Carbonate petrography
Petrography of carbonate thin sections has two primary objectives:
- Provide data for the interpretation of the depositional environment. For this, information on the texture, grain types (skeletal and non-skeletal) and matrix are obtained. The aim is to reconstruct the primary composition of the rock before significant diagenesis took place. For example, completely dissolved grains need to be matched to the correct original grain type and overall grain frequency distribution. Ultimately, the data are used to construct the facies model.
- Provide data for the interpretation of the diagenetic sequence and analysis of rock types. For this, information on cements, replacements, porosity, pore types and dolomite crystal sizes are collected. Here, the post-diagenetic, present-day composition is characterized. Ultimately, the data are used to construct the diagenetic model. Rock types have a wide application in geo-modeling, petrophysics and seismic reservoir characterization.