Chemical and Geological Properties of Shale Gas: In Situ Desorption of Lower Cambrian Niutitang Shale in the Micangshan Tectonic Zone of South Shaanxi, China

Shale gas was recently found in the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation (LCNF) of the Micangshan tectonic zone of south Shaanxi (MTZSS), but not in commercial quantities. To determine the laws governing the generation, enrichment, and desorption of shale gases in overmatured shale strata in the LCNF of MTZSS, we carried out in situ desorption experiments on nine shale core samples and got 168 desorbed gas samples at different phases of desorption. Also measured were the chemical and carbon isotopic compositions of these desorbed gas samples and the geochemical parameters of the shale core samples. CH4 was the predominant hydrocarbon shale gas identified in the 82.06-98.48% range, suggesting that the gases were mainly dry. The nonhydrocarbon gases found were CO2 and H-2. The CH4 content of the desorbed gas samples dropped continuously during desorption, lowering the dryness index to 98.48 and 92.26% of the first and last desorbed shale gas, respectively. The change in the gas ratio during shale gas desorption proved that the adsorbability of the LCNF to the various gases follows the trend H-2 > CO2 > C2H6 > CH4 > He. Further, delta(C2H6)-C-13 and delta(CH4)-C-13 become heavier during desorption, showing isotopic fractionation arising from the desorption-diffusion coeffect. As the desorption temperature increases, the value of delta(CH4)-C-13 increases because (CH4)-C-12 is more sensitive to temperature than (CH4)-C-13, so it is with the ethane. Similar to the LCNF shale gas in other areas of China, the desorbed shale gases are characteristic of carbon isotope reversal (CIR) (delta(CH4)-C-13 > delta(C2H6)-C-13). The cracking of the residual soluble organic matter at the high overmaturity stage mixed with the cracking of kerogen at the early stage of maturation, causing CIR. Furthermore, the desorbed gas content was proportionally and inversely related to the CIR degree and final dryness index of the desorbed gas, respectively. Moreover, the carbon isotope fractionation degree of CH4 and delta C-13(1) of the last desorbed gas correlated positively with the desorbed gas content and the desorbed time of the gas. In conclusion, the four parameters are effective parameters for identifying shale gas sweet spots.