Influence of geochemical features on the mechanical properties of
organic matter in shale
Abstract
Organic matter is an important constituent in organic-rich shale, which
influences the hydrocarbon generation, as well as the mechanical
behavior, of shale reservoirs. The physical, chemical, and mechanical
properties of organic matter depend on the source material and the
thermal evolution process. Previous works attempted to investigate the
impact of thermal maturation on the mechanical properties of organic
matter. However, owing to the lack of maceral classification and the
limitation of data volume during the mechanical measurement, no
consistent trend has been identified. In this work, vitrinite
reflectance test, scanning electron microscope observation,
nanoindentation, and micro-Raman analysis were combined for geochemical
and mechanical characterization. A total of 114 test areas were selected
for testing, enhancing reliability of the test results. The Young’s
moduli of organic matter are from 3.57 GPa to 8.32 GPa. With the same
thermal maturity, inertinite has the highest Young’s modulus, while the
modulus of bitumen is the lowest. The Young’s moduli of different
organic types all increase with vitrinite reflectance. When vitrinite
reflectance increases from 0.62% to 1.13%, the modulus of inertinite
and vitrinite is increased by 57% and 78%, respectively. In addition,
with the increase of thermal maturity, the micro-Raman test results show
a decrease of intensity ratio of D peak to G peak, indicating an
increase of the ordered structure in organic matter. Organic type and
thermal maturity reflect the diversity of the source material and
chemical structure change during the thermal evolution process, and
together they influence the mechanical properties of organic matter.