Distribution patterns of tight sandstone gas and shale gas

Based on an elaboration of the resource potential and annual production of tight sandstone gas and shale gas in the United States and China, this paper reviews the researches on the distribution of tight sandstone gas and shale gas reservoirs, and analyzes the distribution characteristics and genetic types of tight sandstone gas reservoirs. In the United States, the proportion of tight sandstone gas in the total gas production declined from 20%–35% in 2008 to about 8% in 2023, and the shale gas production was 8 310×10⁸ m³ in 2023, about 80% of the total gas production, in contrast to the range of 5%–17% during 2000–2008. In China, the proportion of tight sandstone gas in the total gas production increased from 16% in 2010 to 28% or higher in 2023. China began to produce shale gas in 2012, with the production reaching 250×10⁸ m³ in 2023, about 11% of the total gas production of the country. The distribution of shale gas reservoirs is continuous. According to the fault presence, fault displacement and gas layer thickness, the continuous shale gas reservoirs can be divided into two types: continuity and intermittency. Most previous studies believed that both tight sandstone gas reservoirs and shale gas reservoirs are continuous, but this paper holds that the distribution of tight sandstone gas reservoirs is not continuous. According to the trap types, tight sandstone gas reservoirs can be divided into lithologic, anticlinal, and synclinal reservoirs. The tight sandstone gas is coal-derived in typical basins in China and Egypt, but oil-type gas in typical basins in the United States and Oman.