Application of SEM and EDS for mineral composition of shale gas reservoir

Abstract In recent years, great progress has been made in the exploration and exploitation of shale gas, making it the main driving force for the growth of world natural gas production. Mineral composition restricts the pore size, distribution, geometry and connectivity of shale reservoirs, and also affects the brittleness and fracturing ability of shale reservoirs. Therefore, mineral composition is of great significance to the evaluation and exploration and development of shale gas reservoirs. Taking the Paleogene shale reservoir in Liaozhong Sag as an example, this study explored the application of argon ion polishing technology, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) and X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) analysis in mineral identification.