Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (5): 1582-1596.doi: 10.11743/ogg20250512

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles    

Component characteristics and mobility assessment of shale oil: A case study of the Permian Fengcheng Formation, Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin

Yubin BAI1,2(), Haijiao REN3, Jun ZHANG1,2, Shaorong CHEN3, Weitao WU1,2, Xinmei ZHAO3, Heyuan WU1,2, Yang ZOU3   

  1. 1.School of Earth Sciences and Engineering,Xi’an Shiyou University,Xi’an,Shaanxi 710065,China
    2.Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Petroleum Accumulation Geology,Xi’an,Shaanxi 710065,China
    3.Research Institute of Exploration and Development,Xinjiang Oilfield Company,PetroChina,Karamay,Xinjiang 834000,China
  • Received:2025-06-10 Revised:2025-08-21 Online:2025-10-30 Published:2025-10-29

Abstract:

Continental saline lacustrine basins in China hold considerable potential for mixed-type shale oil resources, exhibiting promising exploration prospects. Determining the component characteristics of the produced oil can lay a foundation for the mobility assessment and production increase of shale oil. In this study, we investigate the mixed shale oil in the Permian Fengcheng Formation, Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin. Through comparison of components in produced oil and residual hydrocarbons, we determine that the shale oil is characterized by component-dependent flow. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between movable oil and produced oil. The results indicate that for shales in the Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag, produced oil exhibits higher hydrocarbon content than residual oil obtained through solvent extraction. With an increase in the time of shale oil recovery, the produced oil shows elevated heavy hydrocarbon content, verifying its component-dependent flow. Gas chromatograms indicate that the saturated hydrocarbons in the produced oil are dominated by n-alkanes with medium to low carbon numbers. Regarding residual hydrocarbons, calcareous/dolomitic shales and mixed shales show a high proportion of saturated hydrocarbon compounds with low carbon numbers, while felsic shales contain relatively well-developed saturated hydrocarbon compounds with medium to high molecular weights. After the light hydrocarbon loss correction and the heavy hydrocarbon recovery by pyrolysis method, in-situ residual hydrocarbon content in the Fengcheng Formation shales is calculated at 1.39 ~ 14.25 mg/g (average: 2.87 mg/g). The average movable oil content of this formation is estimated at 1.60 mg/g, which accounts for up to 55.8% of the residual hydrocarbons, indicating high mobility of shale oil. The comparison of the movable oil and produced oil from the perspective of molecular geochemistry reveals that the intervals with a high oil saturation index (OSI), high movable hydrocarbon content, and low total organic carbon (TOC) content hold greater potential for shale oil exploration. This study is significant for the in-depth understanding of the mobility and recoverability of shale oil in saline lacustrine basins and enhancing its production.

Key words: light hydrocarbon loss recovery, group composition, movable oil, produced oil, shale oil, Fengcheng Formation, Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin

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