Geological features and exploration potential of shale oil in Jiuquan Basin, NW China

This paper systematically analyzes the reservoir-forming characteristics and cretaceous shale oil types in four major hydrocarbon-generating sags (Qingxi, Ying'er, Huahai, and Shida) of the Jiuquan Basin, based on the data of experiments for microscopic and geochemical analysis of reservoirs. The hydrothermal alteration-induced reservoir-forming model and its reservoir-controlling effect in the Qingxi Sag are discussed, and the exploration potential of shale oil in these four sags are evaluated. (1) The Qingxi Sag is widely developed with mud shale, dolomitic shale, and laminated argillaceous dolomite in the Cretaceous, which can be defined as mixed shale as a whole. The source rocks in this area are of good quality and high maturity, formed in a saline water sedimentary environment, and rich in dolomite, with a strong hydrocarbon generation capacity and excellent oil generation conditions. The reservoir space has been significantly modified by hydrothermal process, with well-developed dissolution pores and microfractures, recording favorable reservoir conditions for shale oil enrichment. Overall, this sag has large reservoir thickness and large resource volume, making it the most realistic shale oil exploration target in the Jiuquan Basin. However, it faces challenges such as great burial depth (deeper than 4 500 m) and strong tectonic stress. (2) The Ying'er, Huahai, and Shida sags all feature sand-mud interbeds consisting of fan delta front thin sandbodies and lacustrine mud shale in the Cretaceous, having good source rock quality and favorable conditions for interbedded-type shale oil accumulation. The source rocks are insufficient in thermal evolution degree and unevenly distributed, and favorable shale oil resources are mainly endowed near the center of the sags. Reservoirs are primarily composed of siltstone to fine sandstone, suggesting relatively good reservoir conditions, generally with small burial depth (3 000–4 000 m) and the possibility of local sweet spots. It is noted that the Ying'er Sag has already produced low-mature to mature oil, qualifying it as a near-term realistic shale oil exploration area.