Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 186-200, 240.doi: 10.11743/ogg20210116

• Petroleum Geology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Evolution characteristics and models of shale pores and fractures under tectonic deformation: A case study of the Lower Paleozoic marine shale in the Sichuan Basin and its periphery

Hongjian Zhu1,2,3(), Yiwen Ju1,2, Yan Sun4,5, Cheng Huang1,2, Hongye Feng1,2, Raza Ali1,2, Kun Yu1,2, Peng Qiao1,2, Lei Xiao1,2   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Computational Geodynamics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    2. College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3. School of Vehicle and Energy, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066000, China
    4. State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
    5. School of Earth Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
  • Received:2020-09-09 Online:2021-02-28 Published:2021-02-07

Abstract:

Tectonic stress may deform or damage the shale rocks, thus affecting their macro or micro structures to varying degrees.The marine shale samples from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation and the Lower Cambrian Lujiaping Formation respectively in the southeast and northeast parts of the Sichuan Basin, were studied through focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), gas adsorption, and mercury intrusion, to evaluate the effect of structural type and deformation mechanisms on the reconstruction of shale pore and fracture structures.Results indicate that shale in monoclines contains mostly organic matter pores, while shale in folds or faults resulted from strong tectonic activities contains largely mineral interparticle pores, dissolution pores and fractures.Comparatively, fold-related shale has more micro pores and fault-related shale has more macro pores than monoclinic shale.The pore difference in shale of different structural parts can be attributed to an uneven distribution of local structural stress.Brittle shale contains mainly micrometer-sized pores and fractures, which are conducive to gas migration and accumulation; while ductile shale is dominated by nanometer-sized pores, which are conducive to gas adsorption and occurrence.The total pore volume of the shale increases with brittle deformation and decreases with ductile deformation.The total specific surface area of the pores is loosely connected with brittle deformation, but has a positive relationship with ductile deformation.Based on these results, the paper discusses the controlling factors and evolution models of micro-nano shale pores and fractures under structural deformation, and concludes that the structural stress on shale results in the modification of shale compositions, the evolution of pores and fractures in shale, and the storage and migration of shale gas.

Key words: pore and fracture structure, tectonic deformation, evolutionary model, marine shale, shale gas, Lower Paleozoic, Sichuan Basin

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