Effects of Reservoir Wettability on Quartz Cementation in Oil Fields

  1. Richard H. Worden1,
  2. Sadoon Morad2
  1. S. A. Barclay,
  2. R. H. Worden

Published Online: 17 MAR 2009

DOI: 10.1002/9781444304237.ch8

Book Title

Quartz Cementation in Sandstones

Quartz Cementation in Sandstones

Additional Information

How to Cite

Barclay, S. A. and Worden, R. H. (2009) Effects of Reservoir Wettability on Quartz Cementation in Oil Fields, in Quartz Cementation in Sandstones (eds R. H. Worden and S. Morad), Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781444304237.ch8

Editor Information

  1. 1

    School of Geosciences, The Queen's University, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK

  2. 2

    Sedimentary Geology Research Group, Institute of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 B, S–75236, Uppsala, Sweden

Author Information

  1. School of Geosciences, The Queen's University, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK

Publication History

  1. Published Online: 17 MAR 2009
  2. Published Print: 3 MAR 2000

ISBN Information

Print ISBN: 9780632054824

Online ISBN: 9781444304237

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Keywords:

  • effects of reservoir wettability on quartz cementation in oil fields;
  • quartz cement - for significant porosity and permeability reduction in quartz rich reservoir sandstones;
  • geochemical controls on quartz cementation;
  • physical and chemical nature of (quartz) surfaces;
  • controls on wettability;
  • effects of biodegradation and waterwashing upon oil composition;
  • probable wettabilities of different reservoir minerals

Summary

The wettability of an oil field sandstone has a great impact upon the influence of oil emplacement on quartz cementation. Quartz cementation is most inhibited in reservoirs filled with low maturity, biodegraded and/or water-washed oil from NSO-rich source rocks (types IIS and III) containing quartz, pre-oil filling carbonate cement, swelling clays, kaolinite booklets and iron minerals. Conversely quartz cementation will be least inhibited in oil fields filled with high maturity, non-biodegraded/water washed oil from NSO-poor source rocks (types I and II), composed of quartz, illite, unaltered feldspar, finely crystalline kaolinite and devoid of early carbonate cements. Wettability and thus quartz cementation may also be affected by oil column height, temperature and water chemistry. Predicting the exact wettability of a reservoir is not yet feasible. However, with the general trends and patterns identified, it is possible to assess, and potentially predict, the relative degree of inhibition of quartz cementation in oil field sandstones.

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