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Amorphous silica nanofilms result in growth of misoriented microcrystalline quartz cement maintaining porosity in deeply buried sandstones

2012; Geological Society of America; Volume: 40; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/g32661.1

1943-2682

Richard H. Worden, Marsha French, Elisabetta Mariani,

Clay minerals and soil interactions

Research Article| February 01, 2012 Amorphous silica nanofilms result in growth of misoriented microcrystalline quartz cement maintaining porosity in deeply buried sandstones Richard H. Worden; Richard H. Worden * 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK *E-mails: r.worden@liv.ac.uk; marsha.w.french@exxonmobil.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Marsha W. French; Marsha W. French * 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK2ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, Texas 77027, USA *E-mails: r.worden@liv.ac.uk; marsha.w.french@exxonmobil.com. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elisabetta Mariani Elisabetta Mariani 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Richard H. Worden * 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK Marsha W. French * 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK2ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, Texas 77027, USA Elisabetta Mariani 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK *E-mails: r.worden@liv.ac.uk; marsha.w.french@exxonmobil.com. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 19 Jul 2011 Revision Received: 28 Sep 2011 Accepted: 02 Oct 2011 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2012 Geological Society of America Geology (2012) 40 (2): 179–182. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32661.1 Article history Received: 19 Jul 2011 Revision Received: 28 Sep 2011 Accepted: 02 Oct 2011 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Richard H. Worden, Marsha W. French, Elisabetta Mariani; Amorphous silica nanofilms result in growth of misoriented microcrystalline quartz cement maintaining porosity in deeply buried sandstones. Geology 2012;; 40 (2): 179–182. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G32661.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Deeply buried sandstones in sedimentary basins typically have low porosity due to cementation and compaction. There are several known causes of anomalously high porosity in sandstones, one of which is microquartz coatings on sand grains that seem to inhibit growth of quartz cement. However, there has been no mechanistic understanding of why or how microquartz grows, or why it maintains high porosity in sandstones. Here we have used high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy to study the microquartz-cemented Late Cretaceous Heidelberg Formation, Germany. We have revealed that a nanofilm of amorphous silica (50–100 nm) and a layer of chalcedony are between the detrital grain and microquartz cement. The amorphous silica insulates the detrital quartz grains and prevents syntaxial growth, while microquartz adopts the orientation of the underlying chalcedony with its fast-growth c axis parallel to the grain surface, thus preventing growth into the pore. Now that we know what controls microquartz growth and why it preserves porosity, it can be used to help identify, rank, and appraise deeply buried petroleum accumulations. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.