CARBONATE

SEDIMENTOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
R. P. Koesoemadinata
March 2005
Sedimentation Aspects of
Carbonate Rocks:
General Introduction: Concept of carbonates and carbonate
deposition
Carbonate Rock Types: Characteristics, Classification and Origin of
Carbonate Rocks
Carbonate Rock Resevoir Geometry: concepts of carbonate
platforms, build-ups, reefs and banks and sequence of stratigraphy
Carbonate Sedimentation, Diagenesis and Dolomitization.
Carbonate Porosity Types, Classification (Choquette and Pray,
1976), Characteristics, heterogenity and Origin.
Exploration concepts, strategy and tactics and development of
carbonate plays
Geologic modeling of carbonate reservoirs using seismic, well logs
(sample log, wireline logs, FMI etc), cores biostratigraphic and other
data.
Carbonate Sedimentation:

Session 1
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Session 1
GENERAL INTRODUCTION:
Concept of carbonate rocks and
Concept of carbonate
deposition
CONCEPT OF CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONATE ROCKS OF CARBONATES ARE
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS WHICH CONSISTS OF
CARBONATE MINERALS.
THEY COMPRISE OF LIMESTONES AND
DOLOSTONES (DOLOMITES).
CARBONATE ROCKS ARE PRACTICALLY
MONOMINERALIC CONSISTING OF CALCIUM
CARBONATE MINERALS WITH FEW INSERTION OF
MAGNESIUM IN THE CRYSTAL LATTICE.
CARBONATES ARE CHARACTERIZED AND
DIFFERENTIATED BY ITS FABRIC AND TEXTURE
RATHER THAN BY ITS MINERAL COMPOSITION.

CHARACTERISTICS OF
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONATE ROCKS COMPRISES LESS
THAN 30% OF THE STRATIGRAPHIC
SECTION.
WIDE-SPREAD CARBONATE ROCKS
INDICATE A SPECIAL TECTONIC CONDITION:
TECTONIC QUISCENCE.
CARBONATE ROCKS ALSO INDICATE A
SPECIAL DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT:
CLEAR, WARM AND GENERALLY SHALLOW
MARINE DEPOSIT.
LIMESTONE IN RELATION TO SILICI-
CLASTICS
LIMESTONE
MARL
RELATIONSHIP
The term marl is not used
in the petroleum industry or
American literature, the
term calcareous shale is
used instead.
Marl is used as a special
term for lacustrine shales
CARBONATE SEDIMENTATION
CARBONATE SEDIMENTATION IS CONTROLLED BY A SINGLE
CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM EQUATION:

H
+
+ HCO
4
-
+ Ca
2+

CaCO
3
+ H
2
O + CO
2

Increase of CO
2
concentration in the solution will shift the equation to the
left, resulting dissolution of the calcium carbonates.
Increase of CO
2
concentration may due to increasing depth (PCO
2
)
Input of meteoric water or input of CO
2
due decay of organic material
Decreas of CO
2
concentration will shift the equation to the right, resulting
into carbonate deposition
Decrease of CO
2
concentration may be due to:
Evaporation, increase of temperature due heating of the sea water by the
sun, escpecially in shallow waters
CO
2
capture by organism, especially algae for photo-synthesis
CHEMICAL CONTROLS OF
CARBONATE SEDIMENTATION
DEPOSITION AND DISSOLUTION ARE CONTROLLED
BY
Concentrations of Ca
++
ions
Concentrations of CO
3


ions
SATURATION OF Ca
++
IONS IS CONTROLLED BY
Evaporation and
Temperature
SATURATION OF CO
3


IONS IS CONTROLLED BY
PARTIAL PRESSURE,
Temperature,
Atmospheric and
Biogenic activities/ particularly photosynthesis.
CARBONATE CHEMICAL
ENVIRONMENT OF DEPOSITON
CARBONATES ARE DEPOSITED IN
HIGH Ph SALINE ENVIRONMENT.
CARBONATES ARE GENERALLY
DEPOSITED IN MARINE
ENVIRONMENT.
SOME CARBONATES ARE ALSO
DEPOSITED IN LACUSTRINE SALINE
ENVIRONMENT.
CARBONATE COMPENSATION
DEPTH
IN OCEANS:
Partial pressure of CO
2
increases with depth.
Temperature decreases with depth.
HENCE:
Solubility of carbonate minerals (aragonite and
calcite) increases with depth.
CARBONATE MINERALS ARE DISSOLVED AT
CERTAIN DEPTH CALLED RESPECTIVELY :
Arragonite Compensation Depth (ACD)
Calcite Compensation Depth (CCD)
CARBONATE DEPOSITONAL
ENVIRONMENTS
Carbonates are generally warm water
sediments.
Carbonates are generally shallow water
sediments; deep water carbonates are
restricted to pelagic limestones.
Carbonates are generally deposited in
clear marine waters, free of fine clastics
GEOCHEMICAL CYCLE OF
CARBON ATES
WORLD WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF
CARBONATE SEDIMENTATION
WET TROPICAL AREAS COINCIDING WITH WITH
REGIONS OF ABUNDANCE OF SILICICLASTIC INPUT
DEPTH DISTRIBUTION OF
CARBONATE SEDIMENTATION
CARBONATE
COMPENSATION
DEPTH
Aragonite
Calcite
Isocline
ACD
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Degree of Saturation
D
e
p
t
h

I
n

K
m

CCD
SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES OF
CARBONATES
PROCESSES OF CARBONATE
DEPOSITION
SECRETION - SKELETAL COMPONENTS
ACCRETION NON-SKELETAL COMPONENTS
AGGREGATION- SKELETAL & NON-SKELETAL
PARTICULATION NON-SKELETAL