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<p>As a critical component of the global energy transition, the potential for shale gas development is closely tied to the structural characteristics of nano-scale organic matter (OM) pores within the reservoir. However, traditional characterization techniques are constrained by insufficient resolution or complex sample preparation methods, which hinder <i>in-situ</i> observation of the molecular structure of organic matter at the edges of OM pores. This limitation has impeded further breakthroughs in understanding the formation mechanism of shale OM pores. To address this challenge, this study employs an innovative combination of focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). This approach enabled <i>in situ</i> observation of molecular structural changes in organic matter across different thermal evolution stages, facilitating an investigation into the intrinsic relationship between the formation and evolution of OM pores. Such insights contribute significantly to a deeper understanding of the microscopic mechanisms underlying the retention or densification of OM pores. The results demonstrate that as the thermal maturity of the shale samples increases, the molecular structure of organic matter at the edges of OM pores progressively transitions from a disordered short-range arrangement to an ordered layered stacking and significant graphitization phenomena occur during the over-maturity stage. Furthermore, two types of apparent nonpenetrating OM pores (honeycomb-like embryonic OM pores and densification OM pores) were observed <i>in situ</i> for the first time. Among them, the honeycomb-like embryonic OM pores exhibit a disordered short-range molecular structure, whereas the densification OM pores display a highly ordered layered stacking structure that is directly associated with the graphitization process. This study transcends the limitations of traditional technologies, offering novel methodologies and insights into elucidating the microscopic mechanisms underlying the dynamic evolution of shale OM pores. Simultaneously, it holds substantial guiding significance for assessing shale gas reservoirs and optimizing development strategies.</p>

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Opening a new chapter in in-situ research on microscopic mechanisms of shale organic matter pore evolution

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月16日

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  • Wenren Zeng,
  • Weikun Chen,
  • Zi Wang,
  • Ronghui Fang,
  • Yi Guo,
  • Yuan Zhang,
  • Cong Zhang,
  • Bin Zhang,
  • Haohan Li,
  • Borjigin Tenger

摘要

As a critical component of the global energy transition, the potential for shale gas development is closely tied to the structural characteristics of nano-scale organic matter (OM) pores within the reservoir. However, traditional characterization techniques are constrained by insufficient resolution or complex sample preparation methods, which hinder in-situ observation of the molecular structure of organic matter at the edges of OM pores. This limitation has impeded further breakthroughs in understanding the formation mechanism of shale OM pores. To address this challenge, this study employs an innovative combination of focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). This approach enabled in situ observation of molecular structural changes in organic matter across different thermal evolution stages, facilitating an investigation into the intrinsic relationship between the formation and evolution of OM pores. Such insights contribute significantly to a deeper understanding of the microscopic mechanisms underlying the retention or densification of OM pores. The results demonstrate that as the thermal maturity of the shale samples increases, the molecular structure of organic matter at the edges of OM pores progressively transitions from a disordered short-range arrangement to an ordered layered stacking and significant graphitization phenomena occur during the over-maturity stage. Furthermore, two types of apparent nonpenetrating OM pores (honeycomb-like embryonic OM pores and densification OM pores) were observed in situ for the first time. Among them, the honeycomb-like embryonic OM pores exhibit a disordered short-range molecular structure, whereas the densification OM pores display a highly ordered layered stacking structure that is directly associated with the graphitization process. This study transcends the limitations of traditional technologies, offering novel methodologies and insights into elucidating the microscopic mechanisms underlying the dynamic evolution of shale OM pores. Simultaneously, it holds substantial guiding significance for assessing shale gas reservoirs and optimizing development strategies.