Cycle stratigraphy and porosity in Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian shelf limestones, eastern Central Basin Platform, Texas
- Unocal Energy Resources, Brea, CA (United States)
- Cambridge Univ. (United Kingdom)
- Unocal Energy Resources, Midland, TX (United States)
Pennyslvanian and Lower Permian shelfal limestones were studied in core and wireline logs on the eastern side of the Central Basin platform in west Texas. Sixty-three (63) cycles were delineated in the study interval, which includes 200-250 m of Canyon (Missourian), Cisco (Virgilian), and Wolfcamp strata. Four general lithofacies are present: fossiliferous wackestones and packstones, grainstones, phylloid algal boundstones, and shales. These lithologies typically occur in 1-18-m-thick cycles bounded by subaerial exposure surfaces. Grainstones in the upper part of some cycles indicate a shallowing of environments prior to subaerial exposure. Many cycles have subaerial exposure surfaces developed on subtidal fossiliferous wackestones or packstones suggesting rapid falls in sea level. Long-term transgressive intervals (transgressive systems tracts or TST) are dominated by thick (>4 m) cycles, whereas long-term regressive intervals (highstand systems tract or HST) are dominated by thinner cycles. Stable carbon isotope data suggest that thick cycles in TSTs were subjected to short periods of subaerial exposure, whereas thin cycles in the HSTs were subjected to much longer subaerial exposure. Where present, reservoir-grade porosity occurs in the upper part of cycles, 0.3-5 m below subaerial exposure surfaces. Prolonged subaerial exposure apparently reduced matrix porosity by allowing more time for calcite precipitation, which was especially effective in reducing porosity in micritic strata below exposure surfaces.
- OSTI ID:
- 44948
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin, Vol. 78, Issue 12; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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