Reservoir and Geochemistry Characteristics of Black Shale, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Organic-rich shales are the main target rocks for unconventional oil and gas exploration and development across the world. A total of 35 crucial organic-rich shale layers have been identified from Mesoproterozoic to Cenozoic strata around the world. These shales are classified to their genesis under marine, marine–nonmarine transitional, and lacustrine depositional environments. Changes in climate, terrigenous flux, paleo-redox conditions, base level, primary productivity, tectonic activity causing development, the migration of partially closed deep-basin depo-centers, and of sediment accumulation rates controlled the extensive deposition and distribution of organic-rich shales. Moreover, mineralogy differences in organic-rich shales have a major impact on the diagenetic pathway and the evolution of pore systems among various lithofacies during burial. Diagenetic process and pore evolution are also very important to the physical properties of an organic-rich shale reservoir. Therefore, the modeling of the factors controlling the distribution of organic-rich shale reservoirs around the world is important for the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas resources.

Thanks to the enthusiastic support of the academic community, the first edition of this Special Issue attracted 41 submissions and successfully published 16 high-quality papers, highlighting key advances in sedimentology, geochemistry, and shale reservoir characterization. Building on this strong foundation, the second edition aims to further explore emerging research and deepen our understanding of black shale reservoir and geochemical systems.

The geochemical characteristics and reservoir evaluation of black shales represent a new and evolving field within sedimentology. This development is crucial for predicting the formation and distribution of organic-rich shales within sedimentary basins, as well as evaluating the sweet spots for shale oil and gas. These advancements are poised to propel hydrocarbon exploration into a new era. To fully showcase the latest research findings in the characteristics of black shale reservoirs and related disciplines, and to promote the exchange of new theories, methods, and technologies among researchers in this field, we are pleased to announce the second edition of the Special Issue "Reservoir and Geochemistry Characteristics of Black Shale".

This Special Issue of Minerals aims to present a set of diversely themed articles from research focused on multi-scale controlling factors for petrophysical properties of organic-rich shales, including sedimentation, tectonic activity, diagenesis, organic matter enrichment process, and pore evolution. Potential topics of interest are as follows:

Section 1: Black Shale Lithology and Facies Characterization

• Detailed characterization of black shale lithology and facies.
• Methods and techniques for precise lithofacies analysis.

Section 2: Mechanisms of Organic Matter Enrichment in Black Shale

• Processes and mechanisms driving the enrichment of organic matter in black shales.
• Impact of various geological and environmental factors on organic matter accumulation.

Section 3: Characterization Techniques and Applications of Micro- and Nanopores in Black Shale

• Advanced techniques for the characterization of micro- and nanopores in black shale.
• Applications of pore characterization in understanding shale reservoir properties.

Section 4: Sedimentary and Paleogeographic Environment Studies of Black Shale

• Research on the depositional environments of black shales.
• Studies on paleogeographic settings and their influence on shale formation.

Section 5: Diagenetic Processes in Shale

• Investigation of diagenetic processes affecting shale properties.
• Impact of diagenesis on the quality and characteristics of shale reservoirs.

Section 6: Formation and Enrichment Mechanisms of Shale Oil and Gas

• Studies on the formation processes of shale oil and gas.
• Mechanisms driving the enrichment of hydrocarbons in shale formations.

By gathering cutting-edge research and fostering academic discourse, this Special Issue seeks to drive forward the understanding and development of black shale reservoirs, thus supporting the broader goal of advancing unconventional hydrocarbon exploration.

We look forward to your valuable contributions and to advancing the field together through this Special Issue of Minerals.

Dr. Zhensheng Shi
Dr. Tianqi Zhou
Dr. Tao Nian
Dr. Lucy Gomes Sant'Anna
Dr. Spyridon Bellas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• facies models and sedimentation processes
• event sedimentology and paleoclimate transitions
• paleoenvironment on organic matter enrichment
• lithological, mineralogical, and geochemical analysis
• diagenesis and pore structure evolution

• Reservoir and Geochemistry Characteristics of Black Shale in Minerals (16 articles)