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<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">EGUsphere</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>EGUsphere</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">EGUsphere</abbrev-journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="nlm-ta">EGUsphere</abbrev-journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn pub-type="epub"></issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Copernicus Publications</publisher-name>
<publisher-loc>Göttingen, Germany</publisher-loc>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.5194/egusphere-2025-1365</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Using nanoindentation to quantify the mechanical profile of Wufeng-Longmaxi formation shale in Southwest China: Link to sedimentary conditions</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Wang</surname>
<given-names>Jianfeng</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
<sup>2</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Yang</surname>
<given-names>Chao</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">
<sup>3</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Liu</surname>
<given-names>Yuke</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">
<sup>4</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Jiang</surname>
<given-names>Wenmin</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Li</surname>
<given-names>Yun</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Zhang</surname>
<given-names>Ting</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff5">
<sup>5</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff6">
<sup>6</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Zheng</surname>
<given-names>Yijun</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Liao</surname>
<given-names>Yuhong</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Huo</surname>
<given-names>Qiuli</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff8">
<sup>8</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff9">
<sup>9</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Fu</surname>
<given-names>Li</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff8">
<sup>8</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff9">
<sup>9</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Wang</surname>
<given-names>Yusheng</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff7">
<sup>7</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff8">
<sup>8</sup>
</xref>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff9">
<sup>9</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Peng</surname>
<given-names>Ping'an</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Xiong</surname>
<given-names>Yongqiang</given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
<sup>1</sup>
</xref>
</contrib>
</contrib-group><aff id="aff1">
<label>1</label>
<addr-line>State Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Processes and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff2">
<label>2</label>
<addr-line>The Njord Centre, Departments of Geosciences and Physics, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff3">
<label>3</label>
<addr-line>CAS Key Laboratory of Gas Hydrate, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff4">
<label>4</label>
<addr-line>Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, Beijing 100083, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff5">
<label>5</label>
<addr-line>Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources Research, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff6">
<label>6</label>
<addr-line>Research Center for Oil and Gas Resources, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff7">
<label>7</label>
<addr-line>Exploration and Development Research Institutle of PetroChina Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Daqing 163712, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff8">
<label>8</label>
<addr-line>State Key Laboratory of Continental Shale Oil, Daqing, 163712, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<aff id="aff9">
<label>9</label>
<addr-line>Heilongjiang Provincial Key laboratory of Continental Shale Oil, Daqing, 163712, PR China</addr-line>
</aff>
<pub-date pub-type="epub">
<day>08</day>
<month>04</month>
<year>2025</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>2025</volume>
<fpage>1</fpage>
<lpage>52</lpage>
<permissions>
<copyright-statement>Copyright: &#x000a9; 2025 Jianfeng Wang et al.</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>2025</copyright-year>
<license license-type="open-access">
<license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit <ext-link ext-link-type="uri"  xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</ext-link></license-p>
</license>
</permissions>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-1365/">This article is available from https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-1365/</self-uri>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-1365/egusphere-2025-1365.pdf">The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-1365/egusphere-2025-1365.pdf</self-uri>
<abstract>
<p>The fine construction of a continuous mechanical profile for the Wufeng to Longmaxi (WF-LMX) Formation sequence is crucial for designing hydraulic fracturing projects in shale gas development. However, the microscale mechanical profile of WF-LMX formation shale and its relationship to sedimentary conditions are poorly understood. This study investigates the mechanical profile of the WF-LMX Formation sequence using nanoindentation. A total of 27 cutting samples were collected at one to one-half meter intervals from the Sanquan-1 well. Nanoindentation testing, rock mineralogy, major element analysis, and porosimetry were performed. The results showed that the WF-LMX shales in this study region were deposited in a passive continental margin environment, primarily from biogenic silica, in a warm and humid climate in a predominantly freshwater environment. Mechanical properties (hardness, fracture toughness, Young&apos;s modulus, and brittle index) varied synchronously with mineral and organic content across the vertical drilling profile, reflecting changes in lithology and sedimentary facies within the WF-LMX Formations. Shales in the upper part of the WF Formation and lower part of the LMX Formation, belonging to the deep-water shelf facies, exhibited high mechanical properties. Quartz and clay play a dominant role in controlling shale mechanics, while the minor rock constituents, nanoporosity have little effect. In particular, biogenic silica (authigenic quartz) plays an important role in increasing the brittleness of shale. The effect of shale constituents on micromechanics is essentially controlled by the sedimentary environment. Additionally, the potential of using nanoindentation to effectively assess shale brittleness was also demonstrated. This study provides a continuous and accurate interpretation profile of mechanical parameters and is helpful in determining favorable intervals for hydraulic fracturing in the design of shale gas development.</p>
</abstract>
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<funding-group>
<award-group id="gs1">
<funding-source>China Postdoctoral Science Foundation</funding-source>
<award-id>2024M763277</award-id>
</award-group>
<award-group id="gs2">
<funding-source>National Natural Science Foundation of China</funding-source>
<award-id>41802165</award-id>
<award-id>42272182</award-id>
</award-group>
</funding-group>
</article-meta>
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