SIGNIFICANCE AND ORIGIN OF CARBONATE CEMENTS IN

SANDSTONES

As sandstones are the main oil and gas collectors , In this paper I will mainly
focus on the influence of carbonate cements on the porosity and permeability of
hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs and methods of enhancing the productivity of the
wells . Porosity is the ability of rocks to contain fluids in its pores . Permeability of
the rocks is the ability to filtrate fluids through pores and channels between pores .
(1) Carbonate cement is the most important reason for the sharp porosity decrease
of reservoirs . With an increase in the reservoirs of carbonate cement , the
permeability of the rock deteriorates throughout the entire area of the field, but not
equally: with an increase in the content of carbonate cement from 0.5 to 6% with a
simultaneous increase in the total amount of cement from 19% to 23%
deterioration of rock permeability doubles. In addition, the permeability also
depends on the content of cement , where permeability also decreases . A
completely different dependence of permeability is obtained on the ratio of cement
fractions. Hence, the conclusion follows: for a long geological period, filterable
formation fluids leached carbonate cement, due to which filtration channels were
formed, followed by redeposition of carbonate cement in the pores of the
formation.

Fig .1. Carbonate cement (%) vs. surface pore (%)

In addition Fig.1. shows direct influence of the cementation on the porosity of the
rock in one of the reservoirs in China (Yanchang). Carbonate cement also may
influence on the effective thickness of the reservoir , in some cases were observed
carbonate cements laying lateral direction of the reservoir separating the pay zone
to the layers . This has negative effect to free migration of the fluids during
production and worse the reservoir quality namely its permeability .
Carbonate cements are the most abundant diagenetic mineral and range in
abundance from 2.5 to 22.5%. Cements include calcite (0.5–13.5%), dolomite
(0.5–5.5%), ferroan calcite (1.5–16%), and ankerite (2–18.5%) . It is observed that
carbonate cement may form during dissolution of carbonate debris , dissolution of
feldspar is a source to form calcite cement . As an example during dissolution of
anorthite Ca2+¿ ¿provided and deposited in the pores of the reservoir and in future
evolution can form carbonate cement .
Ca Al 2 Si 2 O8 ( Anorthite ) +2 H +¿+ H O →¿
2
Al2 Si 2 O 5 ¿

Also it was observed that carbonate minerals during dissolution and future
precipitation formed carbonate cements (calcite and ankerite) .
Based on the study conducted by Bohai basin (China) (ref.2.) cores from 14
boreholes in the Eocene Es4s interval at depths ranging from 2500–4000 m. were
observed. A total of 31 thin sections, saturated with pink epoxy under vacuum and
stained with alizarin red-S and potassium ferricyanide , were examined using a
standard petrographic microscope. Where were found 400 point counts carbonate
cement samples per thin sectionIn addition, five nonstained thin sections were
polished for cathodoluminescence microscopy (CL) to distinguish different
carbonate minerals . Also in addition to this A JSM-5500LV scanning electron
microscope (SEM) equipped with a QUANTAX400 energy dispersive X-ray
spectra (EDX) used to determine the morphology and compositions of authigenic
carbonate minerals , under an acceleration voltage of 20 kV using a beam current
of 1.0–1.5 nA. Also it is possible to determine carbonate cements based on highly
magnified backscatter (BSE).
Another most important point for scientists is to eliminate or mitigate the
influence of the carbonate cement on the filtration parameters of the reservoir and
as a result it was proposed to used acidicing in dependence with the total
percentage . In sandstones with even distribution of carbonate cement, it is
recommended to carry out multi-solution acid treatment according to the following
scheme: a) 10% HC1, b) 10% HC1 + 3% Bisphenol A, c) 10% HC1+ 6%
Bisphenol A. In case of uneven distribution of carbonate cement and if the total
concentration of carbonate more than 30% better just to increase the concentration
HCl by 15% . According to investigation conducted on cores from Ust-Balik ,
West-Surgut and Shaimsk reservoirs the results shoved significant increase in the
initial permeability of the reservoit . On the figure .2. showed multi-solution
method of acidicing on Ust-Balik reservoir .
 Fig .2. Initial permeability of the reservoir K 0 vs. permeability after acidizing ΔK
First curve (a) showes that permeability after acidizing increased . On the curves
b,c we see significant increse of ΔK due to use of Bisphenol A .

Fig .3. ΔK vs. flow rate of the fluid

On the Fig .3. we are able to see sharp increase of the permeability after 3 stage
acidizing .
Carbon dioxide (4), may dissolve carbonate cement, increases the permeability of
the porous medium, and upon contact with oil extracts light hydrocarbons from it.
If the oil contains enough light hydrocarbons, and the reservoir pressure and
temperature correspond to the critical parameters of saturated fluids , then the
conditions of miscibility of oil with carbon dioxide may arise. As a result of the
action of the above factors, oil recovery factor can increase by 10-15% compared
to oil recovery during conventional water injecting .Also hydrochloric acid
treatment is useful in removing carbonate cement . It is proposed to use hydraulic
fracturing if the deterioration by carbonate cement is too much .
Owing to the blocking of porosity (original and secondary porosities included)
by carbonate cements and lacking of dissolutions in the late diagenetic stage,
making one of the key reasons for the extremely low porosity and permeability of
the reservoirs . And to solve this issue different acidizing methods were presented
also one real example where increase of permeability after multi stage acidizing
lead to sharp increase of oil recovery factor . But another imporatant case is
economic component of this procedure and in considering this as well I can
recomend to conduct hydrochloric acid treatment , which showed positive cases
and after that to make a hydrosandblasting perforation to increase permeability of
the wellbore zone .
REFERENCES
(1.) Sun Zhixue1, Sun Zhilei, Lu Hongjiang, Yin Xijie (October 2010)
Characteristics of carbonate cements in sandstone reservoirs: A case from
Yanchang Formation, middle and southern Ordos Basin, China
( 2.) Benben Ma, Yingchang Cao, Yanzhong Wang1 and Yancong Jia (2016)
Origin of carbonate cements with implications for petroleum reservoir in Eocene
sandstones, northern Dongying depression, Bohai Bay basin, China
(3) Gimatudinov Sh.K.(Nedra. 1978) Development and operation of oil, gas and
gas condensate fields
(4) Sidorovsky V.A.(Nedra 1978) Opening of reservoirs and increasing well
productivity
(5) Morad S. Carbonate cementation in sandstones: distribution patterns and
geochemical evolution. In: Morad S. Carbonate cementation in sandstones.
Oxford: Blackwell Science, 1998.