Geological Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Shale Gas in the Permian Shanxi Formation, the Southern North China Basin

Abstract Energy resources exploration has been taking place in the Southern North China Basin (SNCB) for decades, but no big breakthroughs have been made. A case study focusing on the Lower Permian Shanxi Formation in the Taikang Uplift of the SNCB is presented in this paper; based on the practice of shale gas exploration, we summarize the geological characteristics, geochemical characteristics, mineral characteristics, and pore type and analyze the exploration potential shale gas. The type of organic matter in the studied strata is mainly type III, the vitrinite reflectance (Ro) is between 2.1% and 3.4%, the average total organic carbon content is 1.66%, the mineral of shale is mainly composed of quartz and clay, and the main reservoir space types are mineral pores and microfractures. Through comprehensive evaluation, the sedimentary environment, organic matter abundance, physical properties, and mineral composition control the shale gas accumulation in the studied area.