Deposition, diagenesis and reservoir potential of non-carbonate sedimentary rocks from the rift section of Campos Basin, Brazil

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A new petrographical study was performed on the rift section of the Lagoa Feia Group, Lower Cretaceous of the Campos Basin, eastern Brazilian margin. The primary constituents of the analysed rocks are siliciclastic and volcaniclastic grains, stevensite ooids and peloids, and bioclasts of bivalves and ostracods. This study focused on the clastic, stevensitic and hybrid rocks, as previous studies were limited to the bioclastic rudstones and grainstones that constitute the producing reservoirs. The rift sedimentation was mostly intrabasinal, with extrabasinal contribution concentrated close to half-graben border faults. The mixture of rounded volcanic fragments with angular quartz, feldspars and plutonic fragments in the sandstones and conglomerates indicates recycling of early rift epiclastic deposits, combined with first-cycle sediments eroded from uplifted plutonic basement blocks. Stevensitic ooids and peloids, formed in shallow, alkaline lacustrine environments, were mixed throughout the rift section with bivalve and ostracod bioclasts, and with the clastic sediments. Gravitational redeposition was promoted by intense and recurrent tectonism along the rift margins. The main diagenetic processes in clastic sandstones and conglomerates and hybrid arenites are cementation and grain replacement by smectite, zeolites, calcite and dolomite, mechanical compaction and dissolution of feldspars, volcanic fragments and bioclasts. Stevensitic arenites experienced early cementation and replacement of ooids and peloids by quartz, calcite and dolomite, or intense compaction of stevensitic grains in uncemented areas. Volcaniclastic sandstones and conglomerates with smectite rims, remnant intergranular porosity and grain dissolution may constitute fair hydrocarbon reservoirs. Stevensitic and hybrid arenites with dissolution of stevensite grains, bioclasts and calcite cement may also constitute reservoirs, although with potential quality limited by the poor connection of their pore systems. An understanding of the controls on the depositional and diagenetic evolution of the dominantly intrabasinal, gravitationally redeposited, rift succession will contribute to new exploration strategies for the Campos Basin.