Insights of the pore system of lacustrine shales from immature to late mature with the aid of petrology, mineralogy and porosimetry: A case study of the Triassic Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin, North China

The study of pore network evolution is an important aspect of tight shale reservoir characterization. Pore spaces in shales consist of three major types: interparticle pores and intraparticle pores associated with mineral matrix and organic-matter pores. In this study, the evolution of pore networks for each pore type in lacustrine shales during thermal maturation was studied based on a suite of 19 Triassic Yanchang Formation shale samples from the Ordos Basin across a maturation gradient from immature to late mature (vitrinite reflectance (R-o) from 0.36 to 1.30%). The results show that different pore types follow systematic evolutions during thermal maturation and that the evolution of pore type and pore size is critically controlled by multiple diagenetic processes such as mechanical compaction, cementation, mineral dissolution, clay mineral transformation, and organic matter thermal maturation. Specifically, at immature and early mature stages (R-o < 0.55%), pores associated with mineral matrix are abundant and have moderate pore sizes. Interparticle pores exhibit preferential orientation along clay platelets. At the mature stage (0.55% < R-o < 1.15%), pores associated with mineral matrix have the smallest size, and interparticle pores become less common and show reduced preferential orientation because of mechanical compaction and cementation. Organic-matter pores start to develop at a maturity level of R-o 0.77% and higher. The total porosity and BET specific surface area show minimum values at R-o 1.12%, mainly because pre-existing matrix-related pores are destroyed by mechanical compaction and filled by migrated bitumen and liquid hydrocarbons, and then they increase when R-o exceeds 1.12%, which likely results from the development of secondary organic-matter nanopores due to the generation and expulsion of gaseous hydrocarbons. An increase in pore size of matrix-related pores at the late mature stage (1.15% < R-o < 1.30%) could be a result of dissolution by organic acid generated during organic matter thermal maturation.

Automated summary

The study found that different types of pores undergo systematic evolution during the thermal maturation of shale, and the evolution of pore type and size is critically controlled by multiple diagenetic processes, including mechanical compaction, cementation, mineral dissolution, clay mineral transformation, and organic matter thermal maturation.