Successful breakthroughs have been made in shale oil exploration in several lacustrine basins in China,indicating a promising future for shale oil exploration and production.Current exploration results have revealed t...Successful breakthroughs have been made in shale oil exploration in several lacustrine basins in China,indicating a promising future for shale oil exploration and production.Current exploration results have revealed the following major conditions of lacustrine shale oil accumulation:(1)stable and widely distributed shale with a high organic abundance and appropriate thermal maturity acts as a fundamental basis for shale oil retention.This shale exhibits several critical parameters,such as total organic carbon content greater than 2%,with optimal values ranging from 3% to 4%,kerogen Ⅰ and Ⅱ_(1) as the dominant organic matter types,and vitrinite reflectance(R_(o))values greater than 0.9%(0.8% for brackish water environments).(2)Various types of reservoirs exhibiting brittleness and a certain volume of micro-nanoscale pores are critical conditions for shale oil accumulation,and these reservoirs have porosities greater than 3% to 6%.Moreover,when diagenesis is incipient,pure shales are not favorable for medium-to-high maturity shale oil enrichment,whereas tight sandstone and hybrid rocks with clay content less than 20% are favorable;however,for medium-to-late-stage diagenesis,pure shales with a clay content of 40% are favorable.(3)The retention of a large amount of high-quality hydrocarbons is the factor that best guarantees shale oil accumulation with good mobility.Free hydrocarbon content exceeding a threshold value of 2 mg/g is generally required,and the optimum value is 4 mg/g to 6 mg/g.Moreover,a gas-oil ratio exceeding a threshold value of 80 m^(3)/m^(3) is required,with the optimal value ranging from 150 m^(3)/m^(3) to 300 m^(3)/m^(3).(4)High-quality roof and floor sealing conditions are essential for the shale oil enrichment interval to maintain the overpressure and retain a sufficient amount of hydrocarbons with good quality.Lacustrine shale oil distributions exhibit the following characteristics:(1)major enrichment areas of shale oil are located in semi-deep to deep lacustrine depositional areas with external materials,such as volcanic ash fallout,hydrothermal solutions,and radioactive substances with catalytic action,as inputs;(2)intervals with“four high values and one preservation condition”govern the distribution of shale oil enrichment intervals;and(3)favorable assemblages of lithofacies/lithologies determine the distribution of enrichment area.According to preliminary estimates,China has 131×10^(8) to 163×10^(8) t of total shale oil resources with medium-to-high thermal maturity,among which 67×10^(8) to 84×10^(8) t is commercial.These resources are primarily located in the Chang 7^(1+2) interval in the Ordos Basin,Qing 1+2 members in Gulong sag in the Songliao Basin,Kongdian and Shahejie formations of Cangdong sag,Qikou sag and the Jiyang depression in the Bohai Bay Basin,and Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin.展开更多
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 contin...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.展开更多
Thermal maturation in the shale oil/gas system is inherently complex due to the competitive interplays between hydrocarbon generation and retention processes.To study hydrocarbon generation characteristics from shales...Thermal maturation in the shale oil/gas system is inherently complex due to the competitive interplays between hydrocarbon generation and retention processes.To study hydrocarbon generation characteristics from shales within different stages of thermal maturation under the influence of retained oil,we performed Micro-Scale Sealed Vessels(MSSV)pyrolysis on a set of artificially matured lacustrine shale s amples from the Shahejie Formation in the Dongpu Depression in Bohai B ay Basin,China.Experimental results show that hydrocarbon yields of shale samples with or without retained oil at various thermal maturities follow different evolution paths.Heavy components(C15+)in samples crack at high temperatures and generally follow a sequence,where they first transform into C6-14 then to C2-5 and C1.Methane accounts for most of the gaseous products at high temperatures in all samples,with different origins.The cracking of C2-5 is the main methane-generating process in samples with retained oil,whereas the source of methane in samples without retained oil is kerogen.In the studied shales,retained oils at early-mature stage retard the transformation of liquid to gaseous hydrocarbon and prompt the cracking of C2-5 to C1 to some extent.TSR reaction related to gypsum in the studied samples is the primary reason that can explain the loss of hydrocarbon yields,especially at high temperatures.In addition,transformation of volatile hydrocarbons to gas and coke also accounts for the loss of generated hydrocarbon,as a secondary factor.展开更多
Continental shale oil has two types, low-medium maturity and medium-high maturity, and they are different in terms of resource environment, potential, production methods and technologies, and industrial evaluation cri...Continental shale oil has two types, low-medium maturity and medium-high maturity, and they are different in terms of resource environment, potential, production methods and technologies, and industrial evaluation criteria. In addition, continental shale oil is different from the shale oil and tight oil in the United States. Scientific definition of connotations of these resource types is of great significance for promoting the exploration of continental shale oil from "outside source" into "inside source" and making it a strategic replacement resource in the future. The connotations of low-medium maturity and medium-high maturity continental shale oils are made clear in this study. The former refers to the liquid hydrocarbons and multiple organic matter buried in the continental organic-rich shale strata with a burial depth deeper than 300 m and a Ro value less than 1.0%. The latter refers to the liquid hydrocarbons present in organic-rich shale intervals with a burial depth that in the "liquid window" range of the Tissot model and a Ro value greater than 1.0%. The geological characteristics, resource potential and economic evaluation criteria of different types of continental shale oil are systematically summarized. According to evaluation, the recoverable resources of in-situ conversion technology for shale oil with low-medium maturity in China is about(700-900)×10^8 t, and the economic recoverable resources under medium oil price condition($ 60-65/bbl) is(150-200)×10^8 t. Shale oil with low-medium maturity guarantees the occurrence of the continental shale oil revolution. Pilot target areas should be optimized and core technical equipment should be developed according to the key parameters such as the cumulative production scale of well groups, the production scale, the preservation conditions, and the economics of exploitation. The geological resources of medium-high maturity shale oil are about 100×10^8 t, and the recoverable resources can to be determined after the daily production and cumulative production of a single well reach the economic threshold. Continental shale oil and tight oil are different in lithological combinations, facies distribution, and productivity evaluation criteria. The two can be independently distinguished and coexist according to different resource types. The determination of China’s continental shale oil types, resources potentials, and tight oil boundary systems can provide a reference for the upcoming shale oil exploration and development practices and help the development of China’s continental shale oil.展开更多
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,et...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.展开更多
基金Major Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China(42090020,42090025)Major Project of CNPC(2019E-2601)。
文摘Successful breakthroughs have been made in shale oil exploration in several lacustrine basins in China,indicating a promising future for shale oil exploration and production.Current exploration results have revealed the following major conditions of lacustrine shale oil accumulation:(1)stable and widely distributed shale with a high organic abundance and appropriate thermal maturity acts as a fundamental basis for shale oil retention.This shale exhibits several critical parameters,such as total organic carbon content greater than 2%,with optimal values ranging from 3% to 4%,kerogen Ⅰ and Ⅱ_(1) as the dominant organic matter types,and vitrinite reflectance(R_(o))values greater than 0.9%(0.8% for brackish water environments).(2)Various types of reservoirs exhibiting brittleness and a certain volume of micro-nanoscale pores are critical conditions for shale oil accumulation,and these reservoirs have porosities greater than 3% to 6%.Moreover,when diagenesis is incipient,pure shales are not favorable for medium-to-high maturity shale oil enrichment,whereas tight sandstone and hybrid rocks with clay content less than 20% are favorable;however,for medium-to-late-stage diagenesis,pure shales with a clay content of 40% are favorable.(3)The retention of a large amount of high-quality hydrocarbons is the factor that best guarantees shale oil accumulation with good mobility.Free hydrocarbon content exceeding a threshold value of 2 mg/g is generally required,and the optimum value is 4 mg/g to 6 mg/g.Moreover,a gas-oil ratio exceeding a threshold value of 80 m^(3)/m^(3) is required,with the optimal value ranging from 150 m^(3)/m^(3) to 300 m^(3)/m^(3).(4)High-quality roof and floor sealing conditions are essential for the shale oil enrichment interval to maintain the overpressure and retain a sufficient amount of hydrocarbons with good quality.Lacustrine shale oil distributions exhibit the following characteristics:(1)major enrichment areas of shale oil are located in semi-deep to deep lacustrine depositional areas with external materials,such as volcanic ash fallout,hydrothermal solutions,and radioactive substances with catalytic action,as inputs;(2)intervals with“four high values and one preservation condition”govern the distribution of shale oil enrichment intervals;and(3)favorable assemblages of lithofacies/lithologies determine the distribution of enrichment area.According to preliminary estimates,China has 131×10^(8) to 163×10^(8) t of total shale oil resources with medium-to-high thermal maturity,among which 67×10^(8) to 84×10^(8) t is commercial.These resources are primarily located in the Chang 7^(1+2) interval in the Ordos Basin,Qing 1+2 members in Gulong sag in the Songliao Basin,Kongdian and Shahejie formations of Cangdong sag,Qikou sag and the Jiyang depression in the Bohai Bay Basin,and Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42072186)China National Oil and Gas Major Project (2016ZX05046-001)PetroChina Scientific Research and Technology Project (2021-DJ2203)。
文摘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.
基金funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41872148)China Major Research and Development Program for Oil and Gas(No.2017ZX05049001)financial supporting from China Scholarship Council and American Association of Petroleum Geologists(Norman H.Foster Memorial Grant)。
文摘Thermal maturation in the shale oil/gas system is inherently complex due to the competitive interplays between hydrocarbon generation and retention processes.To study hydrocarbon generation characteristics from shales within different stages of thermal maturation under the influence of retained oil,we performed Micro-Scale Sealed Vessels(MSSV)pyrolysis on a set of artificially matured lacustrine shale s amples from the Shahejie Formation in the Dongpu Depression in Bohai B ay Basin,China.Experimental results show that hydrocarbon yields of shale samples with or without retained oil at various thermal maturities follow different evolution paths.Heavy components(C15+)in samples crack at high temperatures and generally follow a sequence,where they first transform into C6-14 then to C2-5 and C1.Methane accounts for most of the gaseous products at high temperatures in all samples,with different origins.The cracking of C2-5 is the main methane-generating process in samples with retained oil,whereas the source of methane in samples without retained oil is kerogen.In the studied shales,retained oils at early-mature stage retard the transformation of liquid to gaseous hydrocarbon and prompt the cracking of C2-5 to C1 to some extent.TSR reaction related to gypsum in the studied samples is the primary reason that can explain the loss of hydrocarbon yields,especially at high temperatures.In addition,transformation of volatile hydrocarbons to gas and coke also accounts for the loss of generated hydrocarbon,as a secondary factor.
基金Funded by National Science and Technology Major Project(2016ZX05046)China National Petroleum Corporation International Cooperation Project(2015D-4810-02).
文摘Continental shale oil has two types, low-medium maturity and medium-high maturity, and they are different in terms of resource environment, potential, production methods and technologies, and industrial evaluation criteria. In addition, continental shale oil is different from the shale oil and tight oil in the United States. Scientific definition of connotations of these resource types is of great significance for promoting the exploration of continental shale oil from "outside source" into "inside source" and making it a strategic replacement resource in the future. The connotations of low-medium maturity and medium-high maturity continental shale oils are made clear in this study. The former refers to the liquid hydrocarbons and multiple organic matter buried in the continental organic-rich shale strata with a burial depth deeper than 300 m and a Ro value less than 1.0%. The latter refers to the liquid hydrocarbons present in organic-rich shale intervals with a burial depth that in the "liquid window" range of the Tissot model and a Ro value greater than 1.0%. The geological characteristics, resource potential and economic evaluation criteria of different types of continental shale oil are systematically summarized. According to evaluation, the recoverable resources of in-situ conversion technology for shale oil with low-medium maturity in China is about(700-900)×10^8 t, and the economic recoverable resources under medium oil price condition($ 60-65/bbl) is(150-200)×10^8 t. Shale oil with low-medium maturity guarantees the occurrence of the continental shale oil revolution. Pilot target areas should be optimized and core technical equipment should be developed according to the key parameters such as the cumulative production scale of well groups, the production scale, the preservation conditions, and the economics of exploitation. The geological resources of medium-high maturity shale oil are about 100×10^8 t, and the recoverable resources can to be determined after the daily production and cumulative production of a single well reach the economic threshold. Continental shale oil and tight oil are different in lithological combinations, facies distribution, and productivity evaluation criteria. The two can be independently distinguished and coexist according to different resource types. The determination of China’s continental shale oil types, resources potentials, and tight oil boundary systems can provide a reference for the upcoming shale oil exploration and development practices and help the development of China’s continental shale oil.
文摘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.
