Controls on reservoir development in a shelf carbonate: Upper Jurassic smackover formation of Alabama
- Geological Survey of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States)
- Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
Hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation in Alabama are predominately oolitic and pelletal dolostone. Pore systems are dominated by moldic and secondary intraparticle pores, intercrystalline pores, or mixtures of these pore types. All Smackover reservoirs in Alabama have been strongly affected by early cementation, dissolution of calcium-carbonate allochems, and dolomitization. Dolomitization of the Smackover in Alabama included penecontemporaneous, early burial, and late (deep) burial episodes. Fabric-selective dolomitization yielded reservoirs strongly influenced by both depositional fabric and diagenesis. Nonselective dolomitization yielded reservoirs with intercrystalline pore systems shaped primarily by diagenesis. Thermal exposure is inversely related to porosity, but the relationship is weak (r{sup 2} < 0.5). Fabric-selective dolostone is slightly more porous than nonselective dolostone when averaged over the entire study area (averages of 18.1% and 15.1%, respectively; p = 0.0001), but nonselective dolostone is more porous at a given level of equivalent vitrinite reflectance. Smackover fields on the north flank of the Wiggins arch are unusually porous given their level of thermal maturity, and are unusual in other ways as well. Local porosity variation was controlled by depositional fabric, early cementation, dissolution, and burial compaction and cementation. Regional permeability variation cannot be explained using existing data. Permeability is locally controlled by pore-throat size, the effects of dolomite crystal-size distribution, early cementation, fracturing, and burial compaction and cementation. Pore-throat size exhibits the strongest overall correlation with permeability (r{sup 2} = 0.54). Permeability and porosity are strongly correlated locally, but the regional correlation is weak.
- OSTI ID:
- 75749
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin, Vol. 78, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Development of a predictive model for corosity distribution in the Smackover Formation of southwest Alabama. Final report, project year 1984-1985
INTEGRATED GEOLOGIC-ENGINEERING MODEL FOR REEF AND CARBONATE SHOAL RESERVOIRS ASSOCIATED WITH PALEOHIGHS: UPPER JURASSIC SMACKOVER FORMATION, NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO