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Paleoenvironmental insights gleaned from geological history are profoundly important for the discovery and exploitation of mineral resources. In China's Bohai Bay Basin, the Kongdian Formation represents the principal oil-bearing stratum from the Eocene Epoch. However, a comprehensive understanding of its paleoenvironmental evolution and stratigraphic division has been hindered by the paucity of paleontological data. To address this gap, three sedimentary cores were meticulously collected from the southern extremity of the Liaoxi Uplift within the Bohai Bay. These cores underwent a thorough sporopollen-algae analysis to elucidate their stratigraphic division and to reconstruct the associated paleoenvironmental conditions. The analysis yielded the identification of three distinct sporopollen-algae assemblages of the regional Kongdian Formation: (1) The assemblage of Divisisporites longilaesuratus-Betulaepollenites-Tiliaepollenites microreticulatus is indicative of the lower submember of the Kongdian Formation Ek2; (2) The assemblage of Polypodiaceaesporites-Alnipollenites indicates the upper submember of the Ek2; (3) The assemblage of Pterisisporites undulatus-Taxodiaceaepollenites-Ephedripites corresponds to the Kongdian Formation Ek1. These assemblages reflect a significant evolutionary trajectory of the regional plant communities throughout the Kongdian Formation. Initially, there were evergreen arbor-shrub mixed forests, which transitioned to green algae-herb-evergreen broadleaved biota and finally evolved into evergreen conifer-shrub mixed forests. This botanical evolution mirrors shifts in the paleoclimate, which experienced a progression from conditions of high temperature and high humidity through a phase of warm, semi-humid environments to eventually high temperature and semi-arid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal fluid plays a crucial role in the generation and migration of hydrocarbons within sedimentary basins. Herein, we employed bulk analysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques to investigate the transformation dynamics from source rock to hydrocarbons under conditions influenced by magmatic activities in the Kongdian Formation, Huanghua Depression, China. The results revealed that hydrocarbon generation in the Ek2 shale of the study area was significantly influenced by abnormal heating from hydrothermal fluids. High temperatures associated with these fluids accelerated the conversion of organic matter within source rocks, enhancing hydrocarbon generation rates. Subsequently, the hydrocarbons migrated into fracture networks, where they solidified as low-reflectance solid bitumen, forming trapped fractures of pyrobitumen and authigenic mineral aggregates leached from thermal fluid. High aliphatic fractions were noted in the source rock extracts, while extracts from low-reflectance solid bitumen exhibited higher aromatic fraction. Aliphatic and aromatic compounds in extracts from both the low-reflectance solid bitumen and the source rock exhibited similar maturities and origins. Regarding polar compounds, the compound classes O1, O2, N1O1, and N1O2 showed higher abundances in source rock extracts compared to those in low-reflectance solid bitumen, while the S1 and N1 classes showed the opposite trend. Thus, fractionation clearly occurs when hydrocarbons expelled from source rocks by thermal fluids solidify into low-reflectance solid bitumen. This unique study provides valuable insights into understanding the fate of hydrocarbons originating from source rocks heated by thermal fluids, and explores the potential for unconventional oil in regions with intense hydrothermal alteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free oil, rather than adsorbed oil, is the main contributor to shale oil production with current development technologies, and assessing oil contents in different occurrence states (adsorbed oil vs. free oil) is a critical component in evaluating the economics of shale wells and plays. Although various methodologies have been developed, there are still some fundamental issues in assessing the oil contents in different occurrence states in shale. In this study, a new method was developed to estimate the adsorbed and free oil contents in the Second Member of the Eocene Kongdian Formation (Ek2) shales in Cangdong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin. This method combines the results of standard Rock-Eval pyrolysis and multi-step Rock-Eval pyrolysis with thin section petrography, X-ray diffraction for mineralogy, total organic carbon analyses, field emission scanning electron microscopy for pore morphology, and pore structure analyses by nitrogen physisorption and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Nine lithofacies were identified in a total of 50 shale samples, and the results show that the adsorbed and free oil are mainly contained in pores with diameters > 20 nm, and their contents are mainly controlled by organic matter abundance and thermal maturity of shales. While pore space volume influences the storage of shale oil, it is not a major determinant. Models of shale oil occurrence and its evolution are proposed, suggesting that the high S1 contents of organic-rich and -fair shales, which the latter resulted from oil migration, are the most favorable exploration targets of Ek2 shales. The findings of this study will help prioritize shale oil exploration targets in Ek2 shales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Natural Gas Geoscience is the property of Natural Gas Geoscience and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Free oil, rather than adsorbed oil, is the main contributor to shale oil production with current development technologies, and assessing oil contents in different occurrence states (adsorbed oil vs. free oil) is a critical component in evaluating the economics of shale wells and plays. Although various methodologies have been developed, there are still some fundamental issues in assessing the oil contents in different occurrence states in shale. In this study, a new method was developed to estimate the adsorbed and free oil contents in the Second Member of the Eocene Kongdian Formation (Ek2) shales in Cangdong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin. This method combines the results of standard Rock-Eval pyrolysis and multi-step Rock-Eval pyrolysis with thin section petrography, X-ray diffraction for mineralogy, total organic carbon analyses, field emission scanning electron microscopy for pore morphology, and pore structure analyses by nitrogen physisorption and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Nine lithofacies were identified in a total of 50 shale samples, and the results show that the adsorbed and free oil are mainly contained in pores with diameters > 20 nm, and their contents are mainly controlled by organic matter abundance and thermal maturity of shales. While pore space volume influences the storage of shale oil, it is not a major determinant. Models of shale oil occurrence and its evolution are proposed, suggesting that the high S1 contents of organic-rich and -fair shales, which the latter resulted from oil migration, are the most favorable exploration targets of Ek2 shales. The findings of this study will help prioritize shale oil exploration targets in Ek2 shales.

In contrast to marine shale oil reservoirs, lacustrine shale exhibits rapid lithofacies changes and strong mineral compositional heterogeneity, posing new challenges for the evaluation and distribution prediction of shale oil sweet spots. The oiliness, reservoir properties, oil fluidity, and fracability of different lithofacies were analyzed using emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observation, low-pressure nitrogen physisorption (LNP) analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and triaxial compression testing. Based on the mineral composition obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and sedimentary structure, four lithofacies were classified, which are organic-rich laminated calcareous shale (LC), organic-rich laminated siliceous shale (LS), organic-rich laminated mixed shale (LM), and organic-poor massive calcareous shale (MC). Considering the factors of oiliness, reservoir properties, oil fluidity, and fracability, the LC and LS lithofacies were determined as being high-quality sweet spots (type I). Within the stratigraphic sequence divided by GR-INPEFA curves, multi-resolution graph-based clustering (MRGC) analysis of sensitive well logs was used to classify the lithofacies, after which the distribution of sweet spots was predicted. The results reveal that the sweet spots exhibit regular changes in their vertical distribution and a ring-like pattern in their planar distribution, influenced by variations in the sedimentary environment. This finding can offer valuable guidance for the future exploitation of shale oil in the Guandong region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lacustrine shale in the second member of the Kongdian Formation (Ek2) is the most significant target of shale oil exploration in the Cangdong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China. To investigate the occurrence mechanisms and to reveal the influencing factors of shale oil mobility in Ek2, a series of analyses (X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, low-temperature nitrogen physisorption (LNP), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and multiple isothermal stage (MIS) pyrolysis) were conducted on samples collected from well cores in the Cangdong Sag. The results show that the lithofacies can be categorized as laminated felsic shales, laminated and massive mixed shales, and laminated and massive carbonate shales. The shales were characterized by a high organic matter abundance and moderate thermal evolution with good to excellent hydrocarbon generation potential and contained a high abundance of Type I and II1 kerogens. Laminated felsic shales and laminated mixed shales, compared with other lithofacies, had clear advantages in the amount of free hydrocarbon that can be volatilized from the rock (S1), the oil saturation index (OSI) value, and the free oil and movable oil content. LNP, MIP, and MIS pyrolysis analyses show that the residual shale oil mainly occurred in pores with diameters smaller than 200 nm, and the pore diameter when residual oil occurred in some laminated shale samples could reach 50 μm. The lower limits of the pore diameter where free oil and movable oil occurred were 7 and 30 nm, respectively. The mobility of shale oil is controlled by the shale oil component, thermal maturity, TOC content, and pore volume. The results herein provide a basis for the evaluation of optimal shale oil intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dongying Depression is an important petrolifeous province, with diverse source rocks and complex petroleum distribution patterns. A total of 32 crude oils were analyzed by the gas chromatographyemass spectrometry and isotopic compositions to better understanding the petroleum systems in the study area. Three oil types were classified by hierarchical cluster analyses. Type I and II oils have closely correlation with the discovered source rocks, which have been confirmed to be mainly derived from the lower third and upper forth member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation source rocks (Es3L and Es4U), respectively. Obviously, type III oils contain abundant gammacerane, tricyclic terpanes and C29 steranes and have lower values of δ13C than type I and II oils, indicating a completely different source rock and biological origins. Until recently, type III oils fail to match any of the discovered source rock, which contains main contribution of aquatic organism or/and bacteria inputs. In addition, the spacial distribution of these three oil types were discussed. Type I oils mainly distributed in the Es3 and Es4 reservoirs that closed to the generative kitchens. Type II oils occurred in the Es4 reservoirs in the sourthern slope of the depression, which probably caused by lateral migration along the horizontal fractures and sandstone layers within the Es4 interval. Differently, type III oils in the sourthern slope of the depression were mainly discovered in the Eocene Kongdian or Ordocician reservoirs, which suggests great exploration potential of deep underlying strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thick fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in the second member of the Kongdian Formation (Ek2) in the Cangdong sag, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China, are typical lacustrine source rocks and have recently been regarded as the main target for shale oil exploration. Compared with marine shales, the strong heterogeneity in the mineral composition, structure feature, and vertical association pattern of the Ek2 lacustrine fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in the Cangdong sag is significantly influenced by frequent variations in the sedimentary environment and depositional process. Based on the detailed core and thin‐section description analyses as well as the two‐dimensional X‐ray fluorescence (2D‐XRF) analysis, the Ek2 fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in the Cangdong sag can be classified into six types of lithofacies by employing the content of three main mineral compositions together with structure features, among which five types are mainly deposited, including laminated felsic fine‐grained sedimentary rocks, laminated and massive carbonate fine‐grained sedimentary rocks, and laminated and massive mixed fine‐grained sedimentary rocks. The sedimentary environment during the sedimentary period of the Ek2 in the Cangdong sag was reconstructed by several indexes (including salinity, water depth, redox condition, climate, and detrital input) using the element geochemical parameters. The variations of detrital input and lake physicochemical characteristics driven by climate were vertically divided into four phases, indicating that the lake gradually changed from the transgression to the highstand period. In addition, the water column stratification led to the overall dysoxic–anoxic condition. The depositional process can be interpreted by correlating the lithofacies and the sedimentary environment. The results indicate that the mineral composition is controlled by the detrital input and carbonate production driven by climate and that structural features are mainly affected by the water column stratification. The Ek2 fine‐grained sedimentary rocks in the Cangdong sag present the vertical distribution of lithofacies that matches with the evolution phases of the sedimentary environment. This study's results enhance the understanding of the formation mechanism of lacustrine fine‐grained sedimentary rocks and provide basic geological knowledge for shale oil exploration in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of lithofacies identification and its distribution characterizations of shales is essential for the geological evaluation of shale oil exploration and development. In this study, core description, optical microscope, total organic carbon (TOC) content, whole-rock X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rock-Eval pyrolysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and well logging data were used in the qualitative analyses of the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of shales. Since the work of detailed lithofacies identification is still lacking in the previous studies, based on TOC, sedimentary structure, and ternary diagram of siliceous minerals, carbonate minerals, and clay minerals, eight predominant lithofacies were identified in the shale of the second member of the Kongdian Formation (Ek2): ① low to moderate organic matter content (referred to as “low to moderate TOC”) massive calcareous mudstone (C-1); ② low to moderate TOC laminated calcareous mudstone (C-2); ③ low to moderate TOC layered mixed calcareous mudstone (C-3); ④ moderate to high organic matter content (referred to as “moderate to high TOC”) laminated calcareous siliceous mudstone (S-1); ⑤ moderate to high TOC massive mixed siliceous mudstone (S-2); ⑥ moderate to high TOC laminated clayey siliceous mudstone (S-3); ⑦ low to moderate TOC massive mixed mudstone (M-1); ⑧ moderate to high TOC layered calcareous/siliceous mixed mudstone (M-2). The favorability of lithofacies was investigated based on TOC, pyrolysis parameters, pore structures, and specific mineral contents. S-1 was currently considered as the most favorable lithofacies with excellent hydrocarbon potential, high amount of free hydrocarbon, and abundant organic pores; S-2, S-3, and M-2 were considered as favorable lithofacies, while C-1 and M-1 were ranked as the least-promising lithofacies in the research area. The lateral distribution of the shale is quite different, and Ek23 contains the most favorable lithofacies for shale oil exploration.

Copyright of Petroleum Geology & Recovery Efficiency is the property of Petroleum Geology & Recovery Efficiency and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Petroleum geology and deposition features of the fine grain phase region in the second member of the Kongdian Formation were investigated using traditional petroleum geology and sedimentary petrology. New theories for shale oil and gas formation, based on data from 500 m continuous coring, systematic analysis of over ten thousand core samples, and logging data in the center of the lake basin in the Cangdong Sag (Bohai Bay Basin, China) were developed to determine the distribution of shale oil and provide a basis for shale oil exploration deployment. Results showed that a wide distribution of semi-deep to deep lake sub-facies fine-grained sediment (shale) was deposited in the study area during the largest lake flooding period. This sediment consists of felsic shale, mixed shale, and dolomites, but no clay shale. The shale features multiple rock components with few dominant minerals; high clastic mineral content and low clay mineral content; rich analcite and lean pyrite; rich brittle minerals with lean quartz; diverse rock types with limited shale oil; more tight reservoirs and fewer reservoirs with no fractures; more high-quality source rock with less non-hydrocarbon source rock; and more high frequency cycles with fewer monolithic deposits. Results indicate that dolomites are located in strips on the plane and are locally enriched, contradicting the understanding that only hydrocarbon source rock, and no reservoirs, develop in the middle of a continental closed lake basin. The study region demonstrates good conditions for shale oil formation, a favorable configuration of source rock and reservoirs, and 260 km2 of sweet spots, indicating high exploration value. Several prospecting wells have obtained industrial oil flow with guidance based on geological knowledge and engineering technology support. Highlights • Continental shale oil exploration in China has been a breakthrough, the highest daily oil is 53.1t. • Continental shale have complex mineral compositions, lots of pores, high brittleness. • The source rocks of continental shale series are of good quality and generally contain oil. • Shale oil enrichment is mainly affected by source reservoir and its configuration relationship. • Shale oil resources of Ek2 is more than 300 million tons with high exploration potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paleogene Red Bed in the South Slope of the Dongying Depression is a set of red clastic sediments of the lower section of 4th member of the Shahejie Formation and the Kongdian Formation, and is the alternative strata for oil and gas exploration in this area. The Red Bed crude oil of the South Slope of the Dongying Depression is divided into four types according to the assemblage characteristics of biomarkers from 17 oil sand samples and 3 crude oil samples. The Type I crude oil is generated from the source rocks of the lower section of 3rd member of the Shahejie Formation, with low phytane and gammacerane concentration, Ph/ n -C18<0.6, relatively high ratios of Ts/(Ts+Tm) (>0.38) and hopanes/steranes (>3.4), high diasteranes concentration, and low C35 homohopane index. The Type II crude oil could be derived from the source rocks of the upper section of 4th member of the Shahejie Formation with abnormal high phytane and gammacerane concentration, Ph/ n -C181, relatively low ratios of Ts/(Ts+Tm) (<0.38) and hopanes/steranes (<2.5), low diasteranes concentration, and high C35 homohopane index. The Type III crude oil is mixed oil consisting of the Type II crude oil charged in the early stage and the Type I crude oil charged in the late stage and mainly of the Type I crude oil. The Type IV crude oil is characterized by C29 sterane predominance and this feature has not been found in the crude oils and source rocks of the study area, therefore this type of oil is identified as a mixture of the Type II crude oil and an oil type from a shallow lake-swamp facies. The fault throw of oil transporting faults controls the distribution of crude oils with different genetic types, and the upthrown side of the faults is the favorable zone for the Red Bed oil and gas accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study nano-scale inorganic pore systems in shale plays, the removal of soluble organic matter (SOM) using solvent extraction is an important pre-treatment step to reduce the in-situ petroleum blockage effect in shale oil samples. However, factors controlling the extraction efficiency are not well-understood, making the reliability and consistency of this extraction process questionable. In this work, an oil window mature organic-rich lacustrine shale in the Bohai Bay Basin of East China was prepared in six different sample sizes (from 1 cm cubes down to <75 μm powder), extracted for different times (1 day–25 days), and analysed for chemical composition to assess the extraction efficiency and behaviour, in order to arrive at a consistent workflow for sample pre-treatment for pore structure characterization. In general, the smaller the sample is used and the longer the sample is extracted, the higher the extract yield is obtained. The maximum extraction efficiency (based on the amount of extract after 25 days for the powder sample) is highly correlated with the sample size, indicating that there would always be residual soluble material in larger-sized samples even after extraction for a month. Molecular examination of the extract reveals that the early extract is dominated by saturated hydrocarbons, and these in turn are enriched in n-alkanes, while the saturated hydrocarbon content declines relative to aromatic and polar fractions, and the saturates are more dominated by branched and cyclic hydrocarbons, as extraction time increases. Such a knowledge about the extraction time- and sample size-dependencies of the extraction rate are fundamentally important in designing the solvent extraction protocol prior to carrying out nano-petrophysical studies. • The time- and sample size-dependencies of solvent extraction yields from a lacustrine shale have been quantified. • Extraction times varied from 1 to 25 days, and sample sizes from 1 cm cubes to 200 mesh. • Only about half of the soluble material at 200 mesh was extracted from the 1 cm-sized cubic samples after 25 days. • With increasing extraction time, the extracts are characterized by more and more aromatic and polar compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine as-received core samples were selected from four wells drilled in the lacustrine Kongdian Formation, which is a source rock located in Cangdong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China, and their geochemistry and pore structure characteristics were investigated by Rock-Eval pyrolysis, low-pressure nitrogen physisorption (LNP), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and spontaneous imbibition (SI) tests. Various models were employed to investigate the fractal characteristics of pore systems, and discuss the relationships between pore structure parameters and fractal dimension (D f). The results show that the samples can be divided into two groups (A and B) according to the different types of hysteresis loops from LNP isotherms, as well as geochemistry and pore structure parameters of samples. Negative relationship among BJH (Barrett-Joyner-Halenda) pore volume and S 1 value, and obviously higher average pore diameter of Group B samples with significantly higher S 1 values, indicate a blockage of residual hydrocarbons on small pores. According to the different D f − MIP values from MIP tests, the pore-throats of samples can be divided into four categories of A to D in the following sequence: microscopic (diameters less than 50 nm), small (50 nm-8 μm), medium (8 μm–20 μm) and large (greater than 20 μm) pore-throats/pores. The difference of D f from LNP and MIP tests is probably due to different sample sizes used and pore types assessed, while the difference of D f between MIP and SI tests is attributed to the mixed wettability of pores in shale samples. In addition, from the results of LNP tests with a measurable pore size of 2–200 nm, obvious positive relationships exist between D f − LNP − C (LNP test-derived D f value for Region C) and BJH pore volume, BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area and average pore size, as well as microscopic pore volume and percentage. The D f − LNP − C can be considered as an effective parameter to reflect the degree of development of microscopic pores in samples. • Paleogene-aged Lacustrine Kongdian shale was studied for pore structure characteristics. • Fractal analyses on various laboratory tests were used to link with shale properties. • Two groups of shale were derived from different hysteresis loops of N 2 physisorption. • Four categories of pore-throats were obtained from mercury intrusion porosimetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]