Advances in Earth Science ›› 2011, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (2): 135-144. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2011.02.0135

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The Research Progress of Shale Fractures

Ding Wenlong,Xu Changchun,Jiu Kai,Li Chao,Zeng Weite,Wu Liming   

  1. School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing100083,  China
  • Received:2010-04-23 Revised:2010-10-03 Online:2011-02-10 Published:2011-02-10

Ding Wenlong,Xu Changchun,Jiu Kai,Li Chao,Zeng Weite,Wu Liming. The Research Progress of Shale Fractures[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2011, 26(2): 135-144.

Discovery of numbers of fractured reservoirs in shale around the world and recent great progress of North American shale gas exploration shows the study of the fractures in shale is quite important. On the basis of the literature research of shale fractures research findings around the world, shale reservoir with strong plasticity has common and specificity, compared with other types of rock, on fractures type and origin, identification method, parameter estimation, and distribution prediction. The shale reservoir fractures can de classified into two groups of fracture according to their origin, structural and non-structural fracture, and 12 sub-classes. Different class of fractures has different characteristics and origin. Structural fractures, including high-angle shear fracture, Tensile and shear fractures and low-angle slip fracture, belong to ductile shear fracture. Non-structural fracture in shale, more developed than other types of lithology, such as shrinkage fractures, stylolites, over-pressured fractures and weathered fracture, resulted from diagenesis, drying crack, over-ressure, mineral phase transformation, recrystallization, and pressure-solution. Then we summarize the methods of fracture identification, parameter estimation, fracture reservoir distribution prediction using geological, seismic, drilling and logging and structural stress, and then propose current problems and trend of study on shale fracture reservoir nowadays.

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