Abstract
In north-west Jiangxi, China, most shale-gas exploration has been focused on the Lower Cambrian Hetang and Guanyintang formations, whereas the Upper Ordovician Xinkailing formation shale has been ignored for years due to heavy weathering. This study systematically analyzed gas source conditions, reservoir conditions and gas-bearing ability in order to reveal the shale-gas accumulation conditions of the Xinkailing formation. The results show that the Xinkailing formation is characterized by thick deposition of black shale (10–80 m), high organic content (with total organic carbon between 1.18% and 3.11%, on average greater than 2%), relatively moderate thermal evolution (with vitrinite reflectance between 2.83% and 3.21%), high brittle-mineral content (greater than 40%), abundant nanopores and micro-fractures, very good adsorption ability (adsorption content between 2.12 m3/t and 3.47 m3/t, on average about 2.50 m3/t), and strong sealing ability in the underlying and overlying layers, all of which favor the generation and accumulation of shale gas. The Wuning-Lixi and Jinkou-Zhelin areas of the Xinkailing formation were selected as the most realistic and favorable targets for shale-gas exploration and exploitation. In conclusion, the Wuning area has great potential and can provide a breakthrough in shale gas with further investigation.
Highlights
Shale-gas exploration and development have seen enormous commercial success in the UnitedStates over the past 10 years [1,2,3], altering its status from an oil and gas importing country to an exporting one
Most of these studies have focused on the two high-quality formations [14,15,16,17,18]: the Upper Ordovician Wufeng formation/Lower Silurian Longmaxi formation and the Lower Cambrian Niutitang formation
A water well nearby PM1 revealed 18 m of black shale with sustained thickness and developed pyrite, which was a positive signal of un-weathered Xinkailing-formation shale
Summary
Shale-gas exploration and development have seen enormous commercial success in the United. With the growing demand for national energy production, several studies have been carried out concerning Lower Paleozoic black shale in the middle-upper Yangtze area [10,11,12,13] Most of these studies have focused on the two high-quality formations [14,15,16,17,18]: the Upper Ordovician Wufeng formation/Lower Silurian Longmaxi formation (collectively known as the Longmaxi formation) and the Lower Cambrian Niutitang formation (including the Shuijingtuo formation or Qiongzhusi formation, collectively known as the Niutitang formation). Geochemical analysis data of outcrop samples from rock potential of the Upper Ordovician Xinkailing formation. Province is characterized by a continuous potential for shale gas resources in the Xinkailing formation.
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