Diagenetic Alterations and Reservoir Quality Evolution of Lower Cretaceous Fluvial Sandstones : Nubian Formation, Sirt Basin, North-Central Libya

Lower Cretaceous meandering and braided fluvial sandstones of the Nubian Formation form some of the most important subsurface reservoir rocks in the Sirt Basin, north-central Libya. Mineralogical, petrographical and geochemical analyses of sandstone samples from well BB6-59, Sarir oilfield, indicate that the meandering fluvial sandstones are fine- to very fine-grained subarkosic arenites (av. Q(91)F(5)L(4)), and that braided fluvial sandstones are medium- to very coarse-grained quartz arenites (av. Q(96)F(3)L(1)). The reservoir qualities of these sandstones were modified during both eodiagenesis (ca. <70 degrees C; <2 km) and mesodiagenesis (ca. >70 degrees C; >2 km). Reservoir quality evolution was controlled primarily by the dissolution and kaolinitization of feldspars, micas and mud intraclasts during eodiagenesis, and by the amount and thickness of grain-coating clays, chemical compaction and quartz overgrowths during mesodiagenesis. However, dissolution and kaolinitization of feldspars, micas and mud intraclasts resulted in the creation of intercrystalline micro- and mouldic macro-porosity and permeability during eodiagenesis, which were more widespread in braided fluvial than in meandering fluvial sandstones. This was because of the greater depositional porosity and permeability in the braided fluvial sandstones which enhanced percolation of meteoric waters. The development of only limited quartz overgrowths in the braided fluvial sandstones, in which quartz grains are coated by thick illite layers, retained high porosity and permeability (12-23% and 30-600 mD). By contrast, meandering fluvial sandstones underwent porosity loss as a result of quartz overgrowth development on quartz grains which lack or have thin and incomplete grain-coating illite (2-15% and 0-0.1 mD). Further loss of porosity in the meandering fluvial sandstones occurred as a result of chemical compaction (pressure dissolution) induced by the occurrence of micas along grains conta