Enrichment mechanism and resource potential of helium in shale gas and coalbed methane plays: A case study of shale gas in Southern Sichuan Basin and coalbed methane in Eastern Ordos Basin

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2024.11.85

Abstract

Abstract:

Research on helium in natural gas reservoirs has been increasing in recent years. However,such research is mostly focused on conventional natural gas reservoirs and tight gas, while studies on helium in shale gas and coalbed methane are still in their infancy. This study takes the shale gas in the southern Sichuan Basin and the coalbed methane on the eastern edge of the Ordos Basin as the study subjects. Analytical results show that the helium content in the southern Sichuan shale gas ranges from 0.02% to 0.05%. While in the eastern Ordos coalbed methane, it ranges from 0.01% to 0.16%. Notably, the highest helium content in coalbed methane is found in the Sanjiao North block, ranging from 0.02% to 0.16%, rendering this block rich in helium. The ³He/⁴He ratios in both the southern Sichuan shale gas and eastern Ordos coalbed methane are relatively low, indicating that radiogenically produced (crustal) helium is the dominant source. Detailed dissection of typical helium-rich shale gas and coalbed methane reservoirs reveals that self-sourced and self-sealed helium enrichment can occur under the following conditions: sufficient helium source supply, effective migration pathways, good preservation conditions, and suitable natural gas-helium concentration matching. The underlying ancient cratonic basement and surrounding areas with well-developed faults (serving as conduits) are potential targets for helium exploration. Preliminary evaluation indicates that the helium resource volume in the Sanjiao North coalbed methane area is 80.7 million cubic meters (8.07×10⁷ m³), representing a potential large helium field with promising potential for helium extraction. The results of this study provide new insights into the enrichment mechanisms of helium in shale gas and coalbed methane, offering ideas and directions for exploring and discovering helium-rich reservoirs in these unconventional gas resources.

Key words: helium, coalbed methane, shale gas, enrichment, resource potential, Sichuan Basin, Ordos Basin

CLC Number:

P595
P632

CHEN Yanyan, WEN Zhixin, TAO Shizhen, WU Wei, LIU Xiangbai, YANG Xiuchun, GAO Jianrong, LIU Qingyao, LI Jing, YANG Yiqing, CHEN Yue. Enrichment mechanism and resource potential of helium in shale gas and coalbed methane plays: A case study of shale gas in Southern Sichuan Basin and coalbed methane in Eastern Ordos Basin[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2025, 32(5): 244-257.

Figures/Tables 10

References 60

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盆地	区块	层位	CH₄ 含量/%	重烃含量/%	N₂ 含量/%	CO₂ 含量/%	He含量/ %	(³He/⁴He)/ 10^-8	⁴He/²⁰Ne	⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar	He含量>0.05% 井数/总样品数
四川页岩气	威远	五峰-龙马溪组	97.1~ 98.0 (97.7)	0.217~ 0.956 (0.502)	0.350~ 0.640 (0.460)	0.840~ 1.85 (1.30)	0.021~ 0.033 (0.026)	1.32~ 1.88 (1.65)	5 924~ 11 752 (9 113)	—	0/7
	长宁		97.2~ 99.0 (98.1)	0.166~ 0.517 (0.332)	0.260~ 0.610 (0.442)	0.250~ 1.70 (1.04)	0.018~ 0.051 (0.034)	0.86~ 1.55 (1.22)	23 346~ 32 686 (28 596)	—	1/6
	泸州		97.6~ 98.2 (97.9)	0.133~ 0.328 (0.250)	0.360~ 0.750 (0.495)	0.980~ 1.58 (1.33)	0.020~ 0.031 (0.026)	0.711~ 2.40 (1.42)	13 742~ 38 133 (29 929)	—	0/21
	大足		97.6~ 98.3 (98.0)	0.219~ 0.552 (0.398)	0.400~ 0.620 (0.505)	0.710~ 1.35 (1.07)	0.023~ 0.049 (0.035)	1.19~ 1.82 (1.40)	10 284~ 17 357 (12 438)	—	0/8
鄂尔多斯煤层气	保德	石炭—二叠系	89.1~ 94.0 (92.0)	0.010~ 0.120 (0.048)	1.36~ 3.90 (2.64)	1.82~ 8.94 (5.09)	0.010~ 0.030 (0.016)	—	—	—	0/11
	三交北		78.2~ 97.0 (87.3)	5.93~ 9.60 (7.92)	0.127~ 4.50 (1.63)	0~ 2.30 (0.834)	0.023~ 0.160 (0.078)	2.83~ 5.72 (3.59)	—	431~ 572 (504)	24/38
	大宁-吉县		84.4~ 96.8 (92.0)	0.044~ 1.19 (0.280)	0.11~ 3.96 (0.697)	0.542~ 6.271 (3.41)	0.017~ 0.087 (0.038)	1.92~ 4.59 (3.22)	—	299~ 339 (321)	1/26

盆地	区块	层位	CH₄ 含量/%	重烃含量/%	N₂ 含量/%	CO₂ 含量/%	He含量/ %	(³He/⁴He)/ 10^-8	⁴He/²⁰Ne	⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar	He含量>0.05% 井数/总样品数
四川页岩气	威远	五峰-龙马溪组	97.1~ 98.0 (97.7)	0.217~ 0.956 (0.502)	0.350~ 0.640 (0.460)	0.840~ 1.85 (1.30)	0.021~ 0.033 (0.026)	1.32~ 1.88 (1.65)	5 924~ 11 752 (9 113)	—	0/7
	长宁		97.2~ 99.0 (98.1)	0.166~ 0.517 (0.332)	0.260~ 0.610 (0.442)	0.250~ 1.70 (1.04)	0.018~ 0.051 (0.034)	0.86~ 1.55 (1.22)	23 346~ 32 686 (28 596)	—	1/6
	泸州		97.6~ 98.2 (97.9)	0.133~ 0.328 (0.250)	0.360~ 0.750 (0.495)	0.980~ 1.58 (1.33)	0.020~ 0.031 (0.026)	0.711~ 2.40 (1.42)	13 742~ 38 133 (29 929)	—	0/21
	大足		97.6~ 98.3 (98.0)	0.219~ 0.552 (0.398)	0.400~ 0.620 (0.505)	0.710~ 1.35 (1.07)	0.023~ 0.049 (0.035)	1.19~ 1.82 (1.40)	10 284~ 17 357 (12 438)	—	0/8
鄂尔多斯煤层气	保德	石炭—二叠系	89.1~ 94.0 (92.0)	0.010~ 0.120 (0.048)	1.36~ 3.90 (2.64)	1.82~ 8.94 (5.09)	0.010~ 0.030 (0.016)	—	—	—	0/11
	三交北		78.2~ 97.0 (87.3)	5.93~ 9.60 (7.92)	0.127~ 4.50 (1.63)	0~ 2.30 (0.834)	0.023~ 0.160 (0.078)	2.83~ 5.72 (3.59)	—	431~ 572 (504)	24/38
	大宁-吉县		84.4~ 96.8 (92.0)	0.044~ 1.19 (0.280)	0.11~ 3.96 (0.697)	0.542~ 6.271 (3.41)	0.017~ 0.087 (0.038)	1.92~ 4.59 (3.22)	—	299~ 339 (321)	1/26

类型	盆地	地区	层位	深度/m	He含量/10^-6	R/R_a	引用文献
页岩气	四川	威远	五峰组-龙马溪组	1 520~1 523	451.4~1 286.3(869)	0.03	[3]
		威远	寒武系筇竹寺组		1 400	0.02	[16]
		彭水	五峰组-龙马溪组	2 313~2 341	986~1 000(993)	0.03	[3]
		焦石坝	五峰组-龙马溪组		340~620(450)	0.004~0.03	[34]
		宜昌	寒武系水井沱组	1 894.1~ 2 113.5	100~3 100 (1 600)	0.04~0.08 (0.066 7)	[29]
煤层气	六盘水		二叠系	899	41~1 136(336)		[35]
	鄂尔多斯	石西	二叠系太原组		500~2 300 (1 300)	0.01~0.03	[8]
	英国 Central Scotland	Airth	石炭系	892~1 059	1 110~2 980 (1 866)	0.172~0.187 (0.179)	[30]
	英国 Central England	South Yorkshire	石炭系	300	340~1 100 (672)	0.001 9~0.042 9 (0.180)	[30]
	波兰 Lublin		石炭系		4 400~19 000 (11 700)		[32]
	波兰 Upper Silesia		石炭系宾夕法尼亚亚系		300~3 500 (1 357)		[32]
	波兰 Lower Silesia		石炭系宾夕法尼亚亚系		60~3 600 (1 432)		[33]
	澳大利亚 Bowen	断裂附近	二叠系	176.6~332.9	4 200~16 500 (7 100)		[31]

类型	盆地	地区	层位	深度/m	He含量/10^-6	R/R_a	引用文献
页岩气	四川	威远	五峰组-龙马溪组	1 520~1 523	451.4~1 286.3(869)	0.03	[3]
		威远	寒武系筇竹寺组		1 400	0.02	[16]
		彭水	五峰组-龙马溪组	2 313~2 341	986~1 000(993)	0.03	[3]
		焦石坝	五峰组-龙马溪组		340~620(450)	0.004~0.03	[34]
		宜昌	寒武系水井沱组	1 894.1~ 2 113.5	100~3 100 (1 600)	0.04~0.08 (0.066 7)	[29]
煤层气	六盘水		二叠系	899	41~1 136(336)		[35]
	鄂尔多斯	石西	二叠系太原组		500~2 300 (1 300)	0.01~0.03	[8]
	英国 Central Scotland	Airth	石炭系	892~1 059	1 110~2 980 (1 866)	0.172~0.187 (0.179)	[30]
	英国 Central England	South Yorkshire	石炭系	300	340~1 100 (672)	0.001 9~0.042 9 (0.180)	[30]
	波兰 Lublin		石炭系		4 400~19 000 (11 700)		[32]
	波兰 Upper Silesia		石炭系宾夕法尼亚亚系		300~3 500 (1 357)		[32]
	波兰 Lower Silesia		石炭系宾夕法尼亚亚系		60~3 600 (1 432)		[33]
	澳大利亚 Bowen	断裂附近	二叠系	176.6~332.9	4 200~16 500 (7 100)		[31]

区块	埋深/m	页岩或煤厚度/m	含气量/ (m³·t^-1)	U含量/ (μg·g^-1)	Th含量/ (μg·g^-1)	产氦通量/ (cm³·g^-1·a^-1)	生氦时间/ Ma	产氦量/ (m³·t^-1)	氦气比例/ 10^-6
威远	2 000~3 500	200~400	4.2	9.71	16.5	1.645 71×10^-12	442	0.000 727	173
长宁	2 300~3 200	300~400	3.27	17.7	8.97	2.393 92×10^-12	442	0.001 058	324
泸州	3 540~4 625	300~650	6.8	17.4	11.8	2.438 96×10^-12	442	0.001 078	158
大足	3 500~4 500	200~530	4.8	15.9	15.3	2.358 39×10^-12	442	0.001 042	217
保德	300~800	18~32.1	8	7.11	25.6	1.139 59×10^-12	290	0.000 330	88.0
三交北	700~1 200	9~18	17	4.73	19.1	1.645 71×10^-12	290	0.000 727	19.1
大宁-吉县	1 000~2 600	6~15.8	22	5.16	18.0	2.393 92×10^-12	290	0.001 058	15.0