Depositional environment of shale in Wufeng and Longmaxi Formations, Sichuan Basin

Formation of organic-rich shale was controlled by depositional processes and environment condition.According to petrology,mineralogy,fossil composition and sedimentary structure,seven lithofacies of shale were identified in the Wufeng Formation to Longmaxi Formation,e.g.,siliceous shale,silty shale,argillaceous shale,calcareous shale,shell-bearing argillaceous limestone/calcareous mudstone,siltstonefine sandstone and bentonite.For shale in the Wufeng and Longmaxi Formations,the depositional mode was not only the suspension deposition under the low-energy hydrodynamic condition,but also the biogenic deposition,the storm deposition and the bottom current deposition indicated by large amount of siliceous biological fossils,biological detritus with size graded structure,silt laminations,lenticular bedding,ripple cross-bedding and other sedimentary structures.Trace element analysis suggested that the siliceous shale in theWufeng Formation and the lower part of Longmaxi Formation was developed in the oxygen-dysoxic/anoxic depositional environment,which was rich in organic matters;then due to influence of the sea level gradually decline and bottom current,the silty and argillaceous shales were formed,and the oxygen-dysoxic/anoxic depositional environment was destroyed,gradually leading to the worse preservation condition of organic matter.

Dispositional characteristics of Ordovician Wufeng Formation and Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Sichuan Basin and its adjacent areas

According to data of gas wells and typical sections of Wufeng Formation and Longmaxi Formation in Sichuan Basin,shale of various graptolite zones were analyzed to determine depositional environment,lithology and thickness characteristics of the graptolite shale interval of WF2-WF3 in the lower part of Wufeng Formation,the graptolite shale interval of WF4 in Guanyinqiao Member of Wufeng Formation and the graptolite shale interval of LM1-LM4 in the bottom of Longmaxi Formation,and characteristics of shale horizontal distribution were also investigated.During the depositional period of the graptolite shale interval of WF2-WF3,the study area was less affected by the Guangxi movement,the depositional environment was the deep water of open sea,where black shale was mainly deposited;the sedimentation center was developed in northeast Guizhou-northeast Sichuan and south Sichuan,the maximum thickness was from 4 to 6 m in the sedimentation center.During the depositional period of the graptolite shale interval of WF4,the depositional environment in the study area changed greatly due to global sea level fall and enhanced Guangxi movement;the central Sichuan paleouplift,the central Guizhou paleouplift and the Jiangnan-Xuefeng palaeouplift were further expanded,and the area of the sedimentary basin decreased;the depositional environment was mainly carbonate bioclastic shoal of shallow sea,and partially deep sea which only was distributed in the Shizhu-Fuling-Wuxi area in east and northeast Sichuan and the Gongxian-Yongchuan area in south Sichuan;sediments of shallow water were dominated by limestone and argillaceous limestone with abundant Hirnantia,sediments of deep water were dominated by calcareous mudstone and shale with Hirnantia.During the depositional period of the graptolite shale interval of LM1-LM4,due to rise of global sea level and Guangxi movement,the sedimentary area was larger than that in the depositional period of Guanyinqiao Member,and the sedimentary environment mainly was stagnant deepwater;thickness of black shale in the graptolite shale interval of LM1-LM4 was large,and the maximum thickness was over 20 m.Furthermore,control of the central Sichuan paleouplift,the central Guizhou paleouplift and the Jiangnan-Xuefeng paleouplift on black shale was discussed,and control of the Zhiliujing underwater highland/uplift,Huayingshan highland and Dingshan highland as well as western Hubei-Hunan underwater highland/uplift on shale deposition and preservation was also investigated.

Characteristics of shale gas reservoirs in Wufeng Formation and Longmaxi Formation in Well WX2,northeast Chongqing

To further understand shale reservoir characteristics of Wufeng Formation and Longmaxi Formation in the Wuxi area,northeast Chongqing,based on drilling data of Well WX2,and taking the graptolite biostratigraphy as the standard marker of stratigraphic division and comparison,the geochemistry,petrology,reservoir space and properties of organic-rich black shale were well investigated,and its gasbearing capacity and controlling factors were also analyzed.The result shows that in the Wufeng Formation and Longmaxi Formation of Well WX2,the organic-rich shale is 89.8 m thick and is characterized by good kerogen type,high organic abundance,moderate maturity and favorable hydrocarbongeneration condition,and the graptolite sequence is developed completely and continuously;the organic abundance is influenced by depositional rate,and the slow depositional rate is favorable for accumulation of organic matter in the black graptolite shale;from top to bottom,content of siliceous minerals increases and content of clay minerals decrease,therefore the brittleness increases;the organicrich siliceous shale and clay siliceous shale are favorable lithofacies for development of shale reservoirs;the nanopore is dominated by the parallel-plate pore with four open sides and has good connectivity;the pore size distribution curve has the multimodal characteristic,and the pore diameter mainly is in the range of 0.42e0.62 nm and the range of 3e5 nm;organic pores and interlayer pores of clay minerals make the greatest contribution to the total pore volume,while pores of brittle minerals have the least contribution;from top to bottom,organic pores gradually increase while interlayer pores of clay minerals gradually decrease;the on-site core gas content exceeds 8 m3/t,and the gas-bearing capacity is jointly controlled by hydrocarbon generation,reservoir and preservation conditions;and the WF2-LM6 biozone of the Katian to the early Aeronian is the high-quality shale reservoir,where the LM1 biozone of the Hirnantian was the best“sweet spot”which is the target of horizontal well drilling.