Factors Controlling Brittleness of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Shale in the Yangtze Platform, South China: Insights from Geochemistry and Shale Composition

Abstract

Brittleness index is an important parameter used to select favorable fracturing intervals during shale gas exploitation. Mineral compositions exert a significant influence on rock brittleness, and various grain assemblages can be deposited under different paleo-environmental conditions. The Wufeng–Longmaxi marine shale is a hot spot of shale gas exploitation in China. However, for the Wufeng–Longmaxi shale, the relationship between sedimentary environments, grain assemblages, and shale brittleness are rarely discussed. To address these problems, a series of experiments including petrographic observations, mineral compositions, rock mechanics, and major (trace) element analyses were carried out on shale samples from the Wufeng–Longmaxi formations. The Wufeng–Longmaxi formations are divided into upper Longmaxi formation (ULMX), lower Longmaxi formation (LLMX), and Wufeng formation (WF). The results show that WF shale samples deposited under a sedimentary environment with low terrigenous detrital influx, suboxic depositional water, and high paleoproductivity are characterized by the highest energy-based BI, compared to ULMX and LLMX shale samples. Dolomite in the samples grew in situ during early diagenesis. Redox conditions, terrigenous detrital flux control authigenic carbonate contents, and the oxic depositional water of the ULMX formation restrain carbonate mineral formation. In contrast, the suboxic sedimentary environment of the LLMX and WF allowed the generation of carbonate minerals. Compared with the WF, the larger terrigenous detrital flux of LLMX formation do favor more authigenic carbonate formation. The paleoproductivity affects biogenic quartz generation, and abundant biogenic quartz, primarily occurring in the form of micron-size microcrystalline quartz in the shale matrix, and can connect the silt-size brittle minerals to form a mechanical framework, which makes a strong positive contribution to shale brittleness. Terrigenous detrital influx decreases brittleness because the weakening effect of terrigenous clay minerals on shale brittleness is greater than the strengthening effect of terrigenous brittle minerals on shale brittleness.