Suggestions from the development of fractured shale gas in North America

作者：Cheng Ke-ming · 发表于：Petroleum Exploration and Development · 年份：2007 · 被引用次数：76 · 研究领域：Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis、Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir Analysis、Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques

The history of exploration and production in North America shows that shale gas is a realistic alternative energy.As an unconventional resource,its critical risk is whether the low permeability shale produces gas economically.Source rocks could be good reservoirs for gas if they had rich organic material and abundant silica which makes the shale more brittle.The complex production mechanism involves the relationships between absorbed and free gases and between natural and induced fractures.To enhance the permeability by artificial hydraulic fracturing is a key step for shale reservoirs on the basis of the evaluation of geology,geochemistry,wire line and seismic data.Many fractured reservoirs in China have been discovered in extensive fine-clastic source rocks from marine and lacustrine environments,with carbonaceous/calcareous mudstone or siliceous shale.The undiscovered resources within effective shale reservoirs would be significant,especially the resources due to the secondary thermogenic cracking of oil to gas at high maturity.