Lithofacies and Source Rock Quality of Organic-Rich Shales in the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation, Songliao Basin, NE China

The organic-rich shale of the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn) is the most important target in the Songliao Basin. The relationship between lithofacies and source rock quality, however, is still controversial. Core observation, thin section identification, X-ray diffraction, organic geochemistry, and ot...

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Published in:Minerals (Basel) 2022-04, Vol.12 (4), p.465
Main Authors: Cai, Yi, Zhu, Rukai, Luo, Zhong, Wu, Songtao, Zhang, Tianshu, Liu, Chang, Zhang, Jingya, Wang, Yongchao, Meng, Siwei, Wang, Huajian, Zhang, Qian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon
Classification
Clay
Clay minerals
clay-rich shales
Cretaceous
Geochemistry
Hydrocarbons
lacustrine
Laminates
Lithofacies
Minerals
Oil and gas exploration
Oil exploration
Oil shale
Organic carbon
Petrology
Qingshankou Formation
Rocks
Sedimentary rocks
Shale
Shales
Songliao Basin
source rock quality
Total organic carbon
X-ray diffraction
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Summary:The organic-rich shale of the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn) is the most important target in the Songliao Basin. The relationship between lithofacies and source rock quality, however, is still controversial. Core observation, thin section identification, X-ray diffraction, organic geochemistry, and other analytical methods were adopted to investigate the petrology and its effects on hydrocarbon potential of the Qingshankou shale. Based on the differences in minerals, bioclastic, and fabric of laminae, four main lithofacies were defined as: (i) felsic shale (FS), (ii) clay shale (CS), (iii) bio-bearing shale (BS), and (iv) mixed shale (MS). The clay minerals content in the CS (average: 46.72 wt%) and MS (average: 41.11 wt%) was higher than that in FS (average: 39.97 wt%) and BS (average: 35.48 wt%). This classification allows the following comparative quantification of total organic carbon (TOC) content to be differentiated: CS > BS > MS > FS. Geochemical analysis indicated that the oil generation potential of the CS was the best, and the hydrocarbons generated from CS might migrate and accumulate in other lithofacies. All this knowledge could shed light on the lithofacies classification in shale systems with high clay mineral content, and may provide references for sweet spotting of the Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin.
ISSN:2075-163X
2075-163X
DOI:10.3390/min12040465