Introduction: AAPG Hedberg Research Conference on Microbial Carbonate Reservoir Characterization—Conference summary and selected papers

Abstract

With the recent discovery of hydrocarbons in microbial carbonate reservoir facies along the South Atlantic margins, industry is keen to further the understanding of the origin and development of nonmarine (lacustrine) to marine microbial carbonates, the nature of the depositional and diagenetic characteristics of microbialite and associated facies, and the sedimentary and petrophysical properties of microbial carbonate petroleum reservoirs. In this regard, the authors of AAPG Getting Started Series 19, Microbial Carbonate Reservoirs , Mancini et al. (2010), found that a vast literature on microbes and their functions in geological processes and products ranging from biogeochemistry to geomicrobiology, sedimentary petrology, and stratigraphy was available; however, only a small part of this literature deals with microbial carbonates as petroleum reservoirs. Further, these authors reported that sparse available literature exists on microbial carbonate reservoirs formed in lacustrine and continental settings and on carbonate reservoirs of abiotic origin in general. To help address these shortcomings, an AAPG Hedberg Research Conference was proposed to focus on microbial carbonate reservoir characterization with an emphasis on depositional settings of microbial and abiotic carbonate reservoirs, especially in lacustrine settings associated with rift basins. The proposal was accepted August 21, 2010, and the Hedberg Conference was held in Houston, Texas, last June 3–8, 2012, with 85 attendees from 10 countries. The conference was dedicated to Wayne M. Ahr, who passed away in November 2011. He was one of the conference organizers, one of the intended field-trip leaders, and a friend to many at the conference. The following overview of microbial carbonates is modified from sections 1 and 2 of AAPG Getting Started Series 19, Microbial Carbonate Reservoirs (Mancini et al., 2010). Microbes are defined as microorganisms visible only under a microscope. Some examples are bacteria, fungi, molds, algae, and protozoa. Unlike the older classification of living organisms …