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Petrography, Sedimentology, and Geochemical Signatures of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in...
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Petrography, Sedimentology, and Geochemical Signatures of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in Deep-Water Environments

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 3416

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Junwen Peng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Oklahoma Geological Survey, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Interests: shale sedimentology; shale petrography; sedimentary geochemistry
Prof. Dr. Xiongqi Pang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Interests: petroleum geology; unconventional hydrocarbon resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fine-grained sedimentary rocks are defined as sedimentary rocks where at least 50% of the grains are smaller than 62.5 µm. Fine-grained sedimentary rocks are particularly valuable because they contain most of the energy reserves and mineral resources that are vital to our modern society. Moreover, these rocks comprise approximately two-thirds of the stratigraphic record and have significant implications for global paleoclimate and paleoceanography reconstruction. Despite global economic and scientific significance, geologists still lack a fundamental understanding of the sediment transportation processes, deposition mechanisms, petrographic characteristics and geochemical signatures of these rocks. This Special Issue aims to contribute to the disclosure of all the recent research findings and applications of new techniques in the petrography, sedimentology and geochemical signatures of fine-grained sedimentary rocks.

Dr. Junwen Peng
Prof. Dr. Xiongqi Pang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mudstone
  • shale
  • pelagic deposits
  • organic matter
  • trace elements
  • unconventional hydrocarbon resources

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 10437 KiB  
Article
Lithofacies Characteristics of Continental Lacustrine Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks and Their Coupling Relationship with Sedimentary Environments: Insights from the Shahejie Formation, Dongying Sag
by Hao Guo, Juye Shi, Shaopeng Fu, Zitong Liu, Linhong Cai and Siyuan Yin
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050479 (registering DOI) - 30 Apr 2024
Viewed by 184
Abstract
Lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the Dongying Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin in China exhibit significant potential for hydrocarbon exploration. This study investigates the lithofacies types and sedimentary evolution of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation’s lower third member (Es3l) and upper fourth member [...] Read more.
Lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the Dongying Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin in China exhibit significant potential for hydrocarbon exploration. This study investigates the lithofacies types and sedimentary evolution of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation’s lower third member (Es3l) and upper fourth member (Es4u), integrating petrological and geochemical analyses to explore the relationship between lithofacies characteristics and sedimentary environments. The results show that the fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the study area can be classified into 18 lithofacies, with seven principal ones, including organic-rich laminated carbonate fine-grained mixed sedimentary rock lithofacies and organic-rich laminated limestone lithofacies. In conjunction with analyses of vertical changes in geochemical proxies such as paleoclimate (e.g., CIA, Na/Al), paleoproductivity (e.g., Ba), paleosalinity (e.g., Sr/Ba), paleo-redox conditions (e.g., V/Sc, V/V + Ni), and terrigenous detrital influx (e.g., Al, Ti), five stages are delineated from bottom to top. These stages demonstrate a general transition from an arid to humid paleoclimate, a steady increase in paleoproductivity, a gradual decrease in paleosalinity, an overall reducing water body environment, and an increasing trend of terrestrial detrital input. This study demonstrates that the abundance of organic matter is primarily influenced by paleoproductivity and paleo-redox conditions. The variations in rock components are predominantly influenced by paleoclimate, and sedimentary structures are affected by the depth of the lake basin. Special depositional events, such as storm events in Stage II, have significantly impacted the abundance of organic matter, rock components, and sedimentary structures by disturbing the water column and disrupting the reducing conditions at the lake bottom. The present study offers crucial insights into the genesis mechanisms of continental lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks, facilitates the prediction of lithofacies distribution, and advances the exploration of China’s shale oil resources in lacustrine environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petrography, Sedimentology, and Geochemical Signatures of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in Deep-Water Environments)
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24 pages, 20697 KiB  
Article
Pore Structure and Fractal Characteristics of the Middle and Upper Permian Dalong and Gufeng Shale Reservoirs, Western Hubei Province, South China
by Yi Wang, Yanlin Zhang, Tian Dong, Ke Duan, Jianhang Wen, Hao Zhang, Tong Xie and Fan Luo
Minerals 2024, 14(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010010 - 20 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 713
Abstract
The Middle and Upper Permian Dalong and Gufeng Formations in South China have recently been considered as potential gas-producing shales. However, their pore structure characteristics remain poorly understood. To investigate the pore structure and fractal characteristics of the pores in these two formations, [...] Read more.
The Middle and Upper Permian Dalong and Gufeng Formations in South China have recently been considered as potential gas-producing shales. However, their pore structure characteristics remain poorly understood. To investigate the pore structure and fractal characteristics of the pores in these two formations, a suite of shale samples from the Dalong and Gufeng Formations in the western Hubei Province, South China were analyzed by multiple techniques, namely, TOC content, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy analysis, optical microscopy observations, major elemental analysis, field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and low-pressure gas adsorption measurements (N2 and CO2). The identified major shale lithofacies include siliceous mudstone, carbonaceous mudstone, argillaceous-siliceous mixed mudstone, and calcareous-siliceous mixed mudstone. SEM images show that the dominant pore types include the pores between brittle minerals, slit-shaped pores between clay sheets, and secondary organic matter (OM) pores within solid bitumen. The pore size distribution is dominated by micropores and mesopores (<30 nm), which are the major contributors to total pore volume and surface area for the Dalong and Gufeng Formations. Based on the Frenkel–Halsey–Hill (FHH) method, fractal dimensions (D1, D2) calculated from the nitrogen adsorption data have a range of from 2.489 to 2.772 (D1) and from 2.658 to 2.963 (D2), and are higher in the Gufeng Formation (average TOC = 8.3 wt.%) due to a higher TOC content comparing to the Dalong Formation (average TOC = 6.2 wt.%). The pore development and fractal characteristics are primarily controlled by organic matter (OM), carbonate minerals, and clay minerals for both the Dalong and Gufeng Formations. Shale samples with high TOC content, low carbonate content, and high clay content tend to develop more heterogeneous micropores and mesopores, which is ascribed to the generation of clay-related and OM-hosted pores, along with the destruction of primary pores by pore-filling carbonate cements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petrography, Sedimentology, and Geochemical Signatures of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in Deep-Water Environments)
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26 pages, 61394 KiB  
Article
Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Pores in Different Shale Lithofacies Reservoirs of Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation, Southwestern Sichuan Basin, China
by Yuqi Wang, Dongxia Chen, Yuchao Wang, Wenzhi Lei and Fuwei Wang
Minerals 2023, 13(11), 1442; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13111442 - 15 Nov 2023
Viewed by 761
Abstract
The shale reservoirs of the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation are widely distributed in the Sichuan Basin and have abundant gas resources. However, the shale lithofacies of the Qiongzhusi Formation are complex due to frequent sea level changes. The reservoir pore structure characteristics and [...] Read more.
The shale reservoirs of the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation are widely distributed in the Sichuan Basin and have abundant gas resources. However, the shale lithofacies of the Qiongzhusi Formation are complex due to frequent sea level changes. The reservoir pore structure characteristics and gas content of different shale lithofacies vary significantly, which makes identifying the ‘sweet spot’ a challenging task. In this study, core observation and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the lithofacies types and characteristics of the study area. The pore types of different shale lithofacies were observed using field emission-scanning electron microscopy. Pore structures were studied using low-temperature gas (including N2 and CO2) physisorption, and the pore volume (PV), specific surface area (SSA) and pore structure were systematically characterized. The primary factors influencing pore formation in different types of shale lithofacies were analyzed by combining geochemical experiments and mineral contents. The results indicate that the lithofacies of the Qiongzhusi Formation shale in the study area can be classified into five categories according to mineral compositions: Siliceous argillaceous shale (CM-1), Argillaceous siliceous mixed shale (M-2), Argillaceous siliceous shale (S-3), Siliceous rock (S) and Calcareous siliceous shale (S-2). Pores are abundant in S-3 shale, M-2 shale and CM-1 shale. The S-3 shale is more enriched in organic pores and clay mineral pores compared to other lithofacies shales, and the pore morphology is mainly wedge-shaped and plate-like. M-2 shale and CM-1 shale are rich in clay minerals and mainly develop clay mineral pores and are mainly wedge-shaped and plate-like. The S shale and S-2 shale mainly develop interparticle pores and clay mineral pores, which are mainly slit-like. The results show that TOC, pyrite content, quartz and feldspar mineral content, clay mineral type and content affect the pore structure in the study area. Quartz and feldspar content have a negative effect on micropore and mesopore volumes. TOCs have a weak positive correlation with micropore volume and micropore SSA. Clay mineral content has significant positive effects on the PV and SSA of micropores and mesopores, indicating that clay mineral content is the main factor affecting the pore structure of shale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petrography, Sedimentology, and Geochemical Signatures of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in Deep-Water Environments)
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25 pages, 21240 KiB  
Article
A Data-Driven Approach to the Unified Evaluation of Conventional and Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources: Application to Low-Mature to Mature Source Rocks in the Liaohe Western Depression
by Shasha Hui, Xiongqi Pang, Hong Pang, Changrong Li, Xiaolong Zhou, Tao Hu, Kanyuan Shi, Min Li, Shuxing Mei, Wu Yuan and Jianping Cheng
Minerals 2023, 13(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13030390 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1091
Abstract
Hydrocarbon potential evaluation is a high priority in oil/gas exploration which is significantly influenced by evaluation methods and subjective cognition. With the aim of quantitatively establishing a hydrocarbon generation and expulsion (HGE) model of source rocks, a data-driven approach is proposed based on [...] Read more.
Hydrocarbon potential evaluation is a high priority in oil/gas exploration which is significantly influenced by evaluation methods and subjective cognition. With the aim of quantitatively establishing a hydrocarbon generation and expulsion (HGE) model of source rocks, a data-driven approach is proposed based on abundant and readily available Rock-Eval/total organic carbon content (TOC)/vitrinite reflectance (VRo) datasets. This approach takes into account the original hydrocarbon generation potential (GPIo) and the loss of TOC. Hydrocarbon generation simulation was also adopted in this study. This data-driven method was applied to the Lower Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Es4), which has three sets of superior source rocks (average thickness > 250 m, TOC > 3%). The GPIo of the Es4 low-maturity source rock was 600 mg HC/g TOC. The initial maturity values of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion were 0.36% and 0.46%, respectively. The Gaosheng sub-member of the Es4 source rock had the largest amount of hydrocarbon generation but a limited amount of hydrocarbon expulsion, implying a favorable exploration of shale oil resources. By contrast, the values of the conventional, unconventional tight, and shale oil resource potentials of the Niuxintuo sub-member were 3.20 × 107, 7.70 × 107, and 5.93 × 108 t, respectively, indicating good prospects for tight oil and shale oil exploration. A comparison between the previous method and the data-driven method showed considerable differences in the restoration of GPIo and TOC, and both had their own limitations. This data-driven approach provides a quick and valid source rock evaluation method and can greatly enhance the accuracy of resource assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petrography, Sedimentology, and Geochemical Signatures of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks in Deep-Water Environments)
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