Coupling Relationship between Multistage Fluid Activity and Reservoir Abnormally High-Porosity Zones in the Songtao–Baodao Region, Qiongdongnan Basin

An abnormally high-porosity zone (AHPZ) is beneficial for petroleum exploration, especially for the deep tight reservoirs in a petroliferous basin. Because of lacking effective research methods, it is hard to analyze the formation process of AHPZs in different geological periods. From the perspective of the diagenetic fluid type and activity history, geochemical characteristics and fluid inclusions of diagenetic minerals were utilized to reconstruct the diagenetic fluid type and dynamic evolution. The ultimate goal is to study the genetic process of AHPZs in the Songtao–Baodao region of the Qiongdongnan basin, South China Sea. It was found that there are three sections of AHPZs at different burial depths, which are generally favorable for high-quality reservoirs. Moreover, it can be concluded that the AHPZs are closely related to multiple actions of various diagenetic fluids. The meteoric waters, organic acid, and thermal fluids facilitated the enlargement of porosity by dissolving minerals to form secondary pore spaces. The hydrocarbon fluids have positive effects on the preservation of pores by preventing cement from filling the pore space.

Diagenesis of Hunton Group Carbonates (Silurian) West Carney Field, Logan and Lincoln Counties, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

The West Carney Hunton Field (WCHF) is an important oil field in central Oklahoma. Deposited during a series of sea-level rises and falls on a shallow shelf, the Cochrane and Clarita Formations (Hunton Group) have undergone a complex series of diagenetic events. The Hunton section of the WCHF comprises dolomitized crinoidal packstones, brachiopod “reefs” and grainstones, thin intervals of fine-grained crinoidal wackestones, and infrequent mudstones that were diagenetically affected by repeated sea-level change. Widespread karst is evidenced by multiple generations of solution-enlarged fractures, vugs, and breccias, which extend through the entire thickness of the Hunton. Karst development likely occurred during sea-level lowstands. Partial to complete dolomitization of Hunton limestones is interpreted to have occurred as a result of convective circulation of normal seawater during sea-level highstands. Open-space-filling calcite cements postdate dolomitization and predate deposition of the overlying siliciclastic section, which comprises the Misener Sandstone and Woodford Shale. Petrographic evaluation and carbon and oxygen isotope values of the calcite cements suggest precipitation by Silurian seawater and mixed seawater and meteoric water. Carbon and oxygen isotopic signatures of dolomite may have been partially reset by dedolomitization that was concurrent with calcite cementation. Fluid inclusions in late diagenetic celestite crystals observed in the Clarita Formation indicate that the WCHF was invaded by saline basinal fluids and petroleum after burial, during later stages of diagenesis. The timing of late diagenetic fluid flow and petroleum generation likely was during the Ouachita orogeny, which was occurring to the south. There is no evidence that late diagenetic fluids significantly altered the dolomite reservoir that formed earlier. The WCHF provides an ancient example of early diagenetic dolomitization by seawater that remains relatively unaltered by later diagenetic events.

Diagenetic Pore Fluid Evolution and Dolomitization of the Silurian and Devonian Carbonates, Huron Domain of Southwestern Ontario: Petrographic, Geochemical and Fluid Inclusion Evidence

Core samples from two deep boreholes were analyzed for petrographic, stable and Sr isotopes, fluid inclusion microthermometry and major, minor, trace and rare-earth elements (REE) of different types of dolomite in the Silurian and Devonian carbonates of the eastern side of the Michigan Basin provided useful insights into the nature of dolomitization, and the evolution of diagenetic pore fluids in this part of the basin. Petrographic features show that both age groups are characterized by the presence of a pervasive replacive fine-crystalline (<50 µm) dolomite matrix (RD1) and pervasive and selective replacive medium crystalline (>50–100 µm) dolomite matrix (RD2 and RD3, respectively). In addition to these types, a coarse crystalline (>500 µm) saddle dolomite cement (SD) filling fractures and vugs is observed only in the Silurian rocks. Results from geochemical and fluid inclusion analyses indicate that the diagenesis of Silurian and Devonian formations show variations in terms of the evolution of the diagenetic fluid composition. These fluid systems are: (1) a diagenetic fluid system that affected Silurian carbonates and was altered by salt dissolution post-Silurian time. These carbonates show a negative shift in δ18O values (dolomite δ18O average: −6.72‰ VPDB), Sr isotopic composition slightly more radiogenic than coeval seawater (0.7078–0.7087), high temperatures (RD2 and SD dolomite Th average: 110 °C) and hypersaline signature (RD2 and SD dolomite average salinity: 26.8 wt.% NaCl eq.); and (2) a diagenetic fluid system that affected Devonian carbonates, possibly occurred during the Alleghenian orogeny in Carboniferous time and characterized by a less pronounced negative shift in δ18O values (dolomite δ18O average: −5.74‰ VPDB), Sr isotopic composition in range with the postulated values for coeval seawater (0.7078–0.7080), lower temperatures (RD2 dolomite Th average: 83 °C) and less saline signature (RD2 dolomite average salinity: 20.8 wt.% NaCl eq.).

Geological Controls on Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Permian and Jurassic Coals in the Shanbei Coalfield, Shaanxi Province, North China

Coal as the source of critical elements has attracted much attention and the enrichment mechanisms are of significant importance. This paper has an opportunity to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Permian and Jurassic bituminous coals and associated non-coals from two underground coal mines in the Shanbei Coalfield (Northeast Ordos basin), Shaanxi Province, North China, based on the analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic-emission spectrometry (ICP-AES/MS), and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The Jurassic and Permian coals have similar chemical features excluding ash yield, which is significantly higher in the Permian coals. Major mineral matters in the Jurassic coals are quartz, kaolinite, and calcite. By contrast, mineral assemblages of the Permian coals are dominated by kaolinite; and apatite occurring in the middle section’s partings. The Jurassic coals are only enriched in B, whereas the Permian coals are enriched in some trace elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, Th, and REY). Boron has a mixed inorganic and organic association which may be absorbed by organic matter from fluid (or groundwater) or inherited from coal-forming plants. Additionally, climatic variation also plays an important role. As for the Permian coals, kaolinite and apatite as the major carriers of elevated elements; the former were derived from the sedimentary source region (the Yinshan Oldland and the Benxi formation) and later precipitated from Ca-, and P-rich solutions. We deduced that those elevated elements may be controlled by the source rock and diagenetic fluid input. The findings of this work offered new data to figure out the mechanism of trace element enrichment of coal in the Ordos basin.

Lithium-Rich Claystone in the McDermitt Caldera, Nevada, USA: Geologic, Mineralogical, and Geochemical Characteristics and Possible Origin

Lithium deposits in tuffaceous sediments of the McDermitt caldera constitute possibly the world’s largest Li clay resource, yet their characteristics and origin are not established. The 40 × 25 km McDermitt caldera collapsed during the eruption of ~1000 km3 of a 16.4 Ma, zoned peralkaline to metaluminous tuff; minor caldera magmatism ceased by 16.1 Ma. About 200 m of sediments mostly composed of glass from regional pyroclastic eruptions accumulated in the caldera until about 15.7 Ma. Closed hydrologic system diagenesis (CHSD) altered the tuffaceous sediments to a consistent vertical mineral zonation of clay, analcime, K-feldspar, and albite. Entire sedimentary sections in the southern and western parts of the caldera basin have ≥1500 ppm Li. Lithium-rich intervals are dominantly claystone. The most thoroughly studied deposit is a laterally continuous, ~3000 ppm Li zone in the lower sedimentary section that also has high K, Rb, Mo, As, and Sb (and partly Mg and F). Lithium occurs as an illitic clay (tainiolite?). The overlying, upper sedimentary section averages <2000 ppm Li which resides in smectite (hectorite). A transitional zone has variably mixed smectite–illite clay and averages ~2000 ppm Li. An 40Ar/39Ar age of ~14.9 Ma on authigenic K-feldspar in the illite zone is ~1.2 Ma younger than the 16.1 Ma end of magmatism in the caldera, which mitigates against a simple hydrothermal origin. Closed hydrologic system diagenesis was essential to Li mineralization, but Li budget calculations suggest a source of Li in addition to the tuffaceous sediments is required. This additional source could be Li originally in highly enriched magma that entered the diagenetic system through either (1) Li in magma exsolved into a hydrous volatile phase during eruption. The Li-rich volatile phase coated glass shards or was trapped in pumice and was quickly leached by surface or groundwater upon deposition in the caldera. (2) Residual magma immediately following ash-flow eruption and caldera collapse generated Li-rich hydrothermal fluids that mixed with meteoric water in the closed caldera basin, generating a hybrid diagenetic fluid. The hydrothermal fluid and hybrid diagenetic fluids would have existed only during initial basin sedimentation between about 16.4 and 16.1 Ma.