Chlorite rims

Typically, mechanically infiltrated clays are originally detrital smectites formed under semi-arid weathering conditions (see Keller, 1970 Walker et al., 1978). This is evidenced by the dominance of smectitic clays in the mudstone samples and in the mud intraclasts. Infiltrated coatings and derived chloritized rims are conspicuous, particularly in medium-grained sheet-flood sandstones (up to 2.7 vol%). 

Barite occurs as scarce, large crystals (up to 2 mm) filling vugs and cracks and engulfing as well as replacing kaolinite and carbonate cements in dolocretes and calcretes (Fig. 14F). In the sandstones, barite occurs as a few poikilotopic and small crystals which cover, and thus postdate, chlorite rims around framework grains. 

Sandstones with potentially better porosity preservation are characterized by (i) coarser grain size and better sorting (ii) lower tendency to host extensive eogenetic carbonate cement than the finer sediments, which are more represented by well 34/4-1 samples and (iii) chlorite rims evolved from the infiltrated clay coatings, which are more abundant in coarse-grained sands which inhibited precipitation of pore-occluding quartz and carbonate cements. 

Both D1 and D2 dolomite/ankerite types show evidence of partial dissolution, which preferentially affects the Fe-rich zones (Fig. 11B). Some intracrystalline dissolution pores contain authigenic kaolin-ite booklets. In some samples of the middle domain partially dissolved poikilotopic crystals of D1 and D2 are covered, and thus postdated, by thin chlorite rims (Fig. 11C). 

Fig. 14. (A) Scanning electron micrograph of prismatic quartz outgrowths covering and engulfing chlorite rims (B) optical photomicrograph of a sandstone extensively cemented by quartz overgrowths which contain bitumen inclusions crossed polarizers.

High amounts of Ca (and potentially Ra), Sr, and LREE were co-precipitated by Al-phosphates from the crandallite group, which crystallized in the clay halo. Clay minerals (mainly chlorite and to a lower extent illite) and Ti-oxide were found to have sorbed significant amounts of uranium. Sorption onto mineral surfaces was followed by the formation of coffinite, USi04-nH20, rimming clay, and rutile particles. 

Chlorite replaces kaolinite, clay pseudomatrix, infiltrated clays, micas and heavy minerals. It occurs as rims composed of platelets oriented perpendicularly to grain surfaces. The rims were formed by replacing infiltrated smectitic clay coatings, which were originally oriented tangentially to grain surfaces (Fig. 14A) (see Moraes De Ros, 1990). These infiltrated clays were presumably introduced into the vadose zone of alluvial continental sediments under semi-arid conditions by episodic floods (Walker et al., 1978 Moraes De Ros,... 

Although both cores display floodplain mudstones and sheet-flood sandstones, the Middle Lunde samples in 34/7-A-3H are dominated by fine- to medium-grained sheet-flood sandstones. The elevated initial porosity and permeability of these sandstones compared with the mudstones, siltstones and very fine to fine-grained sandstones has perhaps allowed larger amounts of mechanically infiltrated clays, which are preserved as smectitic coatings and/or transformed into chloritic or C/S and I/S rims in the sandstones. 

Calcite cementation in bioclastic hybrid and lithic arenites of the Bismantova-Termina succession is pervasive along layers and concretionary horizons. Cementation in the hybrid shelf arenites was mostly precompactional and began with marine calcite rims, syntaxial overgrowths on echinoderms, K-feldspar and dolomite overgrowths, chloritic clay rims, framboidal pyrite and heulandite, followed by... 

Authigenic illite forms characteristic grainbridging cements, as seen by SEM. In very few samples, rims of illite of uniform thickness were found lining the pores (Fig. 14D) and contributing substantial amounts (2-5%) of cement, but in general illite cement, like chlorite, is negligible in Hibernia Field. 

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