Cuencas Sedimentarias

DEVELOPMENTS IN SEDIMENTOLOGY 46

Carbonate Diagenesis and Porosity



PREFACE

This book is an outgrowth of an annual seminar delivered to the Industrial Associates of the Applied Carbonate Research Program for the past 12 years here in Baton Rouge, and a number of public short courses given at various localities in the U.S. and Europe under the auspices of Oil and Gas Consultants ofTulsa, Oklahoma. The aim of these courses and the purpose of this book is to provide the working geologist, and the university graduate student, with a reasonable overview of carbonate diagenesis and its influence on the evolution of carbonate porosity. It is an enormously complex subject, incorporating large dollops of petrography, geochemistry, hydrology, mineralogy, and some would say,witchcraft. I do hope that in my effort to make carbonate diagenesis and porosity evolution understandable to the “normal geologist” that I have not damaged the subject by drifting too far toward over-simplification. In the discussion of tools useful for ehe recognition of diagenetic environments, I have stressed the value of basic petrology and geologic setting because of the perceived audience of thisbook. In the case of geochemical techniques I attempt to give a balanced view concerning the strengths and constraints of each technique at its present state of development, with the purpose of alerting the reader to the pits and traps that abound in modern high tech geoscience, and to help the reader to evaluate modem published studies in carbonate diagenesis. Case histories must be an integralpart of any work treating the interrelationships of diagenesis and porosity. The case histories presented here were chosen on the basis of how well the details of porosity evolution could be tied to specific diagenetic evironments, the level of documentation of the case study, the demonstrated economic importance of the sequence, and finally, the familiarity of the author with the area and the rocks.No particular effort was made to ensure that specific regions, or geological ages were represented, because it is strongly felt that the concepts being developed in the book, and dacumented in the case histories are, in generalneither site nor age specific. Nevertheless it is realized, principally because of the author’s experience, that the book is heavily wrinJlted toward the Americas. Perhapsthis unintended provincialism can be rectified itbe future. Xnumber of people have assisted in the preparation of this work. The manuscript was read in its entirety by Ellen Tye, Emily Stoudt, and Chad McCabe. Their comments a d observations were very helpful and many found their way into the final version. Jay Banmi read the sections on trace elements and isotopes and his suggestions were

VIPREFACE

particularly beneficial. Marlene Moore constructed and maintained the bibliographic data base, and together with Brenda Kirkland, produced the reference section. Mary Lee Eggert, Clifford Duplechain, and James Kennedy produced the figures, while Dana Maxwell printed the photos. The manuscript was edited by Lynn Abadie with the able assistence of Marlene Moore and Brenda Kirkland .Dr. Douglas Kirkland served as consulting grammarian. Brenda Kirkland organized the “Index Gang” consisting of Brian Carter, Allison Drew, Pete George, Ezat Heydari, Marilyn Huff, Kasana Pitakpaivan,Tinka Saxena, Bill Schramm, Chekchanok Soonthornsaratul,Bill Wade, and Paul Wilson. This group produced the index. The Industrial Associates of the Applied Carbonate Research Program, the Basin ResearchInstitute, and Louisiana State University are thanked for support during the project. The manuscript was produced camera ready in house on a Macintosh SE. This book is dedicated to Marlene Mutz Moore, a lady of courage, class, and a ready smile. She has touched us, her friends, family, and compatriots, and we are the better for it. February 16,1989 Baton Rouge, La. Clyde H. Moore

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