This chapter expands on a conceptual model, the concept of diagenetic salinity cycles (DSCs), for predicting early near-surface diagenetic processes and products given a record of relative sea-level rise and fall. In order to begin to explore the variables that give rise to diagenetic salinity cycles with differing characteristics, DSCs of three study areas (Cretaceous carbonates of Monte Camposauro, Italy; The Plio-Pleistocene Hope Gate Formation of Jamaica; and The Pleistocene karstic aquifers of Mallorca, Spain) have been described and evaluated on the basis of integrated field observations, transmitted light petrography, cathodoluminescence, X-ray diffraction, major element, d13C, δ18O and fluid inclusion data.
Abstract The porosity and permeability of sandstone and carbonate reservoirs (known as reservoir quality) are essential inputs for successful oil and gas resource exploration and exploitation. This chapter introduces basic concepts, analytical and modelling techniques and some of the key controversies to be discussed in 20 research papers that were initially presented at a Geological Society conference in 2014 titled ‘Reservoir Quality of Clastic and Carbonate Rocks: Analysis, Modelling and Prediction’. Reservoir quality in both sandstones and carbonates is studied using a wide range of techniques: log analysis and petrophysical core analysis, core description, routine petrographic tools and, ideally, less routine techniques such as stable isotope analysis, fluid inclusion analysis and other geochemical approaches. Sandstone and carbonate reservoirs both benefit from the study of modern analogues to constrain the primary character of sediment before they become a hydrocarbon reservoir. Prediction of sandstone and carbonate reservoir properties also benefits from running constrained experiments to simulate diagenetic processes during burial, compaction and heating. There are many common controls on sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality, including environment of deposition, rate of deposition and rate and magnitude of sea-level change, and many eogenetic processes. Compactional and mesogenetic processes tend to affect sandstone and carbonate somewhat differently but are both influenced by rate of burial, and the thermal and pressure history of a basin. Key differences in sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality include the specific influence of stratigraphic age on seawater composition (calcite v. aragonite oceans), the greater role of compaction in sandstones and the greater reactivity and geochemical openness of carbonate systems. Some of the key controversies in sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality focus on the role of petroleum emplacement on diagenesis and porosity loss, the role of effective stress in chemical compaction (pressure solution) and the degree of geochemical openness of reservoirs during diagenesis and cementation. This collection of papers contains case study-based examples of sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality prediction as well as modern analogue, outcrop analogue, modelling and advanced analytical approaches.
A Budai Termálkarszt (BTK) fluidum-fejlődéstörténetét az ásványparagenezisek tükrében a késő-miocén fedett karbonátos állapottól vizsgáltuk. Ekkor a termikus felhajtóerő vezérelte a felszínalatti vízáramlást. Később, a Budai-hegység kiemelkedésével és a csapadékvíz beszivárgásával megkezdődött a vízszint különbségek által vezérelt vízáramlási rendszerek kialakulása. További változást okozott a Gödöllői-dombság kiemelkedése, mely a Budai-hegység kiemelt területei mellett a keleti medencerész felől is domborzati hajtóerőt biztosított. A meginduló beszivárgás lehetővé tette a fedő sziliciklasztos képződmények nátrium-kloridos vizeinek karbonátos víztartóba történő lejutását. Jelenleg a Budai-hegység és tágabb környezete a BTK áramlási rendszerének nyugati félig fedett részét, míg a Gödöllői-dombságtól a Dunáig tartó terület a rendszer keleti, fedett részét képezi. A BTK összefüggő áramlási rendszerében hidrosztatikus közeli nyomásviszonyok uralkodnak. A rendszer regionális és köztes megcsapolódási területei a Duna mentén húzódnak. A helyi, köztes és regionális áramlási rendszerek különbségeit a nyugati, félig fedett terület forrásai jelzik. A jelenkori vízáramlás domináns hajtóereje a vízszintkülönbségekből fakad, asszimmetrikus jellege a hidrosztratigráfiai helyzet, valamint a keleti és nyugati medencerészek közötti beszivárgáskülönbség következménye. A Duna alatt Ny–K irányú regionális átáramlás zajlik. A regionális feláramlás hidrotermális komponense NaCl-os medenceeredetű vízzel egészül ki. A meteorikus eredetű, langyos köztes, ill. a hideg helyi vízáramlásokban Mg2+ és SO42- gazdag vizek jellemzőek, a medenceeredtű fluidomok jelenléte itt nem bizonyított. Az eredmények rámutatnak a rendszer hőmérsékleti eloszlását meghatározó folyamatokra, valamint a fedőüledékek hő felhalmozódásában betöltött szerepére. A rózsadombi és a Gellért-hegy előterében található források fizikai-kémiai tulajdonságok szerinti elkülönülését szerkezeti és a két áramlási rendszer különbségei okozhatják. A Gellért-hegynél csak termálvíz lép felszínre, míg a Rózsadombnál langyos és termálvíz megcsapolódás egyaránt zajlik. A különbség a hidrotermális vizek összetételében, eltérő forrásterületre és vízkémiai folyamatokra utal. A déli rendszer szulfát-többlete az evaporit összletekkel, a központi rendszer szulfátja medenceeredetű kén-hidrogénnel hozható összefüggésbe. A rózsadombi langyos meteorikus vizek szulfát forrása a fedő képződménybek piritje lehet. A fluidum-fejlődéstörténeti tanulmány eredményei hozzájárulnak a barlangképződési folyamatok értelmezéséhez.
Abstract Discontinuity surfaces in shallow‐marine carbonate successions may represent significant time gaps in the geological record of ancient epeiric‐neritic seas. Understanding the hidden geological information contained in major discontinuities is thus of key significance in palaeo‐environmental analysis, sequence stratigraphy, reconstructions of sea‐level change and basin evolution. In the present paper, the Aptian top Lower Shu’aiba Formation discontinuity in the Sultanate of Oman is taken as a prominent example of a regionally extensive (>100 000 km 2 ) surface with a long (up to 10 Myr) and complex geological history. The top Shu’aiba discontinuity formed on the topographically elevated domain of the Oman platform and represents in essence the Late Aptian time interval. Coeval carbonates in the intrashelf Bab Basin and oceanic rim indicate forced regression and sequence‐wise, gradual down‐stepping. Available regional, sedimentological, sequence‐stratigraphic, petrographic, palaeontological and geochemical evidence from outcrops and cored wells in Oman is summarized, in part complemented by new data, and reviewed in a process‐oriented context. In the field, the discontinuity is expressed as a low relief, stained surface with evidence for a marine hardground stage being dominant. Indistinct features that indicate a transient meteoric precursor stage (isotope shifts, meteoric cements, circumgranular cracks, etc.) are present but their interpretation requires careful and detailed work. This feature is remarkable, as a series of relative sea‐level falls with amplitudes of up to several tens of metres from the Early to Late Aptian boundary to the end of the Aptian are reported from the Middle East and elsewhere. Despite the palaeogeographic position of the study area in the tropical climate zone, evidence of deep‐cutting karst features, characteristic for many long‐term exposure surfaces worldwide is scarce. Acknowledging the fact that the modern world offers no genuine analogues for the Lower Aptian carbonate system in Oman, morphological similarities between actualistic, wave‐eroded coastal terraces and the top Shu’aiba discontinuity are discussed critically. This discussion may imply that, during an exposure time of several million years, the top Shu’aiba discontinuity experienced repeated stages of shallow flooding and emergence, with each transgression removing portions of the underlying rock record. The data shown here exemplify the complexity of hiatal surfaces in epeiric‐neritic carbonates and may serve as a case example for other major discontinuities.
ABSTRACT In Jabal Madmar in the Sultanate of Oman, Cretaceous epeiric carbonate platform architectures were characterized by employing a digital outcrop modelling workflow. A framework model for Natih Sequence I (Natih E member) was established, which embeds a meticulously studied platform-top incision and shoal complex. Outcrop-scale clinoforms are recognized in these shoals by hectometre-scale (100 m long) medium to high-angle (1–5°) inclined stratal surfaces comprising texture-based facies transitions. These clinoforms are usually beneath the resolution of seismic data and as such are not easily recognized and correlated between wells. Geologically realistic clinoform models were built using a well-defined stratigraphic model that incorporated inclined surfaces in the model grid and if available, data on lateral facies transitions. Waterflood simulations demonstrated improved sweep efficiency in these models. In contrast, simple models without clinoform heterogeneities resulted in less efficient piston-like patterns of sweep. The study presented in this paper demonstrates an outcome contrary to previous studies, as in this study, barriers to flow are absent. Complex clinoform models must be considered in reservoir modelling workflows to correctly derive static and dynamic rock properties. This is because outcrop-scale clinoforms have a potential impact on reservoir behaviour under secondary and tertiary recovery mechanisms.
This study focuses on the discharge characteristics of the Buda Thermal Karst (Budapest, Hungary) found at the Rose and Gellért Hills. The Buda Thermal Karst is a recently active hydrothermal karst system in the heart of Budapest. Studying this unique hydrogeologic system is thus a challenge because of the human impact effects. The research approach is based on the concept of hydrological system analysis (Engelen and Kloosterman 1996), which means that the flow system geometry and recharge-discharge features must correlate when the influence of man on the flow regimes of an area is negligible. Therefore the flow system geometry could be deduced from the evaluation of manifestations of flowing groundwater. To achieve this archival hydrogeologic data and recent observations were used. Based on the localization of springs, collections of archival temperature and chemical data, as well as recent observations, conceptual models were established for the discharge in the Rose Hill and Gellért Hill areas. The observations indicate different discharge characteristics for the two study areas.