Development and compartmentalization of chalky carbonate reservoirs: The Urgonian Jura-Bas Dauphiné platform model (Génissiat, southeastern France)

Abstract

The chalky limestones of the upper Barremian-middle Aptian Urgonian Limestone Formation of the Jura-Bas Dauphiné platform (southeastern France) are characterised by a total porosity between 17.9 and 24.5%, a threshold radius between 1.04 and 2.13 μm, a trapped porosity between 51.4 and 68.3% and a gas permeability between 161 and 410 mD. They were formed in response to the diagenetic evolution of dominantly micritic sediments deposited during a “calcite sea” interval. Their present-day reservoir qualities and transport properties are controlled by the intercrystalline microporosity of microcrystalline areas (peloids or matrix). This intercrystalline microporosity is the product of a meteoric porewater input (installation of a shallow-burial phreatic environment characterised by a short residence time of porewaters) which promoted an aggrading neomorphism (Ostwald ripening process). The impact of the burial diagenesis on the reservoir qualities and the transport properties of these chalky limestones is limited. The chalky units are presently compartmentalized by horizontal layers of compact limestones characterised by a total porosity between 2.9 and 4.5%, a threshold radius between 0.04 and 0.09 μm, a trapped porosity of 92.4–92.8% and a gas permeability of 2 mD. Like the chalky limestones, the present-day reservoir qualities and transport properties of compact limestones are controlled by the intercrystalline microporosity of microcrystalline areas. The petrophysical differences between the chalky and compact limestones result from differences in the pore network of microcrystalline areas due to an increase in the average size of particles and a modification of crystal–crystal contacts. These petrographical differences reflect an evolution of micritic areas of original sediments during submarine lithifications (precipitation of microcrystalline cements within the pore space and/or an increase in solid–solid contacts by crystal growth) which preceded the aggrading neomorphism induced by the meteoric porewater input.