Primary composition and diagenetic patterns of sandstones from Barra de Itiúba Formation in Atalaia High, Sergipe Sub-Basin

The petrologic analyses of 40 thin sections from two wells located in Atalaia High, offshore of Sergipe Sub-Basin, allowed the identification of primary composition and diagenetic patterns of Barra de Itiúba Formation. The original detrital compositions included arkoses, sublithic, and lithic sandstones. The main diagenetic processes observed were: compaction of metamorphic rock fragments and mud intraclasts, generating pseudomatrix; precipitation of quartz and feldspar overgrowths and outgrowths, cementation and grain replacement by kaolinite; dolomite and ferrous dolomite/ankerite; pyrite; iron oxides and hydroxides; and diagenetic titanium minerals, in addition to dissolution phases during eo-, meso- and telogenesis. The macroporosity in the two studied wells is primary intergranular, but there is secondary porosity due to dissolution of primary and diagenetic constituents, as well as fracture porosity. Thirteen reservoir petrofacies were defined and grouped into four reservoir petrofacies associations. They reflect the reservoir quality in microscale: good, medium and low-quality and non-reservoir. The good-quality is characterized by average total porosity greater than 15%, whereas the medium shows average total porosity greater than 7%. Low-quality presents average total porosity between 1 and 4%, and the non-reservoir has an average total porosity consistently less than 1%. Overall, the studied reservoirs consist on low-quality and non-reservoir rocks, which are intercalated with levels of medium- and good-quality. The loss of original porosity was mainly due to mechanical compaction (generating pseudomatrix), and cementation by kaolinite and dolomite. Preservation of primary porosity was favored by the presence of quartz overgrowths.