A comprehensive evaluation index for shale reservoirs and its application: A case study of the Ordovician Wufeng Formation to Silurian Longmaxi Formation in southeastern margin of Sichuan Basin, SW China

Abstract

Aiming at the disadvantages of existing shale reservoir evaluation methods, a new comprehensive index was proposed to accurately predict the distribution of high quality shale reservoirs and favorable fracturing intervals. The comprehensive index can be calculated using the physical properties index and fracturing index by the equivalent method. Computed by logging rock-electric parameters and mineral bulk physical model, the physical properties index characterizes reservoir property and gas-bearing property; the fracturing index characterizes reservoir fracability and is acquired by equivalent porous medium model considering mineral components. According to the comprehensive index, combined with the macro-micro characteristics of cores and logging data, the shale reservoirs in the Ordovician Wufeng Formation to Silurian Longmaxi Formation of Jiaoshiba area in the southeastern margin of Sichuan Basin are subdivided into four types, the high terrigenous siliceous and high authigenic siliceous types are the best in reservoir property and fracability, followed by the middle siliceous and then low siliceous. The comprehensive index can be used to interpret the logging data of horizontal well to figure out the proportion of reservoirs of different types, identify the spatial distribution of reservoirs with good physical properties and good fracability. The predicted results match well with actual production after fracturing. Key words: comprehensive evaluation index, physical properties index, fracturing index, shale reservoir, gas-bearing property, fracability, siliceous shale, Jiaoshiba shale gas, Sichuan Basin