Role of cementation in diagenetic history of Devonian reefs, western Canada

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6045139

Walls, R A; Burrowes, G

Devonian (Givetian and Frasnian) reef reservoirs in Alberta and British Columbia contain 60% of the conventional recoverable oil and 20% of the recoverable gas in the Western Canada sedimentary basin. Although the depositional history of these reefs is well understood, it is the diagenetic overprint that is often responsible for their reservoir quality. Regardless of differences in size, depositional history, and age, most reefs have been subjected to diagenesis in essentially three environments: (1) submarine (marine to hypersaline pore waters), (2) subaerial (fresh to brackish pore waters), and (3) subsurface (below phreatic aquifers, saline to brackish pore waters). Primary porosity and permeability are altered by the overlapping processes of cementation and solution (vadose and/or phreatic) that occur early in the diagenetic history. In reef interiors these subaerial processes produce stratified reservoirs with impermeable barriers (cemented beds) to vertical flow (e.g., Golden Spike, Swan Hills, Judy Creek). Submarine cementation is rare in most reefs but can be locally pervasive resulting in occlusion of bank margin and fore-reef porosity. Absence of significant subsurface cementation in many reefs (e.g., Redwater, Golden Spike) aids in preservation of the reservoirs formed during earlier diagenesis.

• Research Organization: Petrosec Exploration Co., Houston, TX
• OSTI ID: 6045139
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Vol. 67:3; ISSN AAPGB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALBERTA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
BUILDING MATERIALS
CANADA
CEMENTS
DEVONIAN PERIOD
DIAGENESIS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POROSITY
REEFS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES