Impact of depositional and diagenetic controls on reservoir quality of syn-rift sedimentary systems: An example from Oligocene-Miocene Al Wajh Formation, northwest Saudi Arabia

Tertiary, syn-rift clastic reservoirs offer a unique opportunity to investigate the pivotal role of depositional and early diagenetic controls on reservoir quality. The Al Wajh Formation is a vital exploration target for petroleum in the Red Sea, and is characterized by early, near-surface diagenetic signatures. An integrated petrographic-mineralogical study is conducted to assess the role of depositional factors (e.g., sand grain size and clay matrix) and early diagenetic overprints on reservoir quality. The Al Wajh sandstones are primarily subarkose and lithic arkose, deposited in alluvial fan, braided fluvial, and nearshore environments. Braided fluvial sandstones of the formation have the best quality reservoirs (average porosity: 23.2 %; average permeability: 3025 mD) because of medium to coarse grain size and small proportion of clay matrix, whereas the nearshore sandstones form reservoirs of far lower quality (average porosity: 12.6 %; average permeability: 486 mD) owing to predominantly finer grain size and higher proportion of clay matrix. Clay volume between 10 and 20 % generally reduces the reservoir properties to <10 % porosity and 100 mD permeability. Compaction and grain dissolution are the major near-surface, early diagenetic processes that have strongly affected the sandstones reservoir quality. High mechanical compaction has been recorded in sandstones characterized by abundant matrix content and ductile rock fragments. Dissolution of labile grains (e.g., feldspars) has created secondary, intragranular porosity of up to 13.5 % (average 4.7 %). Kaolinite is the primary authigenic pore-filling clay in the continental units of the formation, whereas detrital and authigenic smectites are the key pore-filling clays in the nearshore units of the formation. Grain-coating smectite (up to 18.7 %; average: 7.1 %) was mainly emplaced through mechanical infiltration and has the potential for inhibiting quartz cementation should deep burial occur. The findings of the study can be utilized for modelling reservoir quality in the subsurface analogue of the Al Wajh Formation in the Red Sea or elsewhere, thereby improving reservoir quality prediction.