Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T08:49:30.088Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The nature, origin and distribution of authigenic clay minerals from Middle Jurassic Ravenscar and Brent Group sandstones

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

J. Kantorowicz*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, Humberside HU6 7RX

Abstract

Middle Jurassic sandstones contain a variety of authigenic clay materials. The origin and distribution of these are related to the influence of several factors, principally depositional pore-fluid chemistry, sandbody geometry and the migration of aggressive fluids. Pore-lining illite, pore-lining chlorite and pore-filling vermiform kaolinite in the Ravenscar Group mutually exclude each other because of depositional pore-water chemistry; seawater in the case of the illite, anoxic freshwater in the case of chlorite and oxygenated freshwater in the case of the kaolinite. Blocky pore-filling dickite occurs ubiquitously within the large connected sandbodies. Its origin may be related to the migration of aggressive fluids and its distribution to depositional sandbody geometry. Mixed-layer chlorite-vermiculite also occurs, and is believed to have formed from chlorite during Recent weathering. Similar patterns occur in Ninian Field Brent Group sandstones, although the situation is more complicated (in these sandstones the kandite subgroup minerals are undifferentiated in this paper). Here too, pore-lining illite occurs in marine sandstones and pore-filling vermiform kandites in non-marine sandstones. However, vermiform kandites also occur in the marine sandstones, perhaps due to freshwater-table development following progradation. The more blocky kandites occur in large connected sandbodies. Finally, a second phase of illitization occurs, postdating blocky kandites, perhaps caused by alkaline formation waters. The occurrence of chlorite in the Broom Formation is anomalous and its possible origin is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albright, W.A., Turner, W.L. & Williamson, K.R. (1980) Ninian Field, U.K. sector, North Sea. Pp. 173-193 in: Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade 1968-1978 (Halbouty, M. T., editor). Mem. Am. Ass. Petrol. Geol. 30.Google Scholar
Bailey, S.W. (1980) Summary of recommendations of AIPEA nomenclature committee. Clay Miner. 15, 8593.Google Scholar
Benson, L.V. & Teague, L.S. (1982) Diagenesis of basalts from the Pasco Basch, Washington I. Distribution and composition of secondary mineral phases. J. sedim. Petrol. 52, 595613.Google Scholar
Bjørlykke, K., Elverhoi, K.A. & Malm, A.O. (1979) Diagenesis in Mesozoic sandstones from Spitsbergen and the North Sea, a comparison. Geol. Rdsch. 68, 11521171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boles, J.R. & Franks, S.G. (1979) Clay mineral diagenesis in Wilcox of south-west Texas: implications of smectite diagenesis in sandstone cementation. J. sedim. Petrol. 49, 5570.Google Scholar
Bourgeois, J. (1980) A transgressive shelf sequence exhibiting hummocky stratification: the Cape Sebastin sandstone (Upper Cretaceous) southwestern Oregon. J. sedim. Petrol. 50, 681702.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brindley, G.W. & Brown, G. (1980) Crystal Structures of Clay Minerals and their X-ray Identification. Mineralogical Society, London, 455 pp.Google Scholar
Bucke, D.P. & Mankin, C.J. (1971) Clay mineral diagenesis within interlaminated shales and sandstones. J. sedim. Petrol. 41, 971981.Google Scholar
Budding, M.C. & Inglin, H.F. (1981) A reservoir geological model of the Brent sands in Southern Cormorant. Pp. 326-334 in: Petroleum Geology of the Continental Shelf of North-west Europe (Illing, L. V. & Hobson, G. D., editors). Heyden & Sons, London.Google Scholar
Collins, A.G. (1975) Geochemistry of Oilfield Waters (Developments in Petroleum Science 1). Elsevier, Amsterdam & New York, 496 pp.Google Scholar
Curtis, C.D. (1977) Sedimentary geochemistry: environments and processes dominated by involvement of an aqueous phase. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A286, 353371.Google Scholar
Curtis, C.D. (1978) Possible links between sandstone diagenesis and depth-related geochemical reactions occurring in enclosing mudstones. J. geol. Soc. 135, 107117.Google Scholar
Curtis, C.D. (1980) Diagenetic alteration in black shales. J. geol. Soc. 137, 189194.Google Scholar
Curtis, C.D. (1983) Geochemistry of porosity enhancement and reduction in clastic sediments. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub. 12, 113125.Google Scholar
Curtis, C.D. & Spears, D.A. (1971) Diagenetic development of kaolinite. Clays Clay Miner. 19, 219227.Google Scholar
De'Ath, N.G. & Schuyleman, S.F. (1981) The geology of the Magnus Oilfield. Pp. 342351 in: Petroleum Geology of the Continental Shelf of North-west Europe (Ming, L. V. & Hobson, G. D., editors). Heyden & Sons, London.Google Scholar
Eynon, G. (1981) Basin development and sedimentation in the Middle Jurassic of the Northern North Sea. Pp. 196204 in: Petroleum Geology of the Continental Shelf of North-west Europe (Illing, L. V. & Hobson, G. D., editors). Heyden & Sons, London.Google Scholar
Fanning, D.S. & Keramides, V.Z. (1977) Micas. Pp. 195258 in: Minerals in Soil Environments (Dixon, J. B. & Weed, S. B., editors). Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin.Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, E.A. (1980) Soils. Their Formation Classification and Distribution. 2nd edition. Longman, London, 453 pp.Google Scholar
Hancock, N.J. & Taylor, A.M. (1978) Clay mineral diagenesis and oil migration in the Middle Jurassic Brent Sand Formation. J. geol. Soc. 135, 6972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hanson, R.F., Zamora, R. & Keller, W.D. (1981) Nacrite, dickite and kaoliniite in one deposit in Nayarit, Mexico. Clays Clay Miner. 29, 451453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harder, H. (1974) Illite mineral synthesis at surface temperatures. Chem. Geol. 14, 241253.Google Scholar
Harder, H. (1978) Synthesis of iron-layer silicate minerals under natural conditions. Clays Clay Miner. 26, 6572.Google Scholar
Harris, T.M. (1953). The geology of the Yorkshire Flora. Proc. Yorks. geol. Soc. 29, 6371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemingway, J.E. & Brindley, G.W. (1952) The occurrence of dickite in some sedimentary rocks. Rep. 18th Int. Geol. Congr. London 13, 308.Google Scholar
Huang, P.M. (1977) Feldspars, olivines, pyroxenes and amphiboles. Pp. 553602 in: Minerals in Soil Environments (Dixon, J. B. & Weed, S. B., editors). Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, 948 pp.Google Scholar
Kastner, M. & Siever, R. (1979) Low-temperature feldspars in sedimentary rocks. Am. J. Sci. 279, 435479.Google Scholar
Keller, W.D. (1976) Scan electron micrographs of kaolins collected from diverse environments of origin—1. Clays Clay Miner. 24, 107133.Google Scholar
Livera, S.E. & Leeder, M.R. (1981) The Middle Jurassic Ravenscar Group (Deltaic Series) of Yorkshire: recent sedimentological studies as demonstrated during a recent Field Meeting, 2-3 May 1980. Proc. Geol. Ass. 92, 241250.Google Scholar
Milliken, K.L., Land, L.S. & Loucks, R.G. (1981) History of burial diagenesis determined from isotopie geochemistry, Frio Formation, Brazoria County, Texas. Bull. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. 65, 13971413.Google Scholar
Nishiyama, T., Oinuma, K. & Sato, M. (1978) An interstratified chlorite-vermiculite in weathered red shale near Toyoma, Japan. Proc. 6th Int. Clay Conf Oxford, 157.Google Scholar
Pearson, M.J., Watkins, D. & Small, J.S. (1982) Clay diagenesis and organic maturation in Northern North Sea sediments. Proc. 7th Int. Clay Conf. Bologna and Pavia, 665-667.Google Scholar
Rossel, N.C. (1982) Clay mineral diagenesis in Rotliegend aeolian sandstones of the Southern North Sea. Clay Miner. 17, 6977.Google Scholar
Schmidt, V. & McDonald, D.A. (1979) The role of secondary porosity in the course of sandstone diagenesis. Pp. 175207 in: Aspects of Diagenesis (Scholle, P. A. & Schluger, P. R., editors). Spec. Pub. Soc. Econ. Miner. Palaeont. 26, Tulsa.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smithson, F. & Brown, G. (1957) Dickite in Northern England and North Wales. Mineral. Mag. 31, 381391.Google Scholar
Sommer, F. (1975) Histoire diagénétique d'une sèrie gréseuse de Mer du Nord. Datation de l'introduction des hydrocarbures. Revue de l'institute Francois du Petrole 30, 729741.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sommer, F. (1978) Diagenesis of Jurassic sandstones in the Viking Graben. J. geol. Soc. Lond. 135, 6367.Google Scholar
Tardy, Y. (1971) Characterization of the principal weathering types by the geochemistry of waters from European and African crystalline massifs. Chem. Geol. 7, 253271.Google Scholar
Tissot, B., Durand, B., Espitalie, J. & Combaz, A. (1974) Influence of nature and diagenesis of organic matter in formation of petroleum. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull. 57, 499506.Google Scholar
Velde, B. (1977) Clays and Clay Minerals in Natural and Synthetic Systems (Developments in Sedimentology, 21). Elsevier, Amsterdam and New York.Google Scholar
White, D.E. (1965) Saline waters of sedimentary rocks. Pp. 342366 in: Fluids in Subsurface Environments (Young, A. & Galley, J. E., editors). Mem. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. 4.Google Scholar
White, D.E., Hem, J.D. & Waring, G.A. (1963) Data of geochemistry. 6th ed. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 440-F. 67 pp.Google Scholar
Wilson, M.D. & Pittman, E.D. (1977) Authigenic clays in sandstones: recognition and influence on reservoir properties and palaeoenvironmental analysis. J. sedim. Petrol. 47, 331.Google Scholar