Microscopic characteristics of shale oil reservoirs in Shahejie Formation in Zhanhua Sag, Bohai Bay Basin

The microscopic pore characteristics of shale oil reservoirs are important basic data for exploration and development. Eighteen core samples were collected from the third member of Shahejie Formation (Es₃) in well Luo 69 in the Zhanhua Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, and were analyzed using argon-ion polishing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to discuss the pore development characteristics of shale oil reservoirs. The shale oil layer in Es₃ showed a transitional lithology of mudstone and limestone, dominated by limy mudstone, argillaceous limestone and mud bearing limestone, with minor thin layers of limestone. Argillaceous inter-particle pores, carbonate dissolved pores, inter-crystal pores and intra-crystal pores are the main pore types of the shale oil layer. Argillaceous pores provided most of reservoir pores of the shale oil layer. Most of the plane porosity was argillaceous inter-particle pores, while calcite dissolved pores made a smaller contribution and inter-crystal pores and intra-crystal pores were less important. The pore diameters of shale oil reservoirs were classed as nano scale and micron scale, and the nano scale pores have an absolute dominance quantitatively. The reservoir pore area was mainly provided by non-dominant micro-scale pores, which should be focused on in shale oil exploration.