Review of Well Logs and Petrophysical Approaches for Shale Gas in Sichuan Basin, China

Abstract

China has vast reserves of shale gas. Currently, shale gas is one of the focuses of the unconventional reservoir. Well logs play an import role in shale gas production, and it is the bridge connecting geology, geophysics and petroleum engineering. In the exploration stage, well logs are used to identify lithology, evaluate the parameters of mineral types and compositions, total organic carbon (TOC), porosity, permeability, gas content, and the potential resources quantity. In the development stage, well logs offer various parameters of geological and engineering for horizontal drilling and production, evaluate the mechanical properties and calculate the magnitude and orientation of the in-situ stress for hydraulic fracturing stimulation. We reviewed current well logs for shale gas in China and discussed the development trend in the paper. A case history in Sichuan Basin presented to analyze the logs response characteristics and parameters calculation for a shale gas well. The difficulty and the future attention focus are also discussed.