Aux Vases Sandstone Diagenesis: Implications for Hydrocarbon Recovery from Southern Illinois Reservoirs

Abstract

The Aux Vases Sandstone (Mississippian) is a problematic yet productive reservoir in the Illinois basin. The Aux Vases Formation was deposited in a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate offshore environment. Hydrocarbon reservoirs are dominantly elongate sandstone bodies interpreted as subtidal facies within a prograding tidally influenced deposystem. Oil saturated zones, in most cases, are composed of fine-grained, cross-bedded, friable, feldspathic quartz sandstone. Resistivity logs, even from productive wells, are typically characterized by unusually low resistivities (2-4 ohms) that lead to high calculated water saturations. X-ray diffraction, SEM/EDS, and thin section studies were used to analyze diagenetic processes that may affect hydrocarbon production in several Aux Vases reservoirs. Diagenetic processes common to the field studied include: (1) early calcite cementation occluding primary porosity and inhibiting compaction, (2) dissolution of feldspar grains to form authigenic clay, (3) dissolution of early calcite cement, (4) diagenesis of detrital clay minerals into new authigenic clay minerals, and (5) multiple stages of quartz overgrowths that reduce porosity. Commonly used drilling and completion practices may adversely affect reservoir quality by reacting with diagenetic products. Loosening of the fine mineral fraction that causes migration of fines and swelling of expandable clay minerals are examples of this type of damage. Knowledge ofmore » reservoir mineralogy and diagenesis may influence drilling and completion practices and affect selection of secondary and tertiary recovery methods.« less