Evaluation of gas-in-place content and gas-adsorbed ratio using carbon isotope fractionation model: A case study from Longmaxi shales in Sichuan Basin, China

Gas-in-place (GIP) content and gas-adsorbed ratio are crucial parameters for resource potential assessment, sweet spot prediction, and production strategy optimization. Various methods have been proposed from different perspectives to evaluate these parameters; however, none have been widely accepted. The carbon isotope fractionation (CIF) model provides a powerful tool for clarifying the mechanism of isotopic fractionation during natural gas transport and evaluating key parameters of unconventional gas resources. In this study, five shale samples from the Longmaxi Formation in the Jiaoshiba area, Sichuan Basin, China, were subjected to canister degassing experiments to investigate degassing behaviors and their variations in the isotopic compositions of methane (delta C-13(1)), ethane (delta C-13(2)), and carbon dioxide (delta C-13(CO2)). The results showed that the degassing volume (rate) and isotopic fractionation amplitude (slope) of methane positively correlate with the TOC content after controlling the lost time. The released ethane was more enriched in C-12 than methane and did not fractionate during degassing, resulting in an increased isotope reversal. The delta C-13(CO2) exhibited complex fractionation features corresponding to later stages (stages III and IV) in the general pattern. Furthermore, we evaluated the GIP content, gas-adsorbed ratio, and in-situ Langmuir parameters (V-L and P-L) using the CIF model. The calculated GIP content ranges from 3.48 cm(3)/g to 7.29 cm(3)/g with an average of 5.32 cm(3)/g, and the gas-adsorbed ratio is between 13.87% similar to 43.75% (average 30.79%). The optimized V-L and P-L show an excellent correlation with TOC content, demonstrating the great advantage of the CIF model in evaluating Langmuir parameters. Compared with the CIF model, the traditional USBM method underestimated shale gas resources in the Jiaoshiba area by 2% similar to 22%, with an average of 11.5%.

Automated summary

Gas-in-place content and gas-adsorbed ratio are crucial parameters for resource potential assessment and production strategy optimization in unconventional gas resources. The carbon isotope fractionation model provides a powerful tool in evaluating the mechanism of isotopic fractionation during natural gas transport. The study in the Jiaoshiba area of China showed a positive correlation between methane degassing volume and TOC content, and an underestimation of shale gas resources by the traditional USBM method.