Some effects of compaction and geological time on the pore parameters of argillaceous rocks

Graphical statistics have been applied to the pore-size distribution curves of argillaceous rocks to characterize the changes in pore parameters that result from compaction and geological time. The most striking characteristic of recently deposited sediment is the high variability in mean pore size and in the sorting and skewness of the pore system. The mean pore size ranges from 15 to 980 nm, sorting ranges from very well sorted to poorly sorted, and skewness varies from systems in which small pores predominate over large ones to systems in which large pores predominate. This high variability in pore structure represents the many environmental and mineral-related variables that affect the pore system of newly deposited sediment. The mean pore size of shales decreases with increasing compaction and approaches a limiting value of about 3·5 nm at depth. Within a geological time span of 50 m.y. and/or depth of burial of about 1200 m, most sediments have reached an irreversible, well sorted pore-size distribution. Early diagenetic processes apparently affect the skewness of pore systems more than compaction, such that within about 50 m.y. the pore system is negatively skewed, with small pores predominating over large. Sediments buried to a depth of 500 m or less exhibit a porosity range of 40--85%; below 500 m, porosity decreases linearly with burial depth. No correlation exists between the surface area of shale pore systems and depth of burial, geological age, and the pore parameters mean pore size, sorting, and skewness.