Effect of thermal maturation and organic matter content on oil shale fracturing

查看详情 浏览次数:1
中文题名热成熟度和有机质含量对油页岩压裂的影响
作者Fatemeh Saberi
作者单位Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of North Dakota, 264 Centennial Drive, Grand Forks, ND, USA
刊名International Journal of Coal Science & Technology
2024
11
摘要
The Pabdeh Formation represents organic matter enrichment in some oil fields, which can be considered a source rock. This study is based on the Rock–Eval, Iatroscan, and electron microscopy imaging results before and after heating the samples. We discovered this immature shale that undergoes burial and diagenesis, in which organic matter is converted into hydrocarbons. Primary migration is the process that transports hydrocarbons in the source rock. We investigated this phenomenon by developing a model that simulates hydrocarbon generation and fluid pressure during kerogen-to-hydrocarbon conversion. Microfractures initially formed at the tip/edge of kerogen and were filled with hydrocarbons, but as catagenesis progressed, the pressure caused by the volume increase of kerogen decreased due to hydrocarbon release. The transformation of solid kerogen into low-density bitumen/oil increased the pressure, leading to the development of damage zones in the source rock. The Pabdeh Formation’s small porethroats hindered effective expulsion, causing an increase in pore fluid pressure inside the initial microfractures. The stress accumulated due to hydrocarbon production, reaching the rock’s fracture strength, further contributed to damage zone development. During the expansion process, microfractures preferentially grew in low-strength pathways such as lithology changes, laminae boundaries, and pre-existing microfractures. When the porous pressure created by each kerogen overlapped, individual microfractures interconnected, forming a network of microfractures within the source rock. This research sheds light on the complex interplay between temperature, hydrocarbon generation, and the development of expulsion fractures in the Pabdeh Formation, providing valuable insights for understanding and optimizing hydrocarbon extraction in similar geological settings.

@ 2023 版权所有 中国地质图书馆 (中国地质调查局地学文献中心)

京ICP备 05064591号 京公网安备11010802017129号

建议浏览器: 火狐、谷歌、微软 Edge、不支持 IE