Laminae combination and shale oil enrichment patterns of Chang 73 sub-member organic-rich shales in the Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, NW China

The Chang 73 sub-member of Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin was taken as an example and the lamina types and combinations,reservoir space features and shale oil enrichment patterns in organic-rich shale strata were investigated using core observation,thin section analysis,XRF element measurement,XRD analysis,SEM,high solution laser Raman spectroscopy analysis,and micro-FTIR spectroscopy analysis,etc.According to the mineral composition and thickness of the laminae,the Chang 73 organic-rich shales have four major types of laminae,tuff-rich lamina,organic-rich lamina,silt-grade feldspar-quartz lamina and clay lamina.They have two kinds of shale oil-bearing layers,"organic-rich lamina+silt-grade feldspar-quartz lamina"and"organic-rich lamina+tuff-rich lamina"layers.In the"organic-rich+silt-grade feldspar-quartz"laminae combination shale strata,oil was characterized by relative high maturation,and always filled in K-feldspar dissolution pores in the silt-grade feldspar-quartz laminae,forming oil generation,migration and accumulation process between laminae inside the organic shales.In the"organic-rich+tuff-rich lamina"binary laminae combination shale strata,however,the reservoir properties were poor in organic-rich shales,the oil maturation was relatively lower,and mainly accumulated in the intergranular pores of interbedded thin-layered sandstones.The oil generation,migration and accumulation mainly occurred between organic-rich shales and interbedded thin-layered sandstones.

Distribution and enrichment patterns of selenium in the Ediacaran and early Cambrian strata in the Yangtze Gorges area, South China

The distribution and enrichment patterns of selenium(Se) in the E-?1 strata in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China were obtained. The geochemical characteristics of the significantly and non-significantly enriched strata of Se were analyzed.The observed enrichment factor(EF, relative to the upper continental crust) and concentration coefficient(CC, relative to the similar lithology in Eastern China) both suggest that Se is the most enriched/concentrated(SeEF=26.97, SeCC=48.04) among the analyzed23 trace elements the E-?1 strata. The normalized enrichment factor(EF′, EF after Al or Th normalized) shows Se is secondly enriched(SeEF′=218.73), which is slightly lower than cadmium(CdEF′=288.46) but significantly higher than the third enriched trace element arsenic(AsEF′=97.49). Se concentrations in the E-?1 strata vary from <10.5 to 30.08 ppm with an arithmetic mean value of 1.35 ppm. Compared to the Nantuo Formation, Se increased 11.78 times in the whole E-?1 strata and the average EF values are displayed as Shuijingtuo(92.58)>Yanjiahe(54.45)>Doushantuo(24.72)>Dengying(2.48)>Shipai(1.95)>lower Tianheban(1.24)Formations. Se concentrations in the E-?1 strata are best displayed on natural logarithm normal quantile-quantile(Q-Q) plots and shown as a positive-skewed distribution pattern. The Se significantly enriched(EF>10) strata sequences mainly include the lower and upper Doushantuo member II(DST-II), top DST-III, DST-IV, the basal and upper Yanjiahe Formation, and lower and upper Shuijingtuo Formation. Geochemical characteristics indicate that Se concentrations in the significantly enriched strata were generally influenced by terrigenous detrital as well as the combined action of single or multiple factors, such as hydrotherm,volcanic debris and deep source. Moreover, pyrite and organic matter promoted the enrichment of Se in the upper DST-II, DST-IV,upper Shuijingtuo Formation and lower DST-II, upper Shuijingtuo Formation, respectively. The Se concentrations in the not significantly enriched strata(except for DST-I, middle Shuijingtuo Formation, Shipai Formation and lower Tianheban Formation)were also influenced by terrigenous detrital, but other enrichment activities(e.g., hydrothermal, volcanic debris, and deep source)were generally insignificant.

Heterogeneous geological conditions and differential enrichment of medium and high maturity continental shale oil in China

Based on the comparison of basic geological conditions and enrichment characteristics of shale oil plays, the heterogeneity of source and reservoir conditions and differential enrichment of medium-high maturity continental shale oil plays in China have been confirmed.(1) Compared with the homogeneous geological settings and wide distribution of marine shale oil strata in North America, the continental medium and high maturity shale oil plays in China are significantly different in geological conditions generally;continental multi-cyclic tectonic evolution forms multiple types of lake basins in multi-stages, providing sites for large-scale development of continental shale oil, and giving rise to large scale high-quality source rocks, multiple types of reservoirs, and diverse source-reservoir combinations with significant heterogeneity.(2) The differences in sedimentary water environments lead to the heterogeneity in lithology, lithofacies, and organic material types of source rocks;the differences in material source supply and sedimentary facies belt result in reservoirs of different lithologies, including argillaceous and transition rocks, and tight siltstone, and complex source-reservoir combination types.(3) The heterogeneity of the source rock controls the differentiation of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion, the diverse reservoir types make reservoir performance different and the source-reservoir configurations complex, and these two factors ultimately make the shale oil enrichment patterns different. Among them, the hydrocarbon generation and expulsion capacity of high-quality source rocks affect the degree of shale oil enrichment. Freshwater hydrocarbon source rocks with TOC larger than 2.5% and saline hydrocarbon source rocks with TOC of 2% to 10% have a high content of retained hydrocarbons and are favorable.(4) High-abundance organic shale is the basis for the enrichment of shale oil inside the source. In addition to being retained in shale, liquid hydrocarbons migrate along laminae, diagenetic fractures, and thin sandy layers, and then accumulate in laminae of argillaceous siltstone, siltstone, and argillaceous dolomite, and dolomitic siltstone suites, etc. with low organic matter abundance in the shale strata, resulting in differences in enrichment pattern.