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Influences of the characteristics of organic matters and mineral compositions on the development of shale microscopic pores were discussed through performing low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, whole-rock "X" diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscope on black organic-rich shale samples of Longmaxi Formation in the Dingshan area, southeastern Sichuan Basin, in combination with the characteristics of shale organic matters. The shale in the Dingshan area has complex mineral composition, which is mainly quartz and clay minerals. Both contents range from 23% to 72% and 36% to 70%, respectively. The vertical variation is obvious, and there are few feldspar and carbonate rocks; the pyrite content is more than 2%. The bottom shale has high brittleness and gradually decreases in the vertical direction. The brittleness index is between 0.481 and 0.627 and is concentrated above 0.5. It shows strong compressibility and is easy to form a complex network system in hydraulic fracturing. Quartz and feldspar mainly provide secondary dissolved pores, intercrystalline mineral pores, and nanoedge gaps in contact with organic matter. They have no obvious correlation with the specific surface area of shale but have a weak correlation with pore volume. They mainly control the development of macropores. Organic matter develops many hydrocarbon-generating pores, which strongly correlate with the specific surface area and a weak correlation with pore volume. It mainly controls the development of micromesopores. Clay minerals mainly provide a large number of interlaminar pores and interlayer fractures in the clay. The intergranular pores of clay and clay have a weak correlation with pore volume and specific surfaces. They contribute to the development of shale micropores, mesopores, and macropores. Pyrite mainly provides intercrystalline pores and mold pores. By restricting the interaction with organic matter, the development of shale pores is promoted within a certain content range. When the content exceeds this range, the development of micropores is inhibited. The conversion threshold in the Dingshan area is 5.0%.

The pore structure is an important factor affecting reservoir capacity and shale gas production. The shale reservoir of the Longmaxi Formation in the Changning area, Southern Sichuan Basin, is highly heterogeneous and has a complex pore structure. To quantitatively characterize the shale’s pore structure and influencing factors, based on whole rock X-ray diffraction, argon ion polishing electron microscopy observations, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments, the characteristics of the shale pore structure are studied by using the Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model. The research reveals the following: 1) The pores of the Longmaxi Formation shale mainly include organic pores, intergranular pores, dissolution pores and microfractures. The pore size is mainly micro-mesoporous. Both ink bottle-type pores and semiclosed slit-type pores with good openness exist, but mainly ink bottle-type pores are observed. 2) The pore structure of the Longmaxi Formation shale has self-similarity, conforms to the fractal law, and shows double fractal characteristics. Taking the relative pressure of 0.45 (P/P0 = 0.45) as the boundary, the surface fractal dimension Dsf and the structural fractal dimension Dst are defined. Dsf is between 2.3215 and 2.6117, and the structural fractal dimension Dst is between 2.8424 and 2.9016. The pore structure of micropores and mesopores is more complex. 3) The mineral components and organic matter have obvious control over the fractal dimension of shale, and samples from different wells show certain differences. The fractal dimension has a good positive correlation with the quartz content but an obvious negative correlation with clay minerals. The higher the total organic carbon content is, the higher the degree of thermal evolution, the more complex the pore structure of shale, and the larger the fractal dimension. The results have guiding significance for the characterization of pore structure of tight rocks.