Experimental study on the Klinkenberg effect for gas permeability in carboniferous shales, Eastern Qaidam Basin, China

Abstract

It is crucial to understand the conditions and influencing mechanisms of shale gas slip effect for predicting the productivity of shale gas reservoirs. This study focuses on the Carboniferous Hurleg Formation shales in the eastern Qaidam Basin and conducts gas permeability tests using different gases (He/N2), as well as geochemical and pore-structure tests. The slip behavior of different gases in micro- and nanopores as well as the anisotropy of gas permeability were analyzed and discussed. The results show that helium permeability is 1.81–3.56 times higher than nitrogen permeability, with a greater difference at lower pore pressures. These permeability differences are attributed to variations in gas molecule size and slip effects. Specifically, the slip effect of helium gas has a greater contribution to permeability at lower pore pressures, with a helium slip factor averaging 2.79 times that of nitrogen. The effective pore size of shale, calculated based on the helium slip factor, is 0.74 to 1.51 times larger than when nitrogen is used, with an average of 1.67 times. Helium molecules have smaller diameters and longer average molecular free paths, resulting in a more pronounced slip effect compared to nitrogen. While helium does not adsorb, nitrogen exhibits some adsorption, causing radial expansion during gas penetration. Furthermore, when testing with different gases, the horizontal permeability (S043∥; S052∥) is higher than the vertical permeability (S043⊥; S052⊥). The anisotropy of permeability is controlled by the pore system formed by the arrangement and combination of minerals. Calcium-rich samples (S052) tend to exhibit higher anisotropy compared to calcite-rich samples (S043). The effective pore size in the vertical sample is larger than that in the parallel sample, and the gas slip effect is significantly greater in the vertical sample. These findings provide valuable data for future studies on shale gas slip effects and productivity prediction.