Exploration activities
revealed that high-efficient sealings of
the roof and floor for the Wufeng-Longmaxi (WF-LM) gas-bearing shales
were the indispensable conditions for shale gas preservation and enrichment
in the Sichuan Basin. However, little attention has been paid to their
sealing mechanism and sealing model. In this paper, systematic core
samplings (Ning-A and YY-B) and a series of supporting experiments
(geochemical and rock components analysis, physical properties measurements,
pore structure characterization, and sealing capacity tests) were
carried out for further analyses and discussion. Results show that
the roof and floor have four-level vertical sealing capacities for
the WF-LM shale gas, where the direct roof is the argillaceous shale
and silty shale of the LM1–2 and LM1–3 members (the
middle and upper members of the first part of the Longmaxi Formation)
and the floor is the nodular limestone of the Linxiang Formation (LX
Fm.). Heterogeneous lithofacies and steady thickness of the roof and
floor lead to strong lithologic sealing capacities. The roof and floor
are characterized by higher density and water saturation, lower porosity
and permeability, lower pore volumes, and poor pore connectivity,
resulting in developing larger capillary pressure at the interface
and thereby forming strong petrophysical sealing capacities. Based
on the sealing model, the great sealing capacities are attributed
to the well-developed laminar fabrics, lower TOC content, less (organic
matter) OM-related pores, and the compacted clay mineral fragments
reoriented into lamellar ones, as well as the unconnected clay-related
interparticle pores in the roof shales and high breakthrough pressure
in the floor. This study will provide guidance for evaluating the
preservation condition and sweet spot prospecting of shale gas exploration
in the Sichuan Basin.