Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2024, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (1): 315-326.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.9.30

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Technological progress and trend in shale gas on-site testing—a critical review

ZHANG Jinchuan1,2(), WANG Xiangzeng3, LI Zhongming4, LIU Shugen5, NIU Jialiang1,2, YUAN Tianshu1,2, LI Xingqi1,2, TANG Xuan1,2   

  1. 1. School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
    2. Key Laboratory for Strategic Evaluation of Shale Gas Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
    3. Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710075, China
    4. Henan Geological Research Institute, Zhengzhou 450016, China
    5. Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
  • Received:2023-09-08 Revised:2023-10-10 Online:2024-01-25 Published:2024-01-25

Abstract:

Gas content is a key parameter for shale gas evaluation and production decision-making, while on-site determination of desorption gas content using “large three-stage” desorption curves is preferred based on accuracy, cost, and speed considerations. Different from coalbed methane, shale gas content analysis has made significant progress in testing methodologis, methods, technologies, and instruments. The adaptation of pipeless testing technology using “small three-stage” desorption curves provides more valuable information while improving the accuracy of desorption gas testing. From conditional extrapolation, borrowed from coalbed methane, to multi-point constraint fitting, shale gas loss can now be calculated with less dependency on assumptions. Based on the principle of non-contact torque transmission, whole-process air sealing during residual gas testing has been achieved. Accurate gas content measurement using dual three-stage desorption curves lays the foundation for calculating key parameters such as total gas content, free/absorption ratio, and recoverable coefficient. However, the total recoverable shale gas is not simply the sum of lost and desorbed gases. High-precision, on-site desorption gas content analysis has wide applications. Its development directions include systematic high-precision data acquisition, mult-parameter evaluation, and intelligent-evaluation technology application.

Key words: shale gas, gas content, gas-bearing structure, technical progress, development tendency

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