Standard facies models to incorporate all heterogeneity levels in a reservoir model

The construction of reservoir models is frustrated by the fact that core and well cover only a fraction of the reservoir volume and it is therefore difficult to determine features like facies shape, -size, and -distribution, inter- and intra-facies boundaries and lateral trends from them. These features are, however, critical to fluid flow and they should necessarily be incorporated in the reservoir model and we therefore propose to systematically describe geometry and distribution of facies. To this end we make use of “standard facies models” that a priori contain all elements and boundaries of facies for a number of typical depositional environments.     

Facies recognition of some Tertiary coals applied to prediction of oil source rock occurrence

Coals are oil source rocks in many of the Tertiary basins of Southeast Asia. The precursors of these hydrogen rich and oxygen poor coals are coastal plain peats which have mainly developed in an everwet and tropical climate. In these environments water flow and reworking can concentrate liptinitic kerogen in preference to vitrinitic kerogen. The distribution, petrography and chemistry of the coaly Miocene source rocks present in the Kutai Basin are described. The recognition of environmental controls on the accumulation of potentially oil-prone coals and coaly shales in deltaic environments is an aid to predictive source bed recognition in petroleum exploration. Comments on the environment of deposition of coaly sediments in the basins of the Norwegian Sea are discussed with reference to their possible oil and/or gas sourcing potential. The Triassic - Jurassic coals of the Haltenbanken area may become more oil-prone towards the delta margins, and facies mapping could aid oil exploration in this area.     

Sedimentary facies and climate control on formation of vivianite and siderite microconcretions in sediments of Lake Baikal, Siberia

Authigenic vivianite and siderite microconcretions were found, respectively, in hemipelagic and deltaic facies of 600-m-long BDP-98 sediment section from Lake Baikal. Textural investigations of these microconcretions show that they are typically <1 mm in size, irregular in shape and composed of aggregated crystallites. Dissimilar orientation of vivianite and siderite crystallites suggests formation at different depths in the sediment; up to tens of centimeters for vivianite and tens of meters for siderite. Chemical analyses of both the vivianite and the siderite indicate cation composition characterized by minor amounts of Mn, Ca and Mn apart from the dominating Fe. Rather limited and distinctive carbon isotopic composition of the siderite, with δ ¹³C_VPDB values between about +13 and +16‰, implies formation of the mineral in the methanogenic zone of diagenesis. Isotopic composition of oxygen in the siderite (δ ¹⁸O_VPDB values between about −10 and -11‰ ) is consistent with crystallization temperature at about 10–30°C and water δ ¹⁸O_SMOW values between about −10 and -16‰ . The distribution of the authigenic minerals in the section suggests changes in both sedimentary facies and climate, where vivianite formation was controlled by hemipelagic depositional conditions during the Pliocene and Quaternary, whereas siderite reflects impact of deltaic conditions during the Miocene.     

The ups and downs of “Tectonic Quiescence”—recognizing differential subsidence in the epicontinental sea of the Oxfordian in the Swiss Jura Mountains

Recent studies in northern Switzerland have shown that epicontinental areas thought to have been tectonically stable during the Mesozoic were not necessarily as rigid as presumed. By comparing Oxfordian facies boundaries and depocenters in their palinspastic position with known faults in the basement, a direct relationship between the two can be demonstrated. Previously, the lack of obvious synsedimentary tectonic features has lulled scientists into believing that the realm of the Swiss Jura was tectonically stable during the Mesozoic. However, it can be shown that facies and sedimentary structures are largely influenced by tectonics. Subsurface data provide evidence for the presence of Paleozoic troughs in the basement which, apparently, were prone to reactivation during the Pan-European stress-field reorganization taking place in the Late Jurassic. This led to differential subsidence along pre-existing lineaments within the study area, which can be recognized in the distribution of Oxfordian epicontinental basins and their coeval shallow-water counterparts. Eustatic sea-level fluctuations played an important role in the development of shallow-water facies patterns, but a subordinate role in the control of accommodation space in basins.

While tectonic activity is often recorded in the sedimentary record in the form of platform break-ups and associated sedimentary debris, more subtle indicators may be overlooked or even misinterpreted. Sedimentary structures and isopach maps, as well as subsurface data in the study area suggest that subtle synsedimentary tectonic movements led to the formation of two shallow, diachronous epicontinental basins during the Late Jurassic. It becomes possible to recognize and differentiate the combined effects of local and regional tectonism, eustasy and sedimentation.     

云南泸沽湖畔石炭系-二叠系生物地层再研究

着重讨论沪沽湖畔相当于石炭系(三分)上统马平阶地层的划分和对比。认为其大部属于我国二叠系(三分)的下二叠统紫松阶(阿瑟尔阶—萨克马尔阶)，上部的硅质页岩已进入隆林阶(亚丁斯克阶)。根据岩性特征及古生物混生现象，推测除顶部外，大部为斜坡相沉积。其中的部分生物应是再沉积产物。     

Depositional environments of the Triassic system in central Saudi Arabia

Facies analysis of Triassic rocks in central Saudi Arabia indicates a wide expanse of interfingering siliciclastic and carbonate rocks with some evaporites. Eight distinctive sedimentary facies have been recognized. The distribution of these facies show a systematic gradual change in their presumed depositional environments, laterally as well as vertically. The Lower Triassic Sudair facies represents a widespread regressive condition where the Upper Permian marine conditions gave way to the Lower Triassic with predominantly fine clastic deposits representing a restricted shallow marine shelf. This fine-grained clastic facies consists mainly of unfossiliferous, laminated or massive, varicoloured shale with some silty shale, siltstone and very fine-to fine-grained sandstone. The facies is highly calcareous and gypsiferous in the northern area. A belt of Middle Triassic rocks of mostly non-marine sandstone with some shale is present in the southern area passing into mixed siliciclastic-carbonate facies of continental aspect with some intermittent emergence and nearshore conditions in the central area. This facies grades in the northern area into carbonate-evaporite facies of restricted to more open marine shelf conditions. Thick siliciclastic deposits characterize the Upper Triassic Minjur facies, where a uniform repeated fining-upward sequence of mainly sandstone and some shale developed in a non-marine environment with some intermittent emergence in the northern area.     

Miocene facies associations and sedimentary evolution of the Southern Transylvanian Basin (Romania): Implications for hydrocarbon exploration

The Transylvanian Basin is a mature hydrocarbon province of Romania characterized by two petroleum systems: Mesozoic (thermogenic) and Miocene (biogenic). An extensive outcrop-based sedimentological and micropaleontological study correlated to seismic and well data discusses the elements of the Miocene petroleum system. The facies associations are indicative of alluvial, fandelta, shallow- and deep-marine settings. These are grouped into four different depositional systems (evaporite, mud-carbonate, sand-mud and sand-gravel). Their evolution in time and space shows large differences between various parts of the basin that have important consequences for exploration.     

Reservoir potential of Late Cretaceous terrestrial to shallow marine sandstones,Taranaki Basin,New Zealand

Late Cretaceous coals and coaly source rocks are the main source of hydrocarbons in the Taranaki Basin, yet to date there have not been any hydrocarbon discoveries within Cretaceous strata, and sandstone distribution and reservoir quality for this interval have been poorly understood. The Late Cretaceous sediments were deposited in several sub-basins across Taranaki, with their distribution largely determined by sediment supply, subsidence, and sea level change. In this study, we describe potential reservoir facies in well penetrations of Cretaceous strata in Taranaki, as well as from outcrop in northwest Nelson, on the southern edge of the basin.