Mass transfer controlled by fracturing in micritic carbonate rocks

Abstract

The fractured Coniacian chalk from the Omey area (Paris Basin, France) displays strong evidence of modifications controlled by brittle deformation. Fracturing is associated with important changes in pore space (decrease in total porosity and pore interconnection, change in distribution of pore access diameters and capillary characteristics), nannofacies (gradual evolution from a point-contact fabric to a welded, interlocked or coalescent fabric) and chemical composition (Sr concentration decrease). These modifications result from fluid–rock interaction that control significant mass transfer (percentage of secondary calcite >50%). Sr is a remarkable indicator of these mass transfers. Sr analyses allowed us to prove that the deformed zone (26.7 m) is wider than the fractured zone (11.3 m). They also indicate that the footwall block is less affected than the hanging wall block. A physicochemical model of the deformation mechanism is proposed. It shows that a cyclic process of fracturing controls the temporal evolution of the fluid saturation and fluid pressure and, consequently, the mass transfer.