Fracture characteristics from outcrops and its meaning to gas accumulation in the Jiyuan Basin, Henan Province, China

The target Oil-Shale Member (TOSM) in the Upper Triassic Tanzhuang Formation in the Jiyuan Basin is about 140 m thick and its burial depth is generally between 3,000 and 7,000 m. This paper presents a study of fractures in outcrop analogs for the TOSM based on outcrop observations and experimental measurements. The role of fractures in gas accumulation in the Jiyuan Basin was also analyzed. Also, a workflow used in building discrete fracture models based on the outcrop observed data is described. Results show that the average total organic carbon content and vitrinite reflectance of the oil shale are 4.13 and 1.33%, respectively, with the organic matter type dominated by sapropel-humics (II ), indicating high potential for shale gas generation. Fracture characteristics showing mostly vertical or intersect the bedding at high angles, and partially unfilled. The fracture lengths and widths range from a few centimeters to several hundred meters, and 0.05 to 0.5 cm, respectively, and the average linear fracture density is 6.3 m. In addition, the average brittle-mineral content of the oil shale is 53.7%, indicating that the oil shale in the TOSM has strong fracability. The hydrocarbon generation occurred twice in the TOSM. The primary reservoir formed by the first hydrocarbon generation was destroyed by fractures and tectonic uplift, and partial hydrocarbon migrated to the Paleogene along the second-phase fractures to form a secondary reservoir. The gas formed by the second hydrocarbon generation was mainly migrated into the fracture network of the TOSM.