Petrography and origin of dedolomites of the Ordovician Majiagou formation in the southeastern Ordos Basin, China: implications for reservoir quality

Abstract

Dedolomites, the replacement of dolomite by calcite, are widely distributed in the Ordovician Majiagou Formation of the southeastern Ordos Basin, China, which critically affects reservoir quality throughout the region. Two types of dedolomites were recognized in the upper 100 m of the Majiagou Formation, namely brecciated dedolomite and crystalline dedolomite. The petrographic and geochemical data reveal that the investigated dedolomites are often associated with clay minerals and dissolution-collapse breccia, indicating their close relationship with erosional unconformities. The relative negative δ18O and δ13C values and relative high Fe, Mn contents of dedolomite with respect to corresponding dolomite are interpreted as being result from meteoric phreatic water involvement. The dedolomitization process related to subaerial exposure is conventionally interpreted to be formed by dolomite dissolution and calcite precipitation. The rhombic shape crystals in the brecciated dedolomite was formed by an Mg2+-loss process under evaporite solution conditions, which retain the rhombic shape of the dolomite. The crystalline dedolomites, however, were formed by dissolution/precipitation and recrystallization process to form medium to coarse calcite mosaic with very low intercrystalline porosity. The resulting fabrics are mainly controlled by the paleo-topography. The precursor dolomite of the crystalline dedolomite is primarily recrystallized mudstone, which is more soluble and favorable for calcite precipitation. The crystalline dedolomite mostly occurs in the low paleotopographic locations, where the karst-saturated water with respect to CaCO3 is more concentrated, occluding the remaining porosity when excess calcium is supplied. It’s, therefore, recommended to implement drilling in tectonic highland and avoid low paleotopographic locations.