Environmental and sequence stratigraphic implications of anhydrite textures: A case from the Lower Triassic of the Central Persian Gulf

The Lower Triassic Kangan Formation in the Persian Gulf (South Pars Gas Field) and its adjacent areas are composed of carbonate–evaporite sequences. These sediments were deposited in a shallow marine homoclinal ramp. Study of the anhydrite-bearing intervals shows various structures and textures. The anhydrite structures are mainly bedded, massive, chicken-wire and nodular type and the main textures are felted, sparse crystal, needle shape, lath shape, equant and fibrous. Pervasive and poikilotopic cement together with replacement and porphyroblastic gypsum are accounted as the most common diagenetic features in anhydrite. Evaluation of anhydrite occurrences and features support both primary and secondary formations. The nodular to chicken-wire anhydrite formed under synsedimentary sabkha conditions, whereas anhydrite cements occurred during the late stages of diagenesis (shallow burial stage). Massive to bedded anhydrite could have been formed under subaqueous conditions or originated by coalescing and continued growth of anhydrite nodules in the sabkha zone. Anhydrite fabrics impose a significant control on the reservoir quality of the Kangan carbonates at the South Pars Gas Field. Thick massive and bedded anhydrite could have been formed as an intraformational seals and anhydrite cements occluded pore spaces and reduced the poroperm values. The sequence stratigraphic analysis revealed two depositional sequences in the studied intervals, which are composed of TST and HST. Investigation of anhydrite throughout depositional sequences indicates a change in the content and style of anhydrite texture. Anhydrite content (volume) decreases upward through transgressive system tract (sea-level rise) whereas, it enhances during highstand system tract (sea-level fall). Pervasive and poikilotopic anhydrite cements together with replacement by anhydrite are prevalent features during transgressive and early highstand system tract. At the late HST, with a progradational stacking pattern, anhydrite value increases and felted, radial, equant, crystalline and mosaic texture are the most common anhydrite fabrics. Sequence boundaries that indicate maximum sea level fall and exposure of successions are marked by the broad anhydrite deposits with massive to bedded and chicken-wire structures and various textures that located in late HST package. There is an unambiguous relationship between the microfacies associations, the evaporite textures, and the sea-level fluctuations. This relationship could lead to a predictable pattern that can be of use as a general guide for the sequence stratigraphic interpretations in the area.