Kitty L. Milliken¹
(1) University of Texas, Austin, TX

Abstract: Diagenetic heterogeneity in a sandstone bed, Breathitt Formation, eastern Kentucky

Twenty seven samples of feldspathic phyllarenite were obtained from three one-meter grids in a homogeneous-looking distributary bar sandstone unit with the goal of documenting bed-scale diagenetic heterogeneity. Significant variability in the content of both detrital and diagenetic components is observed among the samples. Grain size is one important local control on the overall abundances of cement and porosity. Grain size operates to control the overall degree of cementation, in these particular rocks, indirectly, through its influence on the content of ductile lithic grains and, hence, on compaction. Diagenetic heterogeneity of this type is a formidable obstacle for application of predictive models of siliciclastic diagenesis at the reservoir scale and confirms the importance of textural considerations to the success of such models.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90914©2000 AAPG Annual Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana