The key factors controlling reservoir quality of the Middle CambrianDeimena Group sandstone in West Lithuania

Abstract

Sandstones of the Middle Cambrian Deimena Group are commercially important as they make up the largest part of the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir in 15 oil fields discovered in West Lithuania. However, the sandstones are characterised by a very complicated spatial distribution of reservoir quality. In order to better understand the distribution of reservoir properties and their controlling parameters, eighty-two sandstone samples from twenty-one boreholes were studied by means of thin section description, scanning electron microscopy, using backscattered and cathodoluminescence modes and clay fraction analyses. Generally, the sandstones are strongly cemented by quartz, resulting in almost total destruction of porosity but porous domains with preserved early stage quartz cement occur in a complex pattern. The close location of the early and late stage overgrowth types indicates that some sandstone parts were preserved from intense authigenic quartz precipitation. We believe that early carbonate cement was such an inhibitor. Detrital quartz grains in carbonate cemented domains are mostly free of authigenic quartz and as a rule show weakly compacted fabric as compared to the quartz cemented parts. Moreover, large secondary pores are located close to the carbonate cemented domains and indicate that some carbonate cement eventually dissolved. Apparently, the best reservoir properties within the generally strongly quartz cemented Deimena Groupsandstones are found in domains where dissolution of the early carbonate cement took place.