Intelligent Identification and Quantitative Characterization of Pores in Shale SEM Images Based on Pore-Net Deep-Learning Network Model

Among the various shale reservoir evaluation methods, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image method is widely used. Its image can intuitively reflect the development stage of a shale reservoir and is often used for the qualitative characterization of shale pores. However, manual image processing is inefficient and cannot quantitatively characterize pores. The semantic segmentation method of deep learning greatly improves the efficiency of image analysis and can calculate the face rate of shale SEM images to achieve quantitative characterization. In this paper, the high-maturity shale of the Longmaxi Formation in the Changning area of Yibin City, Sichuan Province, and the low-maturity shale of Beibu Gulf Basin in China are studied. Based on the Pore-net network model, the intelligent identification and quantitative characterization of pores in shale SEM images are realized. The pore-net model is improved from the U-net deep-learning network model, which improves the ability of the network model to identify pores. The results show that the pore-net model performs better than the U-net model, FCN model, DeepLab V3 + model, and traditional binarization method. The problem of low accuracy of the traditional pore identification method is solved. The porosity of SEM images of high-maturity shale calculated by the pore-net network model is between 12 and 19% deviation from the experimental data. The calculated porosity of the SEM image of the low-maturity shale has a large deviation from the experimental data, which is between 14 and 47%. Compared with the porosity results calculated by other methods, the results calculated by pore-net are closer to the true value, which proves that the porosity calculated by the pore-net network model is reliable. The deep-learning semantic image segmentation method is suitable for pore recognition of shale SEM images. The fully convolutional neural network model is used to train the manually labeled shale SEM images, which can realize the intelligent recognition and quantitative characterization of the pores in the shale SEM images. It provides a certain reference value for the evaluation of shale oil and gas reservoirs and the study of other porous materials.