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Significance of clays in the petroleum geology of the Niger Delta

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

D. O. Lambert-Aikhionbare
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7, UK
H. F. Shaw
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7, UK

Abstract

Sediments of the Tertiary Akata and Agbada Formations have been studied by mineralogical and petrographic techniques. In the Akata and Agbada shales the clays are largely detrital, with only minimal alteration attributable to the effects of burial diagenesis. Clay minerals occur in minor (<10%) amounts in the reservoir sandstones of the Agbada Formation both as detrital and authigenic phases. There are significant differences between the clay assemblages of the water- and hydrocarbon-bearing sandstones. The latter have lower overall clay contents and authigenic kaolinite, whilst authigenic kaolinite and smectite are present in the water-saturated sandstones. These differences are thought to be related to the early migration of hydrocarbons into the reservoir sands. The causes of the poor degree of cementation in the Agbada sandstones are discussed along with the engineering problems posed by their very friable nature.

Resume

Resume

Les sédiments de formation Akata et Agbada du tertiaire ont été étudiés par des techniques minéralogiques et pérographiques. Dans les schistes Akata et Agbada les argiles sont essentiellement détritiques avec seulement une altération minimale attribuable aux effets de la diagénèse d'enfouissement. Les minéraux argileux sont présents en faible quantité (< 10%) dans les grès réservoirs, de la formation Agbada à la fois sous forme de phases détritiques et authigènes. Il existe des differences significatives entre les assemblages des argiles des grès contenant de l'eau ou des hydrocarbures. Ces derniers ont des teneurs moyennes plus faibles en argiles et contiennent de la kaolinite authigène, alors que la kaolinite authigène et les smectites sont présentes dans les grès saturés d'eau. On pense que ces différences sont liées à la migration précoce des hydrocarbures dans les sables réservoirs. Les causes du faible degré de cimentation des grès d'Agbada sont examinées en liaison avec les problèmes technologiques engendrés par leur nature très friable.

Kurzreferat

Kurzreferat

Sedimente der tertiären Akata und Agbada Schichten wurden mittels mineralogischer und petrographischer Techniken untersucht. In den Akata und Agbada Schiefertonen sind die Tone größtenteils detritisch, mit nur minimalen Umwandlungen, die auf Auswirkungen der Absenkungsdiagenese zurückzuführen sind. Die in den Speichersandsteinen der Agbada Schichten nur in geringem Umfang vorhandenen Tonminerale, sind sowohl detritischer als auch authigener Entstehung. Zwischen den Tonmineralformen der Wasser- und kohlenstofführenden Sandsteine gibt es signifikante Differenzen. Letztere haben insgesamt niedrigere Tongehalte und authigenen Kaolinit, während authigene Kaolinite und Smectite in den Wassergesättigten Sandsteinen vorliegen. Es wird vermutet, daß diese Unterschiede mit der frühen Verlagerung von Kohlenwasserstoffen in die Speichersande in Beziehung stehen. Die Ursachen für den geringen Zementierungsgrad der Agbada-Sandsteine werden zusammen mit den duch ihren äußerst brüchigen Zustand auftretenden ingenieurtechnischen Problemen diskutiert.

Resumen

Resumen

Se han estudiado sedimentos de las formaciones terciarias de Akata y Agbada mediante técnicas mineralógicas y petrográficas. En las pizarras de ambas formaciones las arcillas son esencialmente detríticas con pequeñas alteraciones debidas a los efectos de la diagénesis de enterramiento. Los minerales de la arcilla se presentan en pequeña cantidad (<10%) en el yacimiento presente en las areniscas de la formacion Agbada, tanto en las fáicies detríticas como en las autigenas. Existen diferencias significativas entre las asociaciones arcillosas de las areniscas con y sin hidrocarburos. Las areniscas con hidrocarburos contienen menores cantidades de arcilla en general y de caolinita autigena en particular, mientras que en las areniscas saturadas con agua se presentan mayores cantidades de caolinita autigena y esmectita. Estas diferencias parecen estar relacionadas con la emigracion precoz de hidrocarburos en las arenas elmacen. La causas del pobre grado de cementacion de las areniscas de la formacion Agbada se discuten junto con los problemas ingenieriles impuestos por su naturaleza friable.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1982

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