Skip to main content
Log in

Water-bearing characteristics and their effects on the nanopores of overmature coal-measure shales in the Wuxiang area of the Qinshui Basin, north China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Earth Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, a group of overmature coal-measure shale core samples was collected in situ from an exploration well located in the Wuxiang area of the Qinshui Basin, north China. The pore water contents (CPW) of the shales under as-received conditions, equilibrium water contents (CEW) of the shales under moisture equilibrium conditions (relative humidity: 100%), and nanopore structures of the shales under both as-received and dried conditions were measured. The results indicate that the CPW values of these shales are much lower than their CEW values, which implies that the bulk pore systems of these shales have low water-bearing extents. In addition, approximately half of the total pore volumes and surface areas of the as-received shales are occupied by pore water, and the effects of pore water on shale nanopores with various pore types and widths are different. The average water-occupied percentages (PW) are 59.16%–81.99% and 42.53%–43.44% for the non-micropores and micropores, respectively, and are 83.54%–97.69% and 19.57%–26.42% for the inorganic-matter hosted (IM) and organic-matter hosted (OM) pores, respectively. The pore water in shales not only significantly reduces the storage of shale gas by occupying many pore spaces, but also causes the shale gas, especially the absorbed gas, to be mostly stored in the OM pores; meanwhile, the IM pores mainly store free gas. Therefore, the water-bearing characteristics and their effects on the pore structures and gas-bearing properties of coal-measure shales should be noted for the evaluation and exploration of shale gas in the Qinshui Basin.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

C PW :

pore water content

C EW :

equilibrium water content

E PW :

pore water equilibrium extent

OM:

organic-matter hosted

IM:

inorganic-matter hosted

S mic :

micropore surface area

V mic :

micropore volume

S non :

non-micropore surface area

V non :

non-micropore volume

S total :

total pore surface area

V total :

total pore volume

R o :

vitrinite reflectance value

T max :

maximum cracking temperature

HI:

hydrogen index

OI:

oxygen index

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

P W :

percentage of water-occupied pore structure

P E :

percentage of effective pore structure

References

  • Ahmad M, Haghighi M (2013). Water saturation evaluation of Murteree and Roseneath shale gas reservoirs, Cooper Basin, Australia using wire-line logs, focused ion beam milling and scanning electron microscopy. In: SPE Unconventional Resources Conference and Exhibition-Asia Pacific, November 11–13, Brisbane Australia, SPE-167080-MS aiAmbrose R J, Hartman R C, Diaz-Campos M D, Akkutlu I Y, Sondergeld C H (2010). New pore-scale considerations for shale gas in place calculations. In: SPE Unconventional Gas Conference, February 23–25, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, SPE-131772-MS

  • ASTM D1412–07 (2010). Standard test method for equilibrium moisture of coal at 96 to 97 percent relative humidity and 30°C. American Society for Testing and Materials: West Conshohocken, PA: 2010

    Google Scholar 

  • Bekyarova E, Hanzawa Y, Kaneko K, Silvestre-Albero J, Sepulveda-Escribano A, Rodriguez-Reinoso F, Kasuya D, Yudasaka M, Iijima S (2002). Cluster-mediated filling of water vapor in intratube and interstitial nanospaces of single-wall carbon nanohorns. Chem Phys Lett, 366(5–6): 463–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennion D B, Thomas F B (2005). Formation damage issues impacting the productivity of low permeability, low initial water saturation gas producing formations. J Energy Resour Technol, 127(3): 240–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertier P, Schweinar K, Stanjek H, Ghanizadeh A, Clarkson C R, Busch A, Kampman N, Prinz D, Amann-Hildebrand A, Krooss B M, Pipich V (2016). On the use and abuse of N2 physisorption for the characterization of the pore structure of shales. In: Schäfer T, Dorhmann R, Greenwell H C, eds. Filling the Gaps from Microscopic Pore Structure to Transport Properties in Shales. CMS Workshop Lectures, volume 21: 151–161

  • Boyer C, Kieschnick J, Suarez-Rivera R, Lewis R E, Waters G (2006). Producing gas from its source. Oilfield Rev, 18: 36–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunauer S, Emmett P H, Teller E (1938). Adsorption of gases in multimolecular layers. J Am Chem Soc, 60(2): 309–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Bustin R M, Bustin A M M, Cui X, Ross D J K, Murthy Pathi V S (2008). Impact of shale properties on pore structure and storage characteristics. In: SPE Shale Gas Production Conference, November 2008, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

  • Cai Y D, Liu D M, Yao Y B, Li J Q, Qiu Y K (2011). Geological controls on prediction of coalbed methane of No. 3 coal seam in Southern Qinshui Basin, north China. Int J Coal Geol, 88(2–3): 101–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers G R L, Bustin R M (2008). Lower Cretaceous gas shales in northeastern British Columbia, part I: geological controls on methane sorption capacity. Bull Can Pet Geol, 56(1): 1–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers G R, Bustin R M, Powers I M (2009). A pore by any other name would be as small: the importance of meso- and microporosity in shale gas capacity. AAPG, Search Discov: 90090

  • Charrière D, Behra P (2010). Water sorption on coals. J Colloid Interface Sci, 344(2): 460–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Gai H F, Xiao Q L (2021). Effects of composition and temperature on water sorption in overmature Wufeng-Longmaxi shales. Int J Coal Geol, 234: 103673

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Z Y, Song Y, Li Z, Liu S B, Li Y H, Liu G H, Yang W, Wang Q Y, Yang Y D, Gao F L (2019). The occurrence characteristics and removal mechanism of residual water in marine shales: a case study of Wufeng-Longmaxi shale in Changning-Weiyuan area, Sichuan Basin. Fuel, 253: 1056–1070

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng P, Tian H, Xiao X M, Gai H F, Li T F, Wang X (2017). Water distribution in overmature organic-rich shales: implications from water adsorption experiments. Energy Fuels, 31(12): 13120–13132

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng P, Xiao X M, Tian H, Wang X (2018). Water content and equilibrium saturation and their influencing factors of the Lower Paleozoic overmature organic-rich shales in the Upper Yangtze Region of southern China. Energy Fuels, 32(11): 11452–11466

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng P, Xiao X M, Wang X, Sun J, Wei Q (2019). Evolution of water content in organic-rich shales with increasing maturity and its controlling factors: implications from a pyrolysis experiment on a water-saturated shale core sample. Mar Pet Geol, 109: 291–303

    Google Scholar 

  • Cipolla C L, Lolon E P, Erdle J C, Rubin B (2010). Reservoir modeling in shale-gas reservoirs. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 13(4): 638–653

    Google Scholar 

  • De Silva P N K, Simons S J R, Stevens P, Philip L M (2015). A comparison of North American shale plays with emerging nonmarine shale plays in Australia. Mar Pet Geol, 67: 16–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong D Z, Wang Y M, Li X J, Zou C N, Guan Q Z, Zhang C C, Huang J L, Wang S F, Wang H Y, Liu H L, Bai W H, Liang F, Lin W, Zhao Q, Liu D X, Qiu Z (2016a). Breakthrough and prospect of shale gas exploration and development in China. Nat Gas Ind B, 3(1): 12–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong D Z, Zou C N, Dai J X, Huang S P, Zheng J W, Gong J M, Wang Y M, Li X J, Guan Q Z, Zhang C C, Huang J L, Wang S F, Liu D X, Qiu Z (2016b). Suggestions on the development strategy of shale gas in China. Nat Gas Geosci, 1(6): 413–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinin M M (1989). Fundamentals of the theory of adsorption in micropores of carbon adsorbents: characteristics of their adsorption properties and microporous structures. Carbon, 27(3): 457–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang Z H, Huang Z L, Wang Q Z, Deng D W, Liu H L (2014). Cause and significance of the ultra-low water saturation in gas-riched shale reservoir. Nat Gas Geosci, 25: 471–475 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng D, Li X F, Wang X Z, Li J, Sun F R, Sun Z, Zhang T, Li P H, Chen Y, Zhang X (2018). Water adsorption and its impact on the pore structure characteristics of shale clay. Appl Clay Sci, 155: 126–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao Z Y, Fan Y P, Hu Q H, Jiang Z X, Cheng Y, Xuan Q X (2019). A review of shale wettability characterization using spontaneous imbibition experiments. Mar Pet Geol, 109: 330–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Gasparik M, Bertier P, Gensterblum Y, Ghanizadeh A, Krooss B M, Littke R (2014). Geological controls on the methane storage capacity in organic-rich shales. Int J Coal Geol, 123: 34–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Gensterblum Y, Merkel A, Busch A, Krooss B M (2013). High-pressure CH4 and CO2 sorption isotherms as a function of coal maturity and the influence of moisture. Int J Coal Geol, 118: 45–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu X, Mildner D F R, Cole D R, Rother G, Slingerland R, Brantley S L (2016). Quantification of organic porosity and water accessibility in Marcellus shale using neutron scattering. Energy Fuels, 30(6): 4438–4449

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo T L (2016). Key geological issues and main controls on accumulation and enrichment of Chinese shale gas. Pet Explor Dev, 43(3): 349–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Handwerger D A, Suarez-Rivera R, Vaughn K I, Keller J F (2011). Improved petrophysical core measurements on tight shale reservoirs using retort and crushed samples. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, October 2011, Denver, Colorado, USA

  • Hartman R C, Lasswell P, Bhatta N (2008). Recent advances in the analytical methods used for shale gas reservoir gas-in-place assessment. In: AAPG Annual Convention: San Antonio, TX

  • Hu Y N, Devegowda D, Sigal R (2016). A microscopic characterization of wettability in shale kerogen with varying maturity levels. J Nat Gas Sci Eng, 33: 1078–1086

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu Y N, Devegowda D, Striolo A, Van Phan A T, Ho T A, Civan F (2015). Microscopic dynamics of water and hydrocarbon in shalekerogen pores of potentially mixed wettability. SPE J, 20(1): 112–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Jia C Z, Zheng M, Zhang Y F (2012). Unconventional hydrocarbon resources in China and the prospect of exploration and development. Pet Explor Dev, 39(2): 139–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang S, Tang X L, Cai D S, Xue G, He Z L, Long S X, Peng Y M, Gao B, Xu Z Y, Dahdah N (2017). Comparison of marine, transitional, and lacustrine shales: a case study from the Sichuan Basin in China. J Petrol Sci Eng, 150: 334–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Korb J P, Nicot B, Louis-Joseph A, Bubici S, Ferrante G (2014). Dynamics and wettability of oil and water in oil shales. J Phys Chem C, 118(40): 23212–23218

    Google Scholar 

  • Lahn L, Bertier P, Seemann T, Stanjek H (2020). Distribution of sorbed water in the pore network of mudstones assessed from physisorption measurements. Microporous Mesoporous Mater, 295: 109902

    Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Li X F, Wang X Z, Li Y Y, Wu K L, Shi J T, Yang L, Feng D, Zhang T, Yu P L (2016). Water distribution characteristic and effect on methane adsorption capacity in shale clay. Int J Coal Geol, 159: 135–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Li X F, Wu K L, Feng D, Zhang T, Zhang Y F (2017). Thickness and stability of water film confined inside nanoslits and nanocapillaries of shale and clay. Int J Coal Geol, 179: 253–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Tang S H, Zhang S H, Li L, Wei J G, Xi Z D, Sun K (2018). Characterization of unconventional reservoirs and continuous accumulations of natural gas in the Carboniferous-Permian strata, mid-eastern Qinshui Basin, China. J Nat Gas Sci Eng, 49: 298–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang J T, Huang W H, Wang H L, Blum M J, Chen J, Wei X L, Yang G Q (2020). Organic geochemical and petrophysical characteristics of transitional coal-measure shale gas reservoirs and their relationships with sedimentary environments: a case study from the Carboniferous-Permian Qinshui Basin, China. J Petrol Sci Eng, 184: 106510

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang Q S, Zhang X, Tian J C, Sun X, Chang H L (2018). Geological and geochemical characteristics of marine-continental transitional shale from the Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation, Taikang Uplift, southern North China Basin. Mar Pet Geol, 98: 229–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu H L, Wang H Y (2013). Ultra-low water saturation characteristics and the identification of over-pressured play fairways of marine shales in south China. Nat Gas Ind, 33(7): 140–144 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu J C, Monson P A (2005). Does water condense in carbon pores? Langmuir, 21(22): 10219–10225

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu M (2016). Upper Paleozoic shale gas reservoiring features and resource potential assessment in Qinshui Basin. Coal Geol China, 28(12): 25–33 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Löhr S C, Baruch E T, Hall P A, Kennedy M J (2015). Is organic pore development in gas shales influenced by the primary porosity and structure of thermally immature organic matter? Org Geochem, 87: 119–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahadevan J, Sharma M, Yortsos Y C (2007). Water removal from porous media by gas injection: experiments and simulation. Transp Porous Media, 66(3): 287–309

    Google Scholar 

  • McCutcheon A L, Barton W A (1999). Contribution of mineral matter to water associated with bituminous coals. Energy Fuels, 13(1): 160–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Men X Y, Wang L X, Wang Y, Lou Y, Guo W (2021). Strategic pattern of China’s oil and gas exploration and development in the new era and prospects for 2035. China Petroleum Exploration, 26(3): 1–8 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Merkel A, Fink R, Littke R (2015). The role of pre-adsorbed water on methane sorption capacity of Bossier and Haynesville shales. Int J Coal Geol, 147–148: 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller M, Shanley K (2010). Petrophysics in tight gas reservoirs — key challenges still remain. The Leading Edge (Special Section): Tight gas sands, 1464–1469

  • Newsham K E, Rushing J A, Lasswell P M (2003). Use of vapor desorption data to characterize high vapillary pressures in a basin-centered gas accumulation with ultra-low water saturations. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, October 2003, Denver, Colorado

  • Odusina E, Sondergeld D C, Rai D C (2011). An NMR study on shale wettability. In: Canadian Unconventional Resources Conference, November 2011, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

  • Passey Q R, Bohacs K M, Esch W L, Klimentidis R, Sinha S (2010). From oil-prone source rock to gas-producing shale reservoir - geologic and petrophysical characterization of unconventional shale-gas reservoirs. In: SPE International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China, June 2010, Beijing, China

  • Qin Y, Liang J S, Shen J, Liu Y H, Wang C W (2014). Gas logging shows and gas reservoir types in tight sandstones and shales from Southern Qinshui Basin. J China Coal Soci, 39(8): 1559–1565 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ren Z L, Xiao H, Liu L, Zhang S, Qin Y, Wei C T (2005). The evidence of fission-track data for the study of tectonic thermal history in Qinshui Basin. Chin Sci Bull, 50(S1): 104–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross D J K, Bustin R M (2009). The importance of shale composition and pore structure upon gas storage potential of shale gas reservoirs. Mar Pet Geol, 26(6): 916–927

    Google Scholar 

  • Seemann T, Bertier P, Krooss B M, Stanjek H (2017). Water vapour sorption on mudrocks. Spec Publ Geol Soc Lond, 454(1): 201–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Sondergeld C H, Newsham K E, Comisky J T, Rice M C, Rai C S (2010). Petrophysical considerations in evaluating and producing shale gas resources. In: SPE Unconventional Gas Conference, February 23–25, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

  • Song Y, Ma X Z, Liu S B, Jiang L, Hong F, Qin Y (2019). Gas accumulation conditions and key exploration and development technologies in Qinshui coalbed methane field. Acta Petrol Sin, 40(5): 621–634 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Striolo A, Naicker P K, Chialvo A A, Cummings P T, Gubbins K E (2005). Simulated water adsorption isotherms in hydrophilic and hydrophobic plunger nanopores. Adsorption, 11(S1): 397–401

    Google Scholar 

  • Su X B, Lin X Y, Zhao M J, Song Y, Liu S B (2005). The Upper Paleozoic coalbed methane system in the Qinshui Basin, China. AAPG Bull, 89(1): 81–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Xiao X M, Wei Q, Cheng P, Tian H (2020b). Occurrence of irreducible water and its influences on gas-bearing property of gas shales from shallow Longmaxi Formation in the Xishui Area, Guizhou, southern China. Front Earth Sci, 9: 22966463

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Xiao X M, Wei Q, Cheng P, Tian H, Wu Y W (2020a). Gas in place and its controlling factors of the shallow Longmaxi shale in the Xishui area, Guizhou, China. J Nat Gas Sci Eng, 77: 103272

    Google Scholar 

  • Thommes M, Kaneko K, Neimark A V, Olivier J P, Rodriguez-Reinoso F, Rouquerol J, Sing K S W (2015). Physisorption of gases, with special reference to the evaluation of surface area and pore size distribution (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure Appl Chem, 87(9–10): 1051–1069

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian H, Pan L, Zhang T W, Xiao X M, Meng Z P, Huang B J (2015). Pore characterization of organic-rich Lower Cambrian shales in Qiannan Depression of Guizhou Province, southwestern China. Mar Pet Geol, 62: 28–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Wardlaw N C, McKellar M (1998). Wettability and connate water saturation in hydrocarbon reservoirs with bitumen deposits. J Nat Gas Sci Eng, 20: 141–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei Z H, Wei X F (2014). Comparison of gas-bearing property between different pore types of shales: a case from the Upper Ordovician Wufeng and Longmaxi formations in the Jiaoshiba area, Sichuan, China. Nat Gas Ind, 34(6): 37–41 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen H, Chen M, Jin Y, Zhang Y Y, Ge W F, Du J L, Zeng C (2015). Water activity characteristics of deep brittle shale from southwest China. Appl Clay Sci, 108: 165–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu K, Chen Z, Li J, Li X, Xu J, Dong X (2017). Wettability effect on nanoconfined water flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 114(13): 3358–3363

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu P, Aguilera R (2012). Investigation of gas shales at nanoscale using Scan Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy, and up-scaling to a petrophysical model for water saturation evaluation in shales. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, October 8–10, San Antonio, Texas, USA

  • Yang C, Zhang J C, Tang X, Ding J H, Zhao Q R, Dang W, Chen H Y, Su Y, Li B W, Lu D F (2017). Comparative study on micro-pore structure of marine, terrestrial, and transitional shales in key areas, China. Int J Coal Geol, 171: 76–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang R, Jia A Q, He S, Hu Q H, Dong T, Hou Y G, Yan J P (2020). Water adsorption characteristics of organic-rich Wufeng and Longmaxi Shales, Sichuan Basin (China). J Petrol Sci Eng, 193: 107387

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J C, Jiang S L, Tang X, Zhang P X, Tang Y, Jin T Y (2009). Accumulation types and resources characteristics of shale gas in China. Nat Gas Ind, 29: 109–114 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Chenevert M E, Al-Bazali T, Sharma M M (2004). A new gravimetric-swelling test for evaluating water and ion uptake in shales. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 26–29 September, Houston, Texas, USA

  • Zhang M, Fu X H, Zhang Q H, Cheng W P (2019a). Research on the organic geochemical and mineral composition properties and its influence on pore structure of coal-measure shales in Yushe-Wuxiang Block, south central Qinshui Basin, China. J Petrol Sci Eng, 173: 1065–1079

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q, Xiong X L, Pang Z L, Liu R H, Liang F, Liang P P, Guo W, Zhang J C (2019b). Composition effects on pore structure of transitional shale: a case study of the upper Carboniferous Taiyuan Formation in the eastern uplift of the Liaohe Depression, China. Mar Pet Geol, 110: 638–649

    Google Scholar 

  • Zolfaghari A, Dehghanpour H, Holyk J (2017). Water sorption behaviour of gas shales: I. role of clays. Int J Coal Geol, 179: 130–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Zou C N, Dong D Z, Wang Y M, Li X J, Huang J L, Wang S F, Guan Q Z, Zhang C C, Wang H Y, Liu H L, Bai W H, Liang F, Lin W, Zhao Q, Liu D X, Yang Z, Liang P P, Sun S S, Qiu Z (2016). Shale gas in China: characteristics, challenges and prospects (II). Pet Explor Dev, 43(2): 182–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Zou C N, Pan S Q, Jing Z H, Gao J L, Yang Z, Wu S T, Zhao Q (2020a). Shale oil and gas revolution and its impact. Acta Petrol Sin, 41(1): 1–11 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zou J, Rezaee R, Yuan Y J, Liu K Q, Xie Q, You L J (2020b). Distribution of adsorbed water in shale: an experimental study on isolated kerogen and bulk shale samples. J Petrol Sci Eng, 187: 106858

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U1810201 and 41925014), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 2021A1515011381). This is contribution No.IS-3341 from GIGCAS.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xianming Xiao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cheng, P., Xiao, X., Tian, H. et al. Water-bearing characteristics and their effects on the nanopores of overmature coal-measure shales in the Wuxiang area of the Qinshui Basin, north China. Front. Earth Sci. 17, 273–292 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-022-0988-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-022-0988-z

Keywords

Navigation