Several issues in sedimentological studies on hydrocarbon-bearing fine-grained sedimentary rocks

The fine-grained sedimentary rock has an important position in sedimentary rocks, but it has been often overlooked because of its seemingly simple appearance. Meanwhile, due to limitation of ultra-microcosmic experimental conditions, deposition and diagenesis of fine-grained sediments remain a relatively weake research field in sedimentology, even in geology. With exploration and development of shale oil and gas, the study of fine-grained sedimentary rocks becomes increasingly urgent. However, there are several issues deserving of attention in the current study, such as to utilize sedimentology, reservoir geology and stratigraphy comprehensively, to combine high-resolution observation instruments with geophysical recognition techniques, experimental simulation and other methods, to search for theoretical breakthrough and method innovations, the standardize the related concepts and terminology of fine-grained sedimentary rocks, to establish systematic and scientific classification schemes of fine-grained sedimentary rocks, to reconstruct dynamic processes of fine-grained material deposition and diagenesis, and to set up stratigraphic specification of deepwater fine-grained materials. In addition, a great emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary researches and association between scientific significance and industrial value so as to make fine-grained sedimentary rocks receive extensive attention, gain breakthrough in progress, and serve shale oil and gas exploration and development better.