Hierarchical Pore Morphology of Cretaceous Shale: A Small-Angle Neutron Scattering and Ultrasmall-Angle Neutron Scattering Study

Shale reservoirs are becoming an increasingly important source of oil and natural gas supply and a potential candidate for CO2 sequestration. Understanding the pore morphology in shale may provide clues to making gas extraction more efficient and cost-effective. The porosity of Cretaceous shale samples from Alberta, Canada, collected from different depths with varying mineralogical compositions, has been investigated by small- and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering. The samples come from the Second White Specks and Belle Fourche formations, and their organic matter content ranges between 2 and 3%. The scattering length density of the shale specimens has been estimated using the chemical composition of the different mineral components. Scattering experiments reveal the presence of fractal and non-fractal pores. It has been shown that the porosity and specific surface area are dominated by the contribution from meso- and micropores. The fraction of closed porosity has been calculated by comparing the porosities estimated by He pycnometry and scattering techniques. Although there is no correlation between total porosity and mineral components, a strong correlation has been observed between closed porosity and major mineral components in the studied specimens.