Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (4): 931-948.doi: 10.11743/ogg20210414

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Accumulation of sediments with extraordinary high organic matter content: Insight gained through geochemical characterization of indicative elements

Zhen Qiu1(), Hengye Wei2,*(), Hanlin Liu1, Nan Shao3, Yuman Wang1, Leifu Zhang1, Qin Zhang1   

  1. 1. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
    2. School of Earth Science and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, China
    3. Science and Technology Management Department, CNPC, Beijing 100007, China
  • Received:2021-04-27 Online:2021-08-28 Published:2021-08-27
  • Contact: Hengye Wei E-mail:qiuzhen316@163.com; qiuzhen@petrochina.com.cn;weihengye@163.com

Abstract:

Organic matter (OM) accumulation plays a key role in the development of sweet spots in unconventional oil and gas plays, especially in shale. Fine-grained sedimentary rocks containing or associated with sweet spots generally have TOC content of higher than 3.0%. We define these sediments or sedimentary rocks with TOC ≥ 3.0% as the extraordinary high organic matter (EHOM) deposits, and propose conceptual hypotheses for the accumulation process of EHOM. We suggest that high primary productivity provides prerequisites for OM accumulation and that the anoxia is prone to enhance large scale accumulation of EHOM. We use the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations in the Sichuan Basin to carry out a case study for the discussion on the elemental bio-geochemical cycles during the EHOM accumulation processes. The conceptual hypothesis for EHOM enrichments constrained by elementary geochemistry is verified. Our result shows that the EHOM enrichment in the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations was the results of dynamic evolutions of the high primary productivity and the redox conditions jointly controlled by high primary productivity and water circulation. As one of the research targets of unconventional petroleum sedimentology, this study could help better understanding the forming mechanism of the "sweet-spots" and further support unconventional petroleum exploration and development.

Key words: extraordinary high organic matter content, fine-grained deposits, shale oil and gas, unconventional petroleum sedimentology, Longmaxi Formation, Sichuan Basin

CLC Number: