Mechanism Driven Dolomite Mapping

Summary Stratigraphically discordant dolomite bodies have long been studied and documented on the Arabian Shelf. Dolomite mapping as a first step towards a carbonate diagenetic modelling, is critical for understanding the dolomitization mechanism, and reservoir quality prediction. Subsurface dolomite mapping is a well-known challenge due to subtle difference between limestone and dolomite, but the better understanding of the dolomitization process could provide an unexpected approach to solve this problem. An innovative workflow is developed to map the dolomite distribution driven by the diagenetic mechanism and comprehensively characterize fracture systems in a multiscale way. The mapping results show that massive dolomite bodies are heterogeneously developed and distributed mainly in the northeastern part of the study area, with a southward decrease in dolomite content. The results clearly demonstrate that multiscale fracture systems play critical roles in the massive dolomitization, which provides new insights on the dolomitization mechanism and subsurface reservoir and seal.