This study performs a comprehensive comparison of three key marine shale reservoirs in the southeastern margin of the Sichuan Basin, and explains why commercial gas production was only achieved in the Lower Silurian Longmaxi (LSL) and Upper Ordovician Wufeng (UOW) formations, but not in the Lower Cambrian Niutitang (LCN) formation. The experimental methods included in situ gas content and gas c...

A big challenge in studying organic rich shale is to predict its kerogen content and maturity from indirect observations. Kerogen maturation changes shale texture; for example, it generates microcracks and fractures in the matrix. Assessment of maturity from indirect measurements can be greatly enhanced by exploiting any existing correlations between physical properties, microstructure, and ker...

The organopores play an important role in determining total volume of hydrocarbons in shale gas reservoir. The Lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale in southeast Chongqing was selected as a case to confirm the contribution of organopores (microscale and nanoscale pores within organic matters in shale) formed by hydrocarbon generation to total volume of hydrocarbons in shale gas reservoir. Using the mat...

The association of coal and oil shale had been a hot topic for a long time. Various types of association of coal and oil shale can be found in one basin, for instance, the coal can act as the roof or floor or interlayer of the oil shale, etc. The most crucial factor for the formation of oil shale is stratification and seasonal blooming of lower plankton, while the final formation of the coal st...

A characterization study was performed on the spent oil shale (oil shale ash) obtained from the combustion of Jordanian oil shale. This characterization utilized different analytical techniques. These include scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrum analysis, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction and Qemscan. During the combustion process, minimal fragmentation was encounter...

Shale-gas production using hydraulic fracturing of mostly horizontal wells has led to considerable controversy over water-resource and environmental impacts. The study objective was to quantify net water use for shale-gas production using data from Texas, which is the dominant producer of shale gas in the U.S. with a focus on three major plays: the Barnett Shale (~15,000 wells, mid-2011), Texas...

The two methods of processing synthetic crude from organic marlstone in demonstration or small-scale commercial status in the U.S. are in situ extraction and surface retorting. The considerable uncertainty surrounding the technological characterization, resource characterization, and choice of the system boundary for oil shale operations indicate that oil shale is only a minor net energy produc...

Several series of chronic experiments in white mice and white rats were carried out in order to determine the carcinogenicity of Estonian oil shale soot as well as the soot from oil shale fuel oil. All the investigated samples of soot showed a relatively low (from 14 to 1200 ppm) benzo(a)pyrene content. The benzene extract of oil shale soot, painted on the skin of white mice, proved to be stron...

Oil shale is a kind of potential alternative energy source for petroleum and has attracted the attention of energy researchers all over the world. Borehole hydraulic mining has more prominent advantages than both conventional open-pit mining and underground mining. It is very important to attempt to use the borehole hydraulic mining method to exploit underground oil shale. The nozzle is the key...

Unconventional shale reservoirs as the result of extremely low matrix permeability, higher potential gas productivity requires not only sufficient gas-in-place, but also a high concentration of brittle minerals (silica and/or carbonate) that is amenable to hydraulic fracturing. Shale lithofacies is primarily defined by mineral composition and organic matter richness, and its representation as a...