as primary productivity,water redox condition,and sedimentation rate.In terms of evolution,black shales have undergone diagenetic evolution of inorganic minerals,thermal evolution of organic matter and hydrocarbon generation,interactions between organic matter and inorganic minerals,and pore evolution.In terms of reconstruction,the effects of fold deformation,uplift and erosion,and fracturing have changed the stress state of black shale reservoirs,thereby having a significant impact on the pore structure.Fluid activity promotes the formation of veins,and have changed the material composition,stress structure,and reservoir properties of black shales.Regarding resource effects,the deposition of black shales is fundamental for shale oil and gas resources,the evolution of black shales promotes the shale oil and gas formation and storage,and the reconstruction of black shales would have caused the heterogeneous distribution of oil and gas in shales.Exploring the formation mechanisms and interactions of black shales at different scales is a key to in-depth research on shale formation and evolution,as well as the key to revealing the mechanism controlling shale oil and gas accumulation.The present records can reveal how these processes worked in geological history,and improve our understanding of the coupling mechanisms among regional geological events,black shales evolution,and shale oil and gas formation and enrichment.