Origin of carbonate cements with implications for petroleum reservoir in Eocene sandstones, northern Dongying depression, Bohai Bay basin, China

Abstract

The Eocene Es4s interval is an important petroleum reservoir of sublacustrine fan dominated at the depths of 2500–4000 m in Dongying depression, Bohai Bay basin. Based on core observation, three types of carbonate-cemented beds have been identified and commonly contain ferroan calcite and ankerite predominantly and less calcite and dolomite. Precipitation temperatures range from 34.6 to 72.8℃ for calcite and dolomite cements, and from 110 to 153℃ for ferroan calcite and ankerite cements. The high δ13CPDB values (−0.65 to +5.59‰) for calcite and dolomite suggest that dissolved inorganic carbon, derived from methanogenic fermentation of organic matter in adjacent mudstones. The low δ13CPDB values (+1.04 to +3.29‰) for ferroan calcite and ankerite probably indicate a mixture of carbon derived from decarboxylation of organic acid as well as from the dissolution of early formed carbonate cements. High plug porosity is mainly developed at the central section of sandstones vertically and the porosity decreases sharply toward the top and base of the sandstones due to extensively carbonate-cemented beds. The carbonate-cemented beds varies from 0.02 to 0.5 m in thickness and might extend from tens to hundreds meters laterally. It could be served as fluid-flow barriers and seals for petroleum, and result in reservoir deterioration and significant heterogeneity.