Conception, Classification and Resource Potential of Unconventional Hydrocarbons

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  • School of Earth Science and Engineering, Xi′an Shiyou University, Xi′an 710065, China

Received date: 2012-04-20

  Revised date: 2012-05-27

  Online published: 2012-06-10

Abstract

Despite of the wide attention that the exploration and development of unconventional hydrocarbons has attracted, neither a distinct and consistent definition nor a systematic classification of the unconventional hydrocarbons can be found in the literature. Based on a comprehensive investigation and analysis, this paper defines the unconventional hydrocarbons as such a kind of hydrocarbon resources that is distinguished from conventional hydrocarbons by reservoir features and accumulation mechanism, and cannot produce economically with traditional measures of exploitation. Comparison between unconventional hydrocarbons and continuous accumulation shows that the former is broader than the latter in connotation, notwithstanding the continuous accumulation is a dominant part of the unconventional resources. Unconventional hydrocarbons can be divided into (1) gaseous, liquid, and solid types according to the state of hydrocarbon phases; (2) tight reservoired oil/gas, shale oil-gas, and coalbed methane in terms of the reservoir types; (3) continuous, quasi-continuous, and discontinuous types based on the characteristics of petroleum distribution or trapping; (4) self-sourced and outer-sourced types according to the source\|reservoir relationship; and (5) the primary and secondary types in terms of the genesis of accumulation. Investigation of resource assessment in China indicates that the original in\|place resource of unconventional oil is roughly 720×108t, and recoverable resource is about 210×108t(excluding tight oil and shale oil); the original in-place resource of unconventional gas is some 320×1012m3, of which the sum of tight gas, coalbed methane, and shale gas resources is possibly 175×1012m3, and their recoverable resource is about 70×1012m3, approximately 3 to 4 times that of conventional gas. Based on the analyses of the condition and characteristics of hydrocarbon accumulation, we suggest a new resource triangle concept that petroleum resources are divided into three grades, namely the discontinuous (conventional), quasi\|continuous (tight), and continuous (self-sourced unconventional) accumulations, respectively. From this concept, we forecast that in petroleum basins where tight reservoirs are developed the amount of petroleum resources from the tight reservoirs is presumably in between that of the conventional accumulation and that of continuous unconventional accumulation from the source rocks. Because tight hydrocarbons are of better quality of reservoirs than coalbed methane and shale gas and are predicted to be of greater resource potential than assumed previously, they should be given top priority in the exploration of unconventional resources in China.

Cite this article

ZHAO Jing-Zhou . Conception, Classification and Resource Potential of Unconventional Hydrocarbons[J]. Natural Gas Geoscience, 2012 , 23(3) : 393 -406 . DOI: 10.11764/j.issn.1672-1926.2012.03.393

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