Experimental evaluation of the salt dissolution in inter-salt shale oil reservoirs

By using salt dissolution experiment,imbibition experiment and high temperature and high pressure nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)on-line test,the evaluation methods for salt dissolution of inter salt shale oil-bearing cores were established,and the effects of salt dissolution on spontaneous imbibition and permeability were analyzed.The intensity of salt dissolution is quantitatively evaluated by comparing the signal quantity and distribution characteristics of T2 spectrum(transverse relaxation time)measured at different times.In salt dissolution experiment,salt in the core is gradually dissolved as the injected water is continuously immersed in the core.The spontaneous imbibition experiment of inter-salt shale oil-bearing core can be divided into three stages:strong imbibition and weak salt dissolution,strong salt dissolution promoting imbibition,and weak salt dissolution and weak imbibition.The salt dissolution in spontaneous imbibition is very obvious,and the salt dissolution contributes more than 60%of recovery.The micro-pore structure in different cross sections or different parts of inter-salt shale oil-bearing core isn’t uniform,and the pore volume,porosity and permeability increase after salt dissolution.

Formation of inter-salt overpressure fractures and their significances to shale oil and gas: A case study of the third member of Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Dongpu sag, Bohai Bay Basin

Taking the inter-salt organic-rich shales in the third member of Paleogene Shahejie Formation(Es3)of Dongpu sag in Bohai Bay Basin as an example,the origin of overpressure,development characteristics,formation and evolution mechanism,formation stages and geological significance on shale oil and gas of overpressure fractures in the inter-salt shale reservoir were investigated by means of thin section identification,scanning electron microscopy observation,analysis of fluid inclusions,logging data analysis,and formation pressure inversion.The results show that overpressure is universal in the salt-lake basin of Dongpu sag,and under-compaction caused by the sealing of salt-gypsum layer,pressurization due to hydrocarbon generation,transformation and dehydration of clay minerals,and fault sealing are the 4 main factors leading to the occurrence of overpressure.The overpressure fractures are small in scale,with an average length of 356.2μm and an average underground opening of 11.6μm.But they are densely developed,with an average surface density of 0.76 cm/cm2.Moreover,they are often accompanied by oil and gas charging,and thus high in effectiveness.Overpressure fractures were mainly formed during two periods of large-scale oil and gas charging,approximately 25-30 Ma ago and 0-5 Ma ago.Inter-salt overpressure fractures play dual roles as the storage space and migration paths of shale oil and gas.They contribute 22.3%to the porosity of shale reservoir and 51.4%to the permeability.They can connect fracture systems of multiple scales,greatly improving the quality of shale reservoir.During the development of shale oil and gas,inter-salt overpressure fractures can affect the extension and morphology of hydraulic fractures,giving rise to complex and highly permeable volumetric fracture networks,improving hydraulic fracturing effect and enhancing shale oil and gas productivity.

Anisotropic dispersion mechanism of inter-salt shale oil reservoir in terrestrial saline lake sediments using cross-band experiments

The rock mechanical properties and elastic anisotropy of terrestrial shale oil reservoirs are affected by various factors,such as lithology,structure,pores,fractures,and fluids.The experimental study of dynamic and static elastic properties can provide important mechanism analysis for the prediction of geological and engineering “sweet spots” in shale reservoirs.There are a large number of studies on the measurement of static mechanical properties of shale,but the experiments on dynamic crossband elastic anisotropy of terrestrial shale have not yet been conducted thoroughly.Therefore,we report the anisotropic dispersion mechanism of favorable lithofacies(lamellar dolomitic shale,with vertical and horizontal bedding) in the inter-salt shale oil reservoir of the Qianjiang Formation for different confining pressures and fluid saturation conditions.The experiments were conducted by the cross-band rock physics measurement technology that comprised low-frequency stress-strain measurements and a high-frequency ultrasonic test.The experimental results indicated that:(1) The elastic property dispersion of the terrestrial shale was stronger than that of marine shale due to the high viscosity of the medium oil in the terrestrial shale.The lamellar structures and interbedded fractures were the main factors that determined the strong anisotropy of the terrestrial shale.(2) The dispersion of elastic properties from low to high frequencies in a partial oil saturation state ranged from strong to weak;the wave-induced fluid flow or intrinsic dissipation of viscoelastic inclusions may be the dominant mechanisms that caused the seismic dispersion.(3) The elastic parameters measured in the direction vertical to the bedding plane had stronger dispersion and pressure sensitivity than those measured in the direction parallel to the bedding plane,and the anisotropy and pressure sensitivity at seismic frequencies were higher than those at the ultrasonic frequencies.(4) Fluid filling reduced the pressure sensitivity of the elastic parameters along the direction vertical to the bedding plane,whereas the opposite trend was observed along the direction parallel to the bedding plane.(5) The anisotropic Gassmann theory could explain the P-wave velocity well at an extremely low frequency,but the prediction of S-and P-wave velocities at a relatively high frequency remained insufficient.Overall,our study can serve as a reliable mechanism reference for the study of frequency-dependent properties of azimuthal anisotropy,and provide important guidance for the seismic prediction of “sweet spots” in shale oil reservoirs.

A semi-analytical model for coupled flow in stress-sensitive multi-scale shale reservoirs with fractal characteristics

A large number of nanopores and complex fracture structures in shale reservoirs results in multi-scale flow of oil. With the development of shale oil reservoirs, the permeability of multi-scale media undergoes changes due to stress sensitivity, which plays a crucial role in controlling pressure propagation and oil flow. This paper proposes a multi-scale coupled flow mathematical model of matrix nanopores, induced fractures, and hydraulic fractures. In this model, the micro-scale effects of shale oil flow in fractal nanopores, fractal induced fracture network, and stress sensitivity of multi-scale media are considered. We solved the model iteratively using Pedrosa transform, semi-analytic Segmented Bessel function, Laplace transform. The results of this model exhibit good agreement with the numerical solution and field production data, confirming the high accuracy of the model. As well, the influence of stress sensitivity on permeability, pressure and production is analyzed. It is shown that the permeability and production decrease significantly when induced fractures are weakly supported. Closed induced fractures can inhibit interporosity flow in the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). It has been shown in sensitivity analysis that hydraulic fractures are beneficial to early production, and induced fractures in SRV are beneficial to middle production. The model can characterize multi-scale flow characteristics of shale oil, providing theoretical guidance for rapid productivity evaluation.

Effect of fracture fluid flowback on shale microfractures using CT scanning

The field data of shale fracturing demonstrate that the flowback performance of fracturing fluid is different from that of conventional reservoirs,where the flowback rate of shale fracturing fluid is lower than that of conventional reservoirs.At the early stage of flowback,there is no single-phase flow of the liquid phase in shale,but rather a gas-water two-phase flow,such that the single-phase flow model for tight oil and gas reservoirs is not applicable.In this study,pores and microfractures are extracted based on the experimental results of computed tomography(CT)scanning,and a spatial model of microfractures is established.Then,the influence of rough microfracture surfaces on the flow is corrected using the modified cubic law,which was modified by introducing the average deviation of the microfracture height as a roughness factor to consider the influence of microfracture surface roughness.The flow in the fracture network is simulated using the modified cubic law and the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM).The results obtained demonstrate that most of the fracturing fluid is retained in the shale microfractures,which explains the low fracturing fluid flowback rate in shale hydraulic fracturing.

Analysis of CH_(4) and H_(2) Adsorption on Heterogeneous Shale Surfaces Using aMolecular Dynamics Approach

Determining the adsorption of shale gas on complex surfaces remains a challenge in molecular simulation studies.Difficulties essentially stem from the need to create a realistic shale structure model in terms of mineral heterogeneityand multiplicity.Moreover,precise characterization of the competitive adsorption of hydrogen andmethane in shale generally requires the experimental determination of the related adsorptive capacity.In thisstudy,the adsorption of adsorbates,methane(CH_(4)),and hydrogen(H_(2))on heterogeneous shale surface modelsof Kaolinite,Orthoclase,Muscovite,Mica,C_(60),and Butane has been simulated in the frame of a moleculardynamic’s numerical technique.The results show that these behaviors are influenced by pressure and potentialenergy.On increasing the pressure from 500 to 2000 psi,the sorption effect for CH_(4)significantly increasesbut shows a decline at a certain stage(if compared to H_(2)).The research findings also indicate that raw shalehas a higher capacity to adsorb CH_(4)compared to hydrogen.However,in shale,this difference is negligible.

Laboratory study of the factors affecting hydraulic fracturing effect for inter-salt oil shale layers,Qianjiang Depression,China

This study aims to investigate the potential factors affecting hydraulic fracturing of inter-salt oil shale reservoirs in the Qianjiang Depression,China.Using the inter-salt shale samples,the re-crystallization seepage tests,rock mechanical tests under high temperature and pressure,salt rock creep tests,and direct shear tests were conducted.The testing results suggest several major factors that affect hydraulic fracturing effects in the end.First,the seepage of reservoir and fracturing fluid through hydraulic frac-tures leads to salt dissolution and crystallization,reducing the effective seepage area of fractures.Second,the salt crystal may block the pore throats or micro fractures after brine invades the shale,decreasing the overall permeability.Third,the low strength and obvious plasticity of inter-salt shale and the strong creep characteristics of salt rock raise difficulties for proppant to effectively support fracture walls,thereby sharply narrowing the hydraulic fracture width.Lastly,the weak interfaces(bedding planes and lithology interfaces)in inter-salt oil shale reservoirs restrict the height of hydraulic fractures,resulting in the disconnection of seepage channels between multiple inter-salt shale reservoirs.Thus,several factors together reduce reservoir permeability,weaken the fluid flow capacity in the fracture,narrow the fracture width,and limit the effective stimulation volume,resulting in weaken the effect hydraulic fracturing.

Identification and evaluation of shale oil micromigration and its petroleum geological significance

Taking the Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation shale in Mahu Sag of Junggar Basin,NW China,as an example,core observation,test analysis,geological analysis and numerical simulation were applied to identify the shale oil micro-migration phenomenon.The hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale oil was quantitatively evaluated and verified by a self-created hydrocarbon expulsion potential method,and the petroleum geological significance of shale oil micro-migration evaluation was determined.Results show that significant micro-migration can be recognized between the organic-rich lamina and organic-poor lamina.The organic-rich lamina has strong hydrocarbon generation ability.The heavy components of hydrocarbon preferentially retained by kerogen swelling or adsorption,while the light components of hydrocarbon were migrated and accumulated to the interbedded felsic or carbonate organic-poor laminae as free oil.About 69% of the Fengcheng Formation shale samples in Well MY1 exhibit hydrocarbon charging phenomenon,while 31% of those exhibit hydrocarbon expulsion phenomenon.The reliability of the micro-migration evaluation results was verified by combining the group components based on the geochromatography effect,two-dimension nuclear magnetic resonance analysis,and the geochemical behavior of inorganic manganese elements in the process of hydrocarbon migration.Micro-migration is a bridge connecting the hydrocarbon accumulation elements in shale formations,which reflects the whole process of shale oil generation,expulsion and accumulation,and controls the content and composition of shale oil.The identification and evaluation of shale oil micro-migration will provide new perspectives for dynamically differential enrichment mechanism of shale oil and establishing a“multi-peak model in oil generation”of shale.

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.

Geologic characteristics,exploration and production progress of shale oil and gas in the United States:An overview

We present a systematic summary of the geological characteristics,exploration and development history and current state of shale oil and gas in the United States.The hydrocarbon-rich shales in the major shale basins of the United States are mainly developed in six geological periods:Middle Ordovician,Middle-Late Devonian,Early Carboniferous(Middle-Late Mississippi),Early Permian,Late Jurassic,and Late Cretaceous(Cenomanian-Turonian).Depositional environments for these shales include intra-cratonic basins,foreland basins,and passive continental margins.Paleozoic hydrocarbon-rich shales are mainly developed in six basins,including the Appalachian Basin(Utica and Marcellus shales),Anadarko Basin(Woodford Shale),Williston Basin(Bakken Shale),Arkoma Basin(Fayetteville Shale),Fort Worth Basin(Barnett Shale),and the Wolfcamp and Leonardian Spraberry/Bone Springs shale plays of the Permian Basin.The Mesozoic hydrocarbon-rich shales are mainly developed on the margins of the Gulf of Mexico Basin(Haynesville and Eagle Ford)or in various Rocky Mountain basins(Niobrara Formation,mainly in the Denver and Powder River basins).The detailed analysis of shale plays reveals that the shales are different in facies and mineral components,and"shale reservoirs"are often not shale at all.The United States is abundant in shale oil and gas,with the in-place resources exceeding 0.246×10^(12)t and 290×10^(12)m^(3),respectively.Before the emergence of horizontal well hydraulic fracturing technology to kick off the"shale revolution",the United States had experienced two decades of exploration and production practices,as well as theory and technology development.In 2007-2023,shale oil and gas production in the United States increased from approximately 11.2×10^(4)tons of oil equivalent per day(toe/d)to over 300.0×10^(4)toe/d.In 2017,the shale oil and gas production exceeded the conventional oil and gas production in the country.In 2023,the contribution from shale plays to the total U.S.oil and gas production remained above 60%.The development of shale oil and gas has largely been driven by improvements in drilling and completion technologies,with much of the recent effort focused on“cube development”or“co-development”.Other efforts to improve productivity and efficiency include refracturing,enhanced oil recovery,and drilling of“U-shaped”wells.Given the significant resources base and continued technological improvements,shale oil and gas production will continue to contribute significant volumes to total U.S.hydrocarbon production.

Influence of tectonic preservation conditions on the nanopore structure of shale reservoir:A case study of Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation shale in western Hubei area,south China

Tectonism is one of the dominant factors affecting the shale pore structure.However,the control of shale pore structure by tectonic movements is still controversial,which limits the research progress of shale gas accumulation mechanism in the complex tectonic region of southern China.In this study,34 samples were collected from two exploratory wells located in different tectonic locations.Diverse experiments,e.g.,organic geochemistry,XRD analysis,FE-SEM,low-pressure gas adsorption,and high-pressure mercury intrusion,were conducted to fully characterize the shale reservoir.The TOC,Ro,and mineral composition of the shale samples between the two wells are similar,which reflects that the shale samples of the two wells have proximate pores-generating capacity and pores-supporting capacity.However,the pore characteristics of shale samples from two wells are significantly different.Compared with the stabilized zone shale,the porosity,pore volume,and specific surface area of the deformed zone shale were reduced by 60.61%,64.85%,and 27.81%,respectively.Moreover,the macroscopic and fine pores were reduced by 54.01%and 84.95%,respectively.Fault activity and uplift denudation are not conducive to pore preservation,and the rigid basement of Huangling uplift can promote pore preservation.These three factors are important reasons for controlling the difference in pore structure between two wells shales.We established a conceptual model of shale pores evolution under different tectonic preservation conditions.This study is significant to clarify the scale of shale gas formation and enrichment in complex tectonic regions,and helps in the selection of shale sweet spots.

“Component flow”conditions and its effects on enhancing production of continental medium-to-high maturity shale oil

Based on the production curves,changes in hydrocarbon composition and quantities over time,and production systems from key trial production wells in lacustrine shale oil areas in China,fine fraction cutting experiments and molecular dynamics numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of changes in shale oil composition on macroscopic fluidity.The concept of“component flow”for shale oil was proposed,and the formation mechanism and conditions of component flow were discussed.The research reveals findings in four aspects.First,a miscible state of light,medium and heavy hydrocarbons form within micropores/nanopores of underground shale according to similarity and intermiscibility principles,which make components with poor fluidity suspended as molecular aggregates in light and medium hydrocarbon solvents,such as heavy hydrocarbons,thereby decreasing shale oil viscosity and enhancing fluidity and outflows.Second,small-molecule aromatic hydrocarbons act as carriers for component flow,and the higher the content of gaseous and light hydrocarbons,the more conducive it is to inhibit the formation of larger aggregates of heavy components such as resin and asphalt,thus increasing their plastic deformation ability and bringing about better component flow efficiency.Third,higher formation temperatures reduce the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon components,such as wax,thereby improving their fluidity.Fourth,preservation conditions,formation energy,and production system play important roles in controlling the content of light hydrocarbon components,outflow rate,and forming stable“component flow”,which are crucial factors for the optimal compatibility and maximum flow rate of multi-component hydrocarbons in shale oil.The component flow of underground shale oil is significant for improving single-well production and the cumulative ultimate recovery of shale oil.

The influences of perforating phase and bedding planes on the fracture deflection in laminated shale

The perforating phase leads to complex and diverse hydraulic fracture propagation behaviors in laminated shale formations. In this paper, a 2D high-speed imaging scheme which can capture the interaction between perforating phase and natural shale bedding planes was proposed. The phase field method was used to simulate the same conditions as in the experiment for verification and hydraulic fracture propagation mechanism under the competition of perforating phase and bedding planes was discussed.The results indicate that the bedding planes appear to be no influence on fracture propagation while the perforating phase is perpendicular to the bedding planes, and the fracture propagates along the perforating phase without deflection. When the perforating phase algins with the bedding planes, the fracture initiation pressure reserves the lowest value, and no deflection occurs during fracture propagation. When the perforating phase is the angle 45°, 60°and 75°of bedding planes, the bedding planes begin to play a key role on the fracture deflection. The maximum deflection degree is reached at the perforating phase of75°. Numerical simulation provides evidence that the existence of shale bedding planes is not exactly equivalent to anisotropy for fracture propagation and the difference of mechanical properties between different shale layers is the fundamental reason for fracture deflection. The findings help to understand the intrinsic characteristics of shale and provide a theoretical basis for the optimization design of field perforation parameters.

Influences of shale microstructure on mechanical properties and bedding fractures distribution

The difference in microstructure leads to the diversity of shale mechanical properties and bedding fractures distribution patterns.In this paper,the microstructure and mechanical properties of Longmaxi marine shale and Qingshankou continental shale were studied by X-ray diffractometer(XRD),field emission scanning electron microscope(FE-SEM)with mineral analysis system,and nanoindentation.Additionally,the typical bedding layers area was properly stratified using Focused Ion Beam(FIB),and the effects of microstructure and mechanical properties on the distribution patterns of bedding fractures were analyzed.The results show that the Longmaxi marine shale sample contains more clay mineral grains,while the Qingshankou continental shale sample contains more hard brittle mineral grains such as feldspar.For Longmaxi marine shale sample,hard brittle minerals with grain sizes larger than 20μm is18.24%and those with grain sizes smaller than 20μm is 16.22%.For Qingshankou continental shale sample,hard brittle minerals with grain sizes larger than 20μm is 40.7%and those with grain sizes smaller than 20μm is 11.82%.In comparison to the Qingshankou continental shale sample,the Longmaxi marine shale sample has a lower modulus,hardness,and heterogeneity.Laminated shales are formed by alternating coarse-grained and fine-grained layers during deposition.The average single-layer thickness of Longmaxi marine shale sample is greater than Qingshankou continental shale sample.The two types of shale have similar bedding fractures distribution patterns and fractures tend to occur in the transition zone from coarse-grained to fine-grained deposition.The orientation of the fracture is usually parallel to the bedding plane and detour occurs in the presence of hard brittle grains.The fracture distribution density of the Longmaxi marine shale sample is lower than that of the Qingshankou continental shale sample due to the strong heterogeneity of the Qingshankou continental shale.The current research provides guidelines for the effective development of shale reservoirs in various sedimentary environments.

Key geological factors governing sweet spots in the Wufeng-Longmaxi shales of the Sichuan Basin,China

Production performance of the Wufeng-Longmaxi shales varies significantly among Fuling,Weirong,and Wulong fields in the Sichuan Basin.Total organic carbon(TOC)content,mineralogy,and organic matter(OM)pore characteristics are investigated to identify key factors governing sweet spots.Siliceous shales with good preservation conditions in the Fuling Field exhibit large thickness,high TOC content and thin-section porosity(TSP),and well-developed OM macropores,thus high initial production and estimated ultimate recovery(EUR).Thin carbonate-containing siliceous shales with good preservation conditions in the Weirong Field feature medium-to-high TOC and well-developed OM macropores but low TSP,leading to high initial production but low EUR.Siliceous shales with poor preservation conditions in the Wulong Field are characterized by large thickness,high TOC,low TSP and poorly-developed OM macropores,causing low initial production and EUR.Both sedimentary and preservation conditions are intrinsic decisive factors of sweet spots,as they control the mineral composition,TOC,and OM macropore development.Deep-water shales in transgressive systems tracts(TSTs)exhibit better-developed OM macropores and greater TOC compared to highstand systems tracts(HSTs).OM macropores are most prevalent in siliceous shales,followed by carbonate-containing siliceous shales and then argillaceous shales.Furthermore,good preservation conditions are conducive to retain OM macropores with low pore aspect ratio(PAR).Comparison among the three fields shows that high-TOC silicious shales with good preservation conditions are the highest in TSP and EUR.Therefore,organic richness,lithofacies,and preservation conditions are the major factors which determine OM pore development,governing the sweet spots of the Wufeng-Longmaxi shales.

Experimental and numerical simulation study on the erosion behavior of the elbow of gathering pipeline in shale gas field

During the production period of shale gas, proppant particles and rock debris are produced together,which will seriously erode the elbows of gathering pipelines. In response to this problem, this paper takes the elbow of the gathering pipeline in the Changning Shale Gas Field as an example to test the erosion rate and material removal mechanism of the test piece at different angles of the elbow through experiments and compares the four erosion models with the experimental results. Through analysis, it is found that the best prediction model for quartz sand-carbon steel erosion is the Oka model. Based on the Oka model, FLUENT software was used to simulate and analyze the law of erosion of the elbow of the gas gathering pipeline under different gas flow velocities, gas gathering pressure, particle size, length of L1,and bending directions of the elbow. And a spiral pipeline structure is proposed to reduce the erosion rate of the elbow under the same working conditions. The results show that this structure can reduce erosion by 34%.

An efficient data-driven global sensitivity analysis method of shale gas production through convolutional neural network

The shale gas development process is complex in terms of its flow mechanisms and the accuracy of the production forecasting is influenced by geological parameters and engineering parameters.Therefore,to quantitatively evaluate the relative importance of model parameters on the production forecasting performance,sensitivity analysis of parameters is required.The parameters are ranked according to the sensitivity coefficients for the subsequent optimization scheme design.A data-driven global sensitivity analysis(GSA)method using convolutional neural networks(CNN)is proposed to identify the influencing parameters in shale gas production.The CNN is trained on a large dataset,validated against numerical simulations,and utilized as a surrogate model for efficient sensitivity analysis.Our approach integrates CNN with the Sobol'global sensitivity analysis method,presenting three key scenarios for sensitivity analysis:analysis of the production stage as a whole,analysis by fixed time intervals,and analysis by declining rate.The findings underscore the predominant influence of reservoir thickness and well length on shale gas production.Furthermore,the temporal sensitivity analysis reveals the dynamic shifts in parameter importance across the distinct production stages.

Quantitative characterizations of anisotropic dynamic properties in organic-rich shale with different kerogen content

Understanding the quantitative responses of anisotropic dynamic properties in organic-rich shale with different kerogen content(KC)is of great significance in hydrocarbon exploration and development.Conducting controlled experiments with a single variable is challenging for natural shales due to their high variations in components,diagenesis conditions,or pore fluid.We employed the hot-pressing technique to construct 11 well-controlled artificial shale with varying KC.These artificial shale samples were successive machined into prismatic shape for ultrasonic measurements along different directions.Observations revealed bedding perpendicular P-wave velocities are more sensitive to the increasing KC than bedding paralleling velocities due to the preferential alignments of kerogen.All elastic stiffnesses except C_(13)are generally decreasing with the increasing KC,the variation of C_(1) and C_(33)on kerogen content are more sensitive than those of C_(44)and C_(66).Apparent dynamic mechanical parameters(v and E)were found to have linear correlation with the true ones from complete anisotropic equations independent of KC,which hold value towards the interpretation of well logs consistently across formations,Anisotropic mechanical parameters(ΔE and brittlenessΔB)tend to decrease with the reducing KC,withΔB showing great sensitivity to KC variations.In the range of low KC(<10%),the V_(P)/V_(S) ratio demonstrated a linearly negative correlation with KC,and the V_(P)/V_(S) ratio magnitude of less than 1.75may serve as a significant characterization for highly organic-rich(>10%)shale,compilation of data from natural organic rich-shales globally verified the similar systematic relationships that can be empirically used to predict the fraction of KC in shales.

Sedimentary Environment and Mineralization of the Black Shale Polymetallic Layer in the Early Cambrian,SW China:Constraints from in situ LA-ICP-MS Analysis of Pyrite

A polymetallic layer is usually developed at the bottom of the early Cambrian black shale in Guizhou Province.The mineral that makes up the polymetallic layer is related to the sedimentary facies.To analyze the differentiation mechanism between polymetallic deposits(Ni-Mo and V),the Zhijin Gezhongwu profile located in the outer shelf and the Sansui Haishan V deposit located in the lower slope are selected to study the in situ sulfur isotopes and trace elements of pyrite.The results show that δ^(34)S values of pyrite vary widely from−7.8‰to 28‰in the Gezhongwu profile,while the δ^(34)S values are relatively uniform(from 27.8‰to 38.4‰)in the Haishan profile.The isotopic S composition is consistent with the transition that occurs in the sedimentary phase from the shelf to the deep sea on the transgressive Yangtze platform;this indicates that the δ^(34)SO_(4)^(2−)values in seawater must be differently distributed in depositional environments.The sulfur in the Ni-Mo layer is produced after the mixing of seawater and hydrothermal fluid,while the V layer mainly originates from seawater.Overall,the Ni-Mo and V deposits have been differentiated primarily on the basis of the combined effect of continental weathering and hydrothermal fluid.

Hydraulic fracturing behaviors of shale under coupled stress and temperature conditions simulating different burial depths

Fracture propagation in shale under in situ conditions is a critical but poorly understood mechanical process in hydraulic fracturing for deep shale gas reservoirs. To address this, hydraulic fracturing experiments were conducted on hollow double-wing crack specimens of the Longmaxi shale under conditions simulating the ground surface(confining pressure σ_(cp)=0, room temperature(Tr)) and at depths of 1600 m(σ_(cp)=40 MPa, Ti=70 ℃) and 3300 m(σ_(cp)=80 MPa, high temperature Ti=110 ℃) in the study area.High in situ stress was found to significantly increase fracture toughness through constrained microcracking and particle frictional bridging mechanisms. Increasing the temperature enhances rather than weakens the fracture resistance because it increases the grain debonding length, which dissipates more plastic energy and enlarges grains to close microdefects and generate compressive stress to inhibit microcracking. Interestingly, the fracture toughness anisotropy in the shale was found to be nearly constant across burial depths, despite reported variations with increasing confining pressure. Heated water was not found to be as important as the in situ environment in influencing shale fracture. These findings emphasize the need to test the fracture toughness of deep shales under coupled in situ stress and temperature conditions rather than focusing on either in situ stress or temperature alone.