Study of the Pore Structure and Fractal Characteristics of the Leping Formation Shale in the Junlian Block, Southern Sichuan Basin

The pore structure
of shale is a key factor affecting
the occurrence
and flow of shale gas, and fractal dimensions can be used to quantitatively
describe the complexity of the shale pore structure. In this study,
the Leping Formation shale in the Junlian block of the southern Sichuan
Basin was investigated. The pore structure characteristics of this
shale were examined via low-pressure CO2 adsorption (LP-CO2A) and low-temperature N2 adsorption (LT-N2A) methods via field emission scanning electron microscopy
(FE-SEM), shale geochemistry, and mineral composition analysis. Pore
fractal dimensions were calculated via the Frenkel–Halsey–Hill
(FHH) model, and the relationships among the fractal dimensions, shale
composition (total organic carbon (TOC), quartz, and clay mineral
contents), and pore structure were discussed. The results revealed
that the TOC contents of the Leping Formation shale in the study area
were high and ranged from 0.9% to 4.48%, with an average of 2.25%.
The quartz contents were 17.2% to 60.1%, and the clay mineral contents
were 33.8% to 67.2%. On the basis of the FE-SEM and N2 adsorption–desorption
curve analyses, the pore types of the Leping Formation shale were
complex and significantly variable in terms of the scale and development
of organic pores, intragranular pores, and microfractures. The pore
morphologies were mostly narrow slit-type flat pores and four-sided
open or cone-type flat pores. The pore size distribution exhibited
a multimodal pattern. The pore type was mainly mesopores, followed
by micropores and minimal macropores. The specific surface area (SSA)
of micropores accounted for more than 78% of the total SSA. The fractal
dimension D1 of the shale ranged from
2.262 to 2.618 (with a mean of 2.519), and the fractal dimension D2 ranged from 2.662 to 2.843 (with a mean of
2.739). D2 was greater than D1, indicating that the internal structure of the pores
was significantly more complex than that of the surface. The TOC and
clay mineral contents were positively correlated with the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller
(BET) SSA and the Barret–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) PV, whereas
the quartz content was negatively correlated with the BET SSA and
BJH PV. The considered fractal dimensions were positively correlated
with the TOC content, clay mineral content, BET SSA, and BJH PV but
negatively correlated with the quartz content and average pore diameter.
The complexity and heterogeneity of the pore structure of the studied
shale were quantitatively evaluated through fractal dimension analysis;
thus, this approach can be applied in studies of the characteristics
of the shale pore structure distribution and reservoir evaluation.