Multiple experimental studies of pore structure and mineral grain sizes of the Woodford shale in southern Oklahoma, USA

Pore structure study is an important part of unconventional shale reservoir characterization, since the pore system provides the primary petroleum storage space and fluid flow pathways. Previous studies have suggested that the pore structure is related to the total organic carbon (TOC) content, mineral compositions, and the maturity of the organic matter (OM). However, few studies have focused on the mineral grains, the primary grains being deposited but before cementation, which are the building blocks of shale. Eight Woodford Shale outcrop samples from southern Oklahoma were chosen to study the effects of mineral grain size on the pore structure characterization, using multiple and complementary experimental approaches, including laser diffraction, mineralogy, TOC, pyrolysis, liquid immersion porosimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry, gas physisorption, (ultra) small angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and spontaneous imbibition. The results from different experiments of eight samples show that the Woodford Shale has the mean mineral grain diameters at 3–6 μm, a wide range of porosity at 3–40% and pore diameters at 50–1,000 nm, and various pore connectivity. Grain size variation was probably caused by the sea-level fluctuation during its deposition, which affect the porosity, pore size distribution, and pore connectivity. With decreasing mineral grain sizes, the porosity tends to increase while the pore connectivity worsens. The results also indicate that OM and carbonates in this low-maturity Woodford Shale could block the pores and decrease the porosity. Coupling with the grain size analyses, the control of depositional environment on grain sizes and subsequent effects on pore structure is identified. The pore structure characteristics over a wide pore-diameter range provided by multiple experiments could improve the understanding of storage space and fluid flow in the Woodford Shale to further increase its petroleum production.

[1]  Q. Hu,et al.  Pore structure heterogeneity of Wufeng-Longmaxi shale, Sichuan Basin, China: Evidence from gas physisorption and multifractal geometries , 2022 .

[2]  J. Ilavsky,et al.  Spatial heterogeneity analyses of pore structure and mineral composition of Barnett Shale using X-ray scattering techniques , 2021, Marine and Petroleum Geology.

[3]  Jinbu Li,et al.  Shale pore connectivity and influencing factors based on spontaneous imbibition combined with a nuclear magnetic resonance experiment , 2021 .

[4]  Q. Hu,et al.  Microfracture-pore structure characterization and water-rock interaction in three lithofacies of the Lower Eagle Ford Formation , 2021 .

[5]  J. Dvorkin,et al.  Characterization of geochemical properties and factors controlling the pore structure development of shale gas reservoirs , 2021 .

[6]  Bingsong Yu,et al.  Characterization of Closed Pores in Longmaxi Shale by Synchrotron Small-Angle X-ray Scattering , 2021 .

[7]  M. Thommes,et al.  Characterization of Hierarchically Ordered Porous Materials by Physisorption and Mercury Porosimetry—A Tutorial Review , 2021, Advanced Materials Interfaces.

[8]  Juncheng Qiao,et al.  Insights into the pore structure and implications for fluid flow capacity of tight gas sandstone: A case study in the upper paleozoic of the Ordos Basin , 2020 .

[9]  T. Blach,et al.  Pore characterization of shales: A review of small angle scattering technique , 2020 .

[10]  Haijiao Fu,et al.  Multiscale connectivity characterization of marine shales in southern China by fluid intrusion, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and FIB-SEM , 2020 .

[11]  R. Philp,et al.  Geochemical characterization of the Devonian-Mississippian Woodford Shale from the McAlister Cemetery Quarry, Criner Hills Uplift, Ardmore Basin, Oklahoma , 2020 .

[12]  N. Harris,et al.  The effect of thermal maturity on porosity development in the Upper Devonian –Lower Mississippian Woodford Shale, Permian Basin, US: Insights into the role of silica nanospheres and microcrystalline quartz on porosity preservation , 2020 .

[13]  H. Zhang,et al.  Oil physical status in lacustrine shale reservoirs – A case study on Eocene Shahejie Formation shales, Dongying Depression, East China , 2019 .

[14]  S. Kaliaguine,et al.  Experimental methods in chemical engineering: specific surface area and pore size distribution measurements—BET, BJH, and DFT , 2019, The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering.

[15]  Shingo Nakamura,et al.  Preparation and Application of Bioshell Calcium Oxide (BiSCaO) Nanoparticle-Dispersions with Bactericidal Activity , 2019, Molecules.

[16]  Zhengxian Yang,et al.  Ink-bottle Effect and Pore Size Distribution of Cementitious Materials Identified by Pressurization–Depressurization Cycling Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry , 2019, Materials.

[17]  Shenghe Wu,et al.  An investigation into pore structure and petrophysical property in tight sandstones: A case of the Yanchang Formation in the southern Ordos Basin, China , 2018, Marine and Petroleum Geology.

[18]  L. Levine,et al.  Development of combined microstructure and structure characterization facility for in situ and operando studies at the Advanced Photon Source. , 2018, Journal of applied crystallography.

[19]  C. Sondergeld,et al.  Relative Permeability and Production-Performance Estimations for Bakken, Wolfcamp, Eagle Ford, and Woodford Shale Formations , 2018 .

[20]  Hong Liu,et al.  Pore structure, wettability, and spontaneous imbibition of Woodford Shale, Permian Basin, West Texas , 2018 .

[21]  Y. Melnichenko,et al.  Pore structure characterization of organic-rich Niutitang shale from China: Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) study , 2018 .

[22]  Manouchehr Haghighi,et al.  Investigation of pore size distributions of coals with different structures by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) , 2018 .

[23]  S. Hamamoto,et al.  USING MULTICYCLE MERCURY INTRUSION POROSIMETRY TO INVESTIGATE HYSTERESIS PHENOMENON OF DIFFERENT POROUS MEDIA , 2018 .

[24]  Ifunanya C. Ekwunife.  ASSESSING MUDROCK CHARACTERISTICS, HIGH-RESOLUTION CHEMOSTRATIGRAPHY, AND SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE WOODFORD SHALE IN THE MCALISTER CEMETERY QUARRY, ARDMORE BASIN, OKLAHOMA , 2017 .

[25]  Xianghao Meng,et al.  Characterization of micro-nano pore networks in shale oil reservoirs of Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Dongying Sag of Bohai Bay Basin, East China , 2017 .

[26]  Hongbin Zhan,et al.  Pore structure characterization of Chang-7 tight sandstone using MICP combined with N2GA techniques and its geological control factors , 2016, Scientific Reports.

[27]  Pengfei Wang,et al.  Pore structure characterization for the Longmaxi and Niutitang shales in the Upper Yangtze Platform, South China: Evidence from focused ion beam–He ion microscopy, nano-computerized tomography and gas adsorption analysis , 2016 .

[28]  Pengfei Wang,et al.  Effect of Organic Matter and Maturity on Pore Size Distribution and Gas Storage Capacity in High-Mature to Post-Mature Shales , 2016 .

[29]  Andrew J. Senesi,et al.  Small Angle X-ray Scattering for Nanoparticle Research. , 2016, Chemical reviews.

[30]  Xiaolin Zhu,et al.  Investigation of the factors that control the development of pore structure in lacustrine shale: A case study of block X in the Ordos Basin, China , 2015 .

[31]  A. Khabbazi,et al.  Analytical tortuosity-porosity correlations for Sierpinski carpet fractal geometries , 2015 .

[32]  M. Onyekonwu,et al.  Effect of Grain Size on Porosity Revisited , 2015 .

[33]  J. P. Olivier,et al.  Physisorption of gases, with special reference to the evaluation of surface area and pore size distribution (IUPAC Technical Report) , 2015 .

[34]  A. Pomerantz,et al.  Evolution of Kerogen and Bitumen during Thermal Maturation via Semi-Open Pyrolysis Investigated by Infrared Spectroscopy , 2015 .

[35]  M. Pope,et al.  Importance of depositional texture in pore characterization of subsalt microbialite carbonates, offshore Brazil , 2015 .

[36]  Zhiguang Song,et al.  A comparative study of the specific surface area and pore structure of different shales and their kerogens , 2015, Science China Earth Sciences.

[37]  Jaclyn D. Wiggins-Camacho,et al.  Experimental investigation of changes in methane adsorption of bitumen-free Woodford Shale with thermal maturation induced by hydrous pyrolysis , 2015 .

[38]  A. Schimmelmann,et al.  Influence of Soxhlet-extractable bitumen and oil on porosity in thermally maturing organic-rich shales , 2014 .

[39]  A. Derkowski,et al.  Total porosity measurement in gas shales by the water immersion porosimetry (WIP) method , 2014 .

[40]  R. Loucks,et al.  Scanning-Electron-Microscope Petrographic Evidence for Distinguishing Organic-Matter Pores Associated with Depositional Organic Matter versus Migrated Organic Matter in Mudrock , 2014 .

[41]  Q. Hu,et al.  Estimating permeability using median pore-throat radius obtained from mercury intrusion porosimetry , 2013 .

[42]  Christopher R. Clarkson,et al.  Pore structure characterization of North American shale gas reservoirs using USANS/SANS, gas adsorption, and mercury intrusion , 2013 .

[43]  B. Cardott.  Thermal maturity of Woodford Shale gas and oil plays, Oklahoma, USA , 2012 .

[44]  M. Curtis,et al.  Development of organic porosity in the Woodford Shale with increasing thermal maturity , 2012 .

[45]  Stephen C. Ruppel,et al.  Spectrum of pore types and networks in mudrocks and a descriptive classification for matrix-related mudrock pores , 2012 .

[46]  Robert P. Ewing,et al.  Low pore connectivity in natural rock. , 2012, Journal of contaminant hydrology.

[47]  R. Philp,et al.  Organic geochemistry of the Woodford Shale, southeastern Oklahoma: How variable can shales be? , 2012 .

[48]  R. Slatt,et al.  Geological Characterization Of The Woodford Shale, McAlester Cemetery Quarry, Oklahoma , 2012 .

[49]  R. Slatt,et al.  Pore types in the Barnett and Woodford gas shales: Contribution to understanding gas storage and migration pathways in fine-grained rocks , 2011 .

[50]  M. Thommes.  Physical Adsorption Characterization of Nanoporous Materials , 2010 .

[51]  M. Curtis,et al.  Structural Characterization of Gas Shales on the Micro- and Nano-Scales , 2010 .

[52]  Pete R. Jemian,et al.  Irena: tool suite for modeling and analysis of small‐angle scattering , 2009 .

[53]  M. Parker,et al.  Haynesville Shale-Petrophysical Evaluation , 2009 .

[54]  G. Eberli,et al.  Porosity–permeability relationships in Miocene carbonate platforms and slopes seaward of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (ODP Leg 194, Marion Plateau) , 2006 .

[55]  H. Giesche,et al.  Mercury Porosimetry: A General (Practical) Overview , 2006 .

[56]  Joan E. Shields,et al.  Characterization of Porous Solids and Powders: Surface Area, Pore Size and Density , 2006 .

[57]  M. Emadi,et al.  Sequence stratigraphically controlled diagenesis governs reservoir quality in the carbonate Dehluran Field, southwest Iran , 2006, Petroleum Geoscience.

[58]  O. Catuneanu.  Principles of sequence stratigraphy , 2006 .

[59]  S.P.E. Forsmo,et al.  The determination of porosity in iron ore green pellets by packing in silica sand , 2005 .

[60]  Adnan Aydin,et al.  A Comparative Study of Particle Size Analyses by Sieve-Hydrometer and Laser Diffraction Methods , 2002 .

[61]  A. Neimark,et al.  Experimental Confirmation of Different Mechanisms of Evaporation from Ink-Bottle Type Pores: Equilibrium, Pore Blocking, and Cavitation , 2002 .

[62]  J. Comer.  Stratigraphic Analysis of the Upper Devonian Woodford Formation , Permian Basin , West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico , 2002 .

[63]  Dirk Penner,et al.  Influence of anions on the rheological properties of clay mineral dispersions , 2001 .

[64]  Peter Persoff,et al.  Laboratory measurement of water imbibition into low-permeability welded tuff , 2001 .

[65]  A. C. Edwards.  Grain Size and Sorting in Modern Beach Sands , 2001 .

[66]  V. Petersell,et al.  GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS AND MINERALOGY OF THE TREMADOCIAN DICTYONEMA SHALE IN ESTONIA , 2001, Gorûcie slancy.

[67]  Brian Scarlett,et al.  New developments in particle characterization by laser diffraction: size and shape , 2000 .

[68]  P. Müller.  Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994) , 1994 .

[69]  W. Huff.  X-ray Diffraction and the Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals , 1990 .

[70]  J. Granath.  Structural evolution of the Ardmore Basin, Oklahoma: Progressive deformation in the foreland of the Ouachita Collision , 1989 .

[71]  Thompson,et al.  Quantitative prediction of permeability in porous rock. , 1986, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[72]  I. N. McCave,et al.  Evaluation of a Laser-Diffraction-Size Analyzer for Use with Natural Sediments: RESEARCH METHOD PAPER , 1986 .

[73]  David F. R. Mildner,et al.  Small‐angle scattering studies of the pore spaces of shaly rocks , 1986 .

[74]  R. Philp.  Petroleum Formation and Occurrence , 1985 .

[75]  Y. Tsang,et al.  The Effect of Tortuosity on Fluid Flow Through a Single Fracture , 1984 .

[76]  A. Baiker,et al.  Contact angle of mercury against catalyst materials for use in intrusion porosimetry , 1982 .

[77]  N. Wardlaw,et al.  Mercury porosimetry and the interpretation of pore geometry in sedimentary rocks and artificial models , 1981 .

[78]  R. M. Kirk,et al.  Relationships between grain size, size-sorting, and foreshore slope on mixed sand - shingle beaches , 1969 .

[79]  V. L. Freeman.  Contact of Boquillas Flags and Austin Chalk in Val Verde and Terrell Counties, Texas: GEOLOGICAL NOTES , 1961 .

[80]  J. Philip,et al.  THE THEORY OF INFILTRATION: 4. SORPTIVITY AND ALGEBRAIC INFILTRATION EQUATIONS , 1957 .

[81]  E. Barrett,et al.  (CONTRIBUTION FROM THE MULTIPLE FELLOWSHIP OF BAUGH AND SONS COMPANY, MELLOX INSTITUTE) The Determination of Pore Volume and Area Distributions in Porous Substances. I. Computations from Nitrogen Isotherms , 1951 .

[82]  G. Kocurek.  The Petrology of the Sedimentary Rocks , 1938, Nature.

[83]  E. Teller,et al.  ADSORPTION OF GASES IN MULTIMOLECULAR LAYERS , 1938 .

[84]  E. W. Washburn.  Note on a Method of Determining the Distribution of Pore Sizes in a Porous Material. , 1921, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.