Petrofacies investigations of the Cretaceous Pab Formation Rakhi Gorge Eastern Sulaiman Range Pakistan - Implication for reservoir potential

Petrologic investigations of the sixty representative thin sections from the Pab Formation within Rakhi Gorge section Eastern Sulaiman Range Pakistan have been used to characterize different diagenetic patterns, identification of primary composition and reservoir characters. Sublithic, lithic and quartzose sandstones have been the principal constituents of the formation. The processes responsible for the late-stage alteration and diagenetic processes identified during the petrographic study include compaction of lithic fragments and mud clasts, formation of quartz overgrowth structures, feldspar replacement and alteration, cementation, and replacement of grains by clay minerals other ferrous elements and diagenetic minerals. The study shows that the initial porosity has been primary intergranular, but the secondary porosity has been originated in the rocks as a result of the alteration of the primary and secondary constituents, as well as fracturing. These facies characters replicate the reservoir quality including, good, medium, low-quality, and non-reservoir. Samples displaying average total porosity greater than 10 % have been declared as good quality. While rocks samples having 7 % or greater porosity are grouped as a medium reservoir. Those samples consisting of porosity values between 1 and 4% are considered as a low quality reservoir while those samples having porosity ranges low than 1% have been called non-reservoir. Based on the investigated parameters the studied samples from the Pab Formation displayed the characters of a medium reservoir that may hold significant hydrocarbon. This different quality including good and low quality zonation can be attributed to the facies and diagenetic change in the formation.

A petrographic study of bauxite of Kenco area, Landak District, West Kalimantan Province

Lateritic bauxite are the products of intense weathering of rocks. It is largely controlled by bedrock type, time, climate (rainfall), and geomorphology. It is located in Kenco area, Landak district, West Kalimantan Province which the rest of the development of Cretaceous volcanism consisting of the island of Borneo Volcanic Formations Mensibau with unit members Granodiorite, quartz diorite and diorite, and the Formation of the Kingdom Volcanic Andesite-trachite units and Formations of alluvium and swamp sediment quarter. Bauxite deposits of Kenco area in Landak are investigated to determine the characteristics of rocks using petrographic analysis. Petrographic analysis aims to determine mineral content and type of source rock based on Travis classification (1955). The results of 15 thin sections showed that aluminum-bearing minerals consisted of orthoclase, plagioclase, and biotite which are the type of source rock are granodiorite, granodiorite porphyry, gabbro porphyry, and basalt porphyry based on Travis classification (1955).

Deep-Water Accumulation of Volcaniclastic Detritus from a Petrographic Point of View: Beginning a Discussion from the Alpine Peripheral Basins

The interpretation of eruptive mechanisms accumulating ancient submarine volcaniclastic sequences is still extremely challenging, particularly when no spatial nor temporal constraints are identifiable. The present work reviews petrographic results gained during the last few decades on three different Paleogene Formations accumulated around the Alpine and Apennine Mountain belts, discussing how their detritus could have been formed and moved from the volcanic centers to the depo-centers, taking into account the volcanic mechanisms which are at the base of the production, transportation and accumulation of volcaniclastic detritus. In doing this, we reconsider the classical diagrams of Folk and Gazzi–Dickinson, rediscussing their significance on the basis of how orogenic volcanism delivers detritus to the environment. In addition, this work highlights the need of the scientific community for gaining new petrographic data on modern sedimentary systems to better constrain interpretative criteria for the petrographic study of ancient volcano–sedimentary sequences.

New insight on tide-dominated estuary and delta in the Eocene-Miocene Mrayt Group, North-Western Rif, Morocco

The sedimentary deposits of Eocene-Miocene Mrayt Group, North-Western Rif, Morocco has been the subject of controversy by previous authors regarding their depositional environment. Detailed sedimentological study based on petrographic and sedimentary facies analysis, ichnofacies interpretation and paleocurrent measurements, leads to several results and new insights. Petrographic study provided the first evidence of mixed siliciclastic and carbonate sediments and their nomenclature: silty micrites, micritic siltstones, micritic sandstones, sandy micrite, and allochemic sandstones, as well as the nature of the sources and its geological context. Twenty two sedimentary facies that have never been described before are identified, and based on their succession and association a new interpretation of depositional processes and depositional systems are proposed. The paleoenvironments of the Mrayt Group are interpreted as littoral and shallow marine settings: tides- dominated estuary, tides-dominated delta systems and open coast tidal flat, under complex hydrodynamics strongly influenced by river discharge, tidal currents, waves and storms action.Sedimentation occurred in “the Maghrebian basin” under the interplay of: i) tectonics related to the Cenozoic collision of the African and Eurasian continental plates, ii) Cenozoic alternation of warm climate and cooling due to the increasing influence of Antarctica glaciation, iii) sediments supplies induced by rejuvenation of sedimentary sources and iv) sea level fluctuation related to the advance and retreat of ice-sheet on Antarctica.

Geochemistry of Volcanic Rocks of Beka, North East of Ngaoundéré (Adamawa Plateau, Cameroon): Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Context

Beka area is situated in the Adamaoua Plateau of Cameroon in central Arica. Lavas in this area has not been studied before the present work.The volcanism of Beka is characterized by basalt, trachyte and phonolite domes and flows. The petrographic study shows that basaltic lavas have porphyritic microlitic textures. The felsic lavas indicate trachytic textures.The rocks are composed of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase and irontitanium oxide minerals for the basalts; clinopyroxene, alkali feldspar (including foids), sphene and titanomagnetite for the felsic lavas. Chemical analyses show that basaltic lavas are basanites. Felsic lavas contain modal feldspathoid (nepheline in phonolites). All these lavas belong to the same series, because the felsic lavas are derived from the differentiation of basaltic lavas by fractional crystallization. They show an alkaline nature according to their geochemistry. Trace elements including Rare Earth Elements characteristics show that rocks emplaced in the Winthin Plate volcanic zone. They derived from an evolved parent magma showing a low degree of partial melting and characteristics closer to a modified and evolved primitive spinel lherzolite.

Tectonic Setting and Provenance of Eocene Sandstones of Disang Group, Tirap District, Arunachal Pradesh

The petrographic study of sandstone belonging to Disang Group of Eocene age shows that quartz and rock fragments are the main constituents among the framework grains. Feldspar percentage is low whereas plagioclase feldspar is dominant with the rare occurrence of K-feldspar. XRF-analysis reveals that SiO2, AI2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, TiO2, Na2O, K2O, CaO, MgO and P2O5 are the major and minor elements. SiO2 constitutes the major proportion of the oxides in the sediments. The study reveals that the provenance of these sandstones is mainly the igneous and metamorphic rocks, and the tectonic setting was an active continental margin. The presence of higher content of chert and mafic rock fragments points towards the ophiolite zone as a provenance. Detritus were possibly derived from the uplifted fold thrust belt of the Myanmar’s landmass with subordinate contribution from the Mishmi Hills region lying to the northeast of the study area.

Depositional Environment of the Upper Triassic Baluti Formation in Gara Anticline, Kurdistan Region, North Iraq: Insight from Microfacies and Biomarker Characteristics

The studied section is located in the core of the Gara Anticline, about 12 km southeast of Amedi Town. The Baluti Formation is generally composed of grey and green shale, calcareous, dolostone with intercalations of thinly bedded dolostones, dolomitic limestones, and silicified limestones which are occasionally brecciated. The petrographic study shows five main microfacies in the Baluti Formation namely; finely laminated dolomudstone, fossil-barren and lime mudstone, fenestral mudstone/packstone, peloids and ooids wackestone, and lithoclasts (intraclasts) grainstones. The mudstones facies with no fauna and radial-fibrous ooids can point to a protected and low energy environment. Moreover, fenestral structures are reliable criteria for identifying a tidal flat environment. The presence of the lithoclasts (intraclasts) with radial ooids and a few terrestrial fragments may represent a quiet environment, albeit one affected by infrequent storm deposits. As a supplementary to microfacies, the biomarker characterizations were used to deduce the depositional environment of the Baluti Formation. Biomarker parameters show that the Baluti Formation could be deposited in anoxic to suboxic environment, and organic matter input is more likely characterized by land plant organic matter. This study showed that the most likely paleoenvironments for the Baluti Formation were supratidal, intertidal, subtidal, and sand shoals setting. However, the lack and/or very low diversity of skeletal fauna, and the lack of subaerial exposure may indicate that some parts of the formation seem to be deposited in low energy and restricted environment (Lagoon).