Geochemistry of post-uplift calcite in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Geological Society of America, Bulletin; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1993)105<0779:GOPUCI>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:6231631

Wiggins, W D; Harris, P M ^[1]; Burruss, R C ^[2]

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1. Chevron Oil Field Research Company, La Habra, CA (United States)
2. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

Integration whole-oil gas chromatography of produced oil and oil inclusions, formation-water chemistry, and stable isotopes has identified environment-diagnostic differences in calcite cements between oil field and outcrop environments in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. Calcite-[delta][sup 13]C and fluid-inclusion composition are the most diagnostic of pore-fluid evolution and can help interpret rock-fluid reactions. Late-stage calcite cement in the northwestern part of the basin formed in a meteoric aquifer that was emplaced by Neogene-age uplift and tilting of the Guadalupe Mountains. Where the confined aquifer intersects the Henderson oil field, the water, which is less saline than sea water, has 900-1,400 ppm bicarbonate alkalinity because of oil oxidation and contains 750 ppm H[sub 2]S as a result of anhydrite calcitization and sulfate reduction. The oil field has been severly damaged by biodegradation. Modeling of [delta][sup 13]C in pore-filling calcite from the field (mean [delta][sup 13]C = [minus]17% PDB) suggests oxidation of oil provided nearly 100% of the carbon in the cement. Comparison of gas chromatograms of produced oil and oil liberated from fluid inclusions in calcite shows that inclusion oil is older and more severely biodegraded (paraffin-free) than produced oil. This implies that oil in the reservoir was remobilized soon after Neogene-age meteoric invasion and carbonate cementation. The Algerita Escarpment in the Guadalupe Mountains is the site of active meteoric water recharge and growth of phreatic calcite cement. The phreatic cement contains single-phase, aqueous fluid inclusions. The cement is depleted in [sup 13]C to an extent that is diagnostic of a 1:1 mixture of soil-CO[sub 2] from decay of C[sub 4]-type plants (desert grasses) and carbon derived from dolomite matrix by ground-water dissolution. 64 refs., 12 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6231631
• Journal Information: Geological Society of America, Bulletin; (United States), Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Bulletin; (United States) Vol. 105:6; ISSN 0016-7606; ISSN BUGMAF
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
AQUIFERS
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CALCITE
CARBON 13
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBONATE MINERALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DECOMPOSITION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
METEORIC WATER
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NUCLEI
OIL FIELDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMIAN PERIOD
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WATER