The characteristics of hydrocarbon generation, reserving performances of fine-grained rock, and preservation conditions of coal measure shale gas of an epicontinental sea basin: A case study of the Late Palaeozoic shale gas in the Huanghebei Area of Western Shandong
Authors: Li Ying , Li Zengxue , Wang Huaihong , Wang Dongdong 
Published: October 2018

In China, marine and land transitional fine-grained rocks (shale, mudstone, and so on) are widely distributed and are known to have large accumulated thicknesses. However, shale gas explorations of these types of rock have only recently been initiated, thus the research degree is very low. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to improve the research data regarding the gas accumulation theory of marine and continental transitional fine-grained rock, as well as investigate the shale gas generation potential in the Late Paleozoic fine-grained rock masses located in the Huanghebei Area of western Shandong Province. The hydrocarbon generation characteristics of the epicontinental sea coal measures were examined using sedimentology, petrography, geochemistry, oil and gas geology, tectonics, and combined experimental testing processes. The thick fine-grained rocks were found to have been deposited in the sedimentary environments of the tidal flats, barriers, lagoons, deltas, and rivers during the Late Paleozoic in the study area. The most typical fine-grained rocks were located between the No. 5 coal seam of the Shanxi Formation and the No. 10 coal seam of the Taiyuan Formation, with an average thickness of 84.8 m. These formations were mainly distributed in the western section of the Huanghebei Area. The total organic carbon content level of the fine-grained rock was determined to be 2.09% on average, and the higher content levels were located in the western section of the Huanghebei Area. The main organic matter types of the fine-grained rock were observed to be kerogen II, followed by kerogen III. The vitrinite reflectance ( Ro) of the fine-grained rock was between 0.72 and 1.25%, which indicated that the gas generation of the dark fine-grained rock was within a favorable range, and the maturity of the rock was mainly in a medium stage in the northern section of the Huanghebei Area. It was determined that the average content of brittle minerals in the fine-grained rock was 55.7%. The dissolution pores and micro-cracks were the dominating pores in the fine-grained rock, followed by intergranular pores and intercrystalline pores. It was also found that both the porosity and permeability of the fine-grained rock were very low in the study area. The desorption gas content of the fine-grained rock was determined to be between 0.986 and 4.328 m3/t, with an average content of 2.66 m3/t. The geological structures were observed to be simple in the western section of the Huanghebei Area, and the occurrence impacts on the shale gas were minimal. However, the geological structures were found be complex in the eastern section of the study area, which was unfavorable for shale gas storage. The depths of the fine-grained rock were between 414.05 and 1290.55 m and were observed to become increasingly deeper from the southwestern section to the northern section. Generally speaking, there were found to be good reservoir forming conditions and great resource potential for marine and continental transitional shale gas in the study area.