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Clay mineral diagenesis in sedimentary basins — a key to the prediction of rock properties. Examples from the North Sea Basin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

K. Bjørlykke
K. Bjørlykke*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Box 1047 Blindern, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
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Abstract

Dissolution of feldspar and mica and precipitation of kaolinite require a through flow of meteoric water to remove cations such as Na+ and K+ and silica. Compaction driven pore-water flow is in most cases too slow to be significant in terms of transport of solids. The very low solubility of A1 suggests that precipitation of new authigenic clay minerals requires unstable Al-bearing precursor minerals. Chlorite may form diagenetically from smectite and from kaolinite when a source of Fe and Mg is present. In the North Sea Basin, the main phase of illite precipitation reducing the quality of Jurassic reservoirs occurs at depths close to 4 km (130-140°C) but the amount of illite depends on the presence of both kaolinite and K-feldspar. Clay mineral reactions in shales and sandstones are very important factors determining mechanical and chemical compaction and are thus critical for realistic basin modelling.

Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , March 1998 , pp. 15 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1998

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