Diagenesis of shale and its control on pore structure, a case study from typical marine, transitional and continental shales

doi:10.1007/s11707-021-0922-9

Front. Earth Sci.

2021, Vol. 15

Issue (2) : 378-394 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-021-0922-9

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Diagenesis of shale and its control on pore structure, a case study from typical marine, transitional and continental shales

Weidong XIE¹, Meng WANG²(

), Hua WANG¹, Ruying MA³, Hongyue DUAN²

¹. School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
². Low Carbon Energy Institute, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221008, China
³. College of Geology and Mining Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830000, China

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Abstract

Due to discrepancies in pore structure, the productivity of shale gas reservoirs under different diagenesis stages varies greatly. This study discussed the controlling of sedimentation and diagenesis on shale pore structure in typical marine, transitional, and continental shales, respectively. Continental shale samples from the Shuinan Formation, Jiaolai Basin, transitional shale samples from the Taiyuan, Shanxi and Xiashihezi Formations, Ordos Basin, and marine shale samples from the Longmaxi Formation, Sichuan Basin, were collected. Scanning electron microscope with argon ion polishing, high-pressure mercury injection, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption experiments were conducted to acquire pore structure parameters. And the diagenetic stage of the reservoir was classified according to thermal maturity, organic geochemical parameters, and mineral composition. Our results exhibit that continental, transitional, and marine shales are period A, period B of the middle diagenetic stage, and the late diagenetic stage, respectively. For pore structure, micropore (0–2 nm) and mesopore (2–50 nm) controlled pore volume and specific surface area of transitional and marine shales, and specific surface area of continental shale have similar results, while micropore, mesopore, and macropore (>50 nm) all have a significant proportion of pore volume in continental shale. The pore structure characteristics and controlling factors exhibit a pronounced difference in different diagenesis stages, the compaction and cementation in period A of the middle diagenesis stage is relatively weak, intergranular pore and interlayer pore of clay minerals are well preserved, and moldic pore and dissolved pore developed as well; organic matter is in high maturity in period B of the middle diagenesis stage, organic matter pore developed correspondingly, while the intergranular pore developed poorly affected by compaction, notably, the carbonate is negligible in transitional shale, and the interlayer pore of clay minerals are well preserved with weak cementation; while dissolution and metasomatism controlled the pore structure in the late diagenesis stage in marine shale, the primary pores were poorly preserved, and the organic matter pore and carbonate dissolved pore developed. Results from this work are of a specific reference for shale gas development under different diagenesis stages.

Keywords shale gas reservoirs diagenesis stage pore structure controlling factors

Corresponding Author(s): Meng WANG

Online First Date: 13 August 2021 Issue Date: 26 October 2021

Cite this article:

Weidong XIE,Meng WANG,Hua WANG, et al. Diagenesis of shale and its control on pore structure, a case study from typical marine, transitional and continental shales[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2021, 15(2): 378-394.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-021-0922-9
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2021/V15/I2/378

Fig.1 Sample location of (a) continental shale, (b) transitional shale, and (c) marine shale.

Tab.1 Lithology and organic geochemical parameters of continental, transitional, and marine shale samples

Fig.2 TOC and R_o test results of continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. (a) The TOC value of shale samples, and (b) the R_o value of shale samples.

Fig.3 Mineral composition of continental, transitional, and marine shale samples.

Fig.4 Mineral composition of clay in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. Mixed I/S is the mixed layer of illite and smectite, %; I is illite, %; K is kaolinite, %; C is chlorite, %; Mixed C/S is the mixed layer of chlorite and smectite, %.

Fig.5 Scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures of continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. Continental shale: (a) intergranular pore of clay and brittle minerals; (b) intergranular pore and interlayer pore of clay; (c) intergranular pore and marginal microfissure of brittle minerals. Transitional shale: (d) organic matter pore and microfissure; (e) interlayer pore and microfissure of clay; (f) intergranular pore and moldic pore of brittle minerals. Marine shale: (g) organic matter pore; (h) intergranular pore of clay; (i) dissolved pore and marginal microfissure of brittle minerals.

Fig.6 The pore extraction of SEM pictures (which depicted in Fig. 5) in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. Continental shale: (a) intergranular pore of clay and brittle minerals; (b) intergranular pore and interlayer pore of clay; (c) intergranular pore and marginal microfissure of brittle minerals. Transitional shale: (d) organic matter pore and microfissure; (e) interlayer pore and microfissure of clay; (f) intergranular pore and moldic pore of brittle minerals. Marine shale: (g) organic matter pore; (h) intergranular pore of clay; (i) dissolved pore and marginal microfissure of brittle minerals.

Fig.7 The contribution of micropore, mesopore, and macropore to PV in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. V₁ is pore volume of micropore, cm³/g; V₂ is pore volume of mesopore, cm³/g; V₃ is pore volume of macropore, cm³/g; V is the sum of V₁, V₂, and V₃, cm³/g.

Fig.8 The contribution of micropore, mesopore, and macropore to SSA in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. A₁ is the specific surface area of micropore, m²/g. A₂ is the specific surface area of mesopore, m²/g. A₃ is the specific surface area of macropore, m²/g; A is the sum of A₁, A₂, and A₃, m²/g.

Fig.9 The correlation of TOC versus PV and TOC versus SSA in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. (a), (b), and (c) is the correlation of V_t versus TOC in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples, and (d), (e), and (f) is the correlation of A_t versus TOC in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples.

Fig.10 The correlation of clay content versus PV and SSA in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. (a), (b), and (c) is the correlation of V_t versus clay content in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples, and (d), (e), and (f) is the correlation of A_t versus clay content in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples.

Fig.11 The correlation of quartz and feldspar content versus PV and SSA in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. Q is quartz content, %; F is the sum of plagioclase and potash feldspar content, %; (a), (b), and (c) is the correlation of V_t versus the content of Q+ F in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples, and (d), (e), and (f) is the correlation of A_t versus the content of Q+ F in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples.

Fig.12 The correlation of calcite and dolomite content versus PV and SSA in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples. (a), (b), and (c) is the correlation of V_t versus the content of Cal+ Dol in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples, and (d), (e), and (f) is the correlation of A_t versus the content of Cal+ Dol in continental, transitional, and marine shale samples.

Fig.13 Pore development characteristics and evolution model of continental, transitional, and marine shale samples.

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