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Sedimentological and diagenetic controls on Cambro-Ordovician
reservoir quality in the southern Hassi Messaoud area
(Saharan Platform, Algeria)

MOHAMED ROBERT DJARNIA & BERRACHED FEKIRINE

CRD-Sonatrach, Avenue du ler Novembre, 35000 Boumerdds, Algeria

Abstract: The Cambro-Ordovician reservoirs of the Hassi Messaoud area comprise quartzi-
tic sandstones, which rest unconformably on granitic basement and are capped by the Her-
cynian unconformity. Two sequence stratigraphic cycles are identified: a lower cycle of
lowstand, transgressive and highstand deposits, and an upper cycle in which only lowstand
deposits are preserved below the Hercynian unconformity. Sandstone of the greatest thick-
ness and highest porosity and permeability occur within the lowstand deposits of the two
sequences. Petrographic and scanning electron microscope studies were conducted in two
wells in the southern Hassi Messaoud area on five sandstone units, to which the following
chronostratigraphic terms are applied, from base to top: Ra + Ri lithozones (which contain
the bulk of the reserves), Alternance Zone, E1 Atchane Sandstones and Hamra Quartzite.
Reservoir quality is found to bear a strong relationship to clay content and mineralogy.
All reservoirs are characterized by an extensive quartz cementation, which reduces porosities
to generally below 10%. Permeability is related to clay content and type, with effective per-
meabilities generally limited to the quartz- and kaolinite-rich Ra lithozone. Permeability is
lowest in reservoirs rich in fibrous illite and/or chlorite, such as the Hamra Quartzite. As por-
osity shows a less direct relationship to matrix mineralogy, there is a poor statistical relation-
ship observed between porosity and permeability. Comparative diagenetic studies carried out
within both the oil-bearing and the water-bearing parts of the reservoirs have determined that
all the secondary processes occurred under freely operating diagenesis, pre-dating oil empla-
cement in the structure.

Production within the giant Hassi Messaoud oil-

field is concentrated within the central part of the N 2 RDC-4
field. In contrast, the wells drilled in the periph- o ol o

eral parts of the field have low or uneconomic o3

production rates and have often even been dry, /
despite the presence above the oil-water contact 32O
o Omg-57 Ome-,35 OBS-I
of some moderately porous sandstone reservoirs. cOmb43 o /
The objective of this paper is to seek geological
explanations for these trends, either in the pri-
M7 /
mary sedimentary fabric of the reservoirs con-
~)1~"81o oOnnl'/'5 oOn'l /
cerned or in their subsequent diagenetic
alteration. This study is concentrated in the 51 Md-25 eOm'l md-16
o ~ oM~ /
southern part of the Hassi Messaoud field, parti- o 2
cularly on wells H G A - 1 and SG- 1 (Fig. 1). ~ '2 ~ ~ . ~
The Hassi Messaoud field is the largest oilfield ~_~._.......~X,,X o "
o
in Algeria, containing in excess of 9 billion bar-
HAS$1 M E S S A O U D
rels recoverable reserves, within a series of HGA-lo t FIELD
C a m b r o - O r d o v i c i a n reservoirs sealed on the o8G-1
\ STUDY AREA
Hercynian unconformity by Triassic evaporites
QFLD-1 310
(Balbucchi & P o m m i e r 1970). The Hassi Mes-
saoud palaeomorphological trap was progres- 1 : riO0,000
sively formed during a series o f Palaeozoic
tectonic events, ranging from the Sardian
Fig. 1. Location map of the Hassi Messaoud area
(intra-Cambrian, c. 500 Ma), through the Taco- showing the study area relative to the main producing
nic (Ordovician, 440 Ma) to the Hercynian (Car- field. Scale 1:500000.
boniferous, 324 Ma).

DJARNIA,M. R. & FEKERINE,B. 1998. Sedimentological and diagenetic controls on Cambro-Ordovician reservoir
quality in the southern Hassi Messaoud area. In: MACGREGOR,D. S., MOODY,R. T. J. • CLARK-LOWES,D. D. (eds)
1998. Petroleum Geology of North Africa. Geological Society, London, Special Publication No. 132, 167-174.
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168 M.R. DJARNIA & B. FEKIRINE

Chrono-stratigraphy and sequence tion, the Ra lithozone ties to the lowstand

stratigraphy
Five reservoir units are distinguished in the Hassi
Messaoud oilfield, all of which were penetrated
by the two wells (Fig. 2). These reservoirs range
in age from Upper Cambrian (Ra + Ri) to Tre-
madoc-Arenig (Alternance Zone, E1 Atchane
Sandstone and Hamra Quartzite). The bulk of
production comes from the Ra, whereas other
reservoirs are only locally productive. Reservoir
depth lies between 3450 and 3150 m. The field
OWC lies within the Ra in the productive well
HGA-1 but roughly corresponds to the top of
the main Cambrian reservoirs (Ri) in the structu-
rally lower and unproductive well SG-1 (Fig. 2).
The overlying Ordovician Hamra Quartzite,
positioned above the field OWC, gives some oil
shows but has proven unproductive because of
low permeability.
The Cambro-Ordovician section of the Sahara
Platform can be subdivided into three major
sequences (Fekirine & Abdallah this volume).
As a regional generalization, formations exhibit
thickness variations and lateral facies changes
that are traceable and predictable in the subsur-
face, reflecting the existence of a wide shelf pri-
marily influenced by eustatic sea-level rises and
falls. This regional sequence stratigraphy can be
correlated into the sections of wells HGA-1 and
SG-1 and provides an alternative means of view-
ing reservoir stratigraphy (Fig. 3). In this correla-
systems tract of the first sequence, the Ri litho-
zone to the transgressive systems tract and the
E1 Atchane to the top of the highstands tract,
whereas the Hamra Quartzite ties to the low-
stand tract of the second sequence.
Cements and clay content
Scanning electron microscope observations have
determined the nature of the clay mineral and
quartz overgrowths that are seen in varying
amounts in all reservoirs (Figs 4 and 5), and
have allowed an assessment of the relative
timing of different cements. The following sum-
marizes the characteristics of each cement type.
Quartz
Quartz overgrowths form in very regular shapes,
with the extent of these overgrowths being the
prime control on porosity preservation. Such
quartz cements are thought to form at tempera-
tures exceeding 90~ and can theoretically con-
tinue after oil emplacement (Bjorlykke &
Egeberg 1993). Quartz overgrowths from similar
Cambrian sandstones in nearby outcrop at Hassi
Bir Rebaiz are thought to have formed at tem-
peratures of 95-130~ Such formation tempera-
tures will have certainly been attained in the
Mesozoic and possibly in the Carboniferous.

Fig. 2. Structural geological cross-section through the Cambro-Ordovician reservoirs of wells SG-1, HGA-1 and a
productive Hassi Messaoud well. Producibility of these wells is strongly connected to the presence of the Ra unit
above the field OWC.
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RESERVOIR QUALITY IN HASSI MESSAOUD AREA 169

Fig. 3. Stratigraphic correlation between HGA-1 and SG-1, illustrating the sequence stratigraphy applied in this
paper.

The latter date would be more consistent with the
interpreted Permian date of the later illite
cement.
The most likely origins for the silica cement are
illitization of K-feldspars and mica or kaoliniza-
tion of feldspars. Quartz may be produced also
by the pressure-solution of quartz grains or
mineral reactions involving the release of silica
from amorphous silica (biogenic, volcanic,
opal, etc.). The breakdown of K-feldspar to
illite and quartz is evidenced through scanning
electron microscope studies on Triassic and
Cambro-Ordovician sediments in the Hassi
R'Mel field (Djarnia, 1991). Some samples here
show adjoining altered K-feldspar and fibrous
illite.
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170 M . R . DJARNIA & B. FEKIRINE

Fig. 4. Graphical distribution of porosity, permeability, quartz cement and clay content in well SG-1

Fig. 5. Graphical distribution of porosity, permeability, quartz cement and clay content in well HGA-1
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RESERVOIR QUALITY IN HASSI MESSAOUD AREA 171

Kaolinite Ri + Ra reservoirs. There are several generations

Clay minerals present are normally secondary in
origin, forming as microcrystals over the earlier
quartz overgrowths. Kaolinite is common in all
Cambrian reservoirs, normally taking a hexago-
nal form. In well HGA-1, however, it takes a dif-
ferent crystalline form throughout the Cambrian
reservoir, and may possibly be dickite (Kulbicki
et al., 1961). In many sandstones, the kaolinite
fills what would appear to be secondary pores
and in some of these, particularly in the Ra and
Ri, it constitutes 60-95% of the cement (Fig. 6).
Kaolinite cements post-date quartz overgrowths
but pre-date the formation of illite cements.
The most likely origin for the formation of kao-
linite is considered to be the breakdown of feld-
spars and micas.
Hlite
Illite is the latest diagenetic clay formed in
of illite, the most significant of which is a late-
stage fibrous illite. In the Ra of both the studied
wells, this illite, when present in significant quan-
tities, has a major downgrading effect on perme-
ability.
Illite may form as a product of the breakdown
of a wide variety of primary minerals, including
feldspar (see discussion on quartz, above),
mica, kaolinite, smectite, detrital alumino-sili-
cates and glauconite. The formation of fibrous
illite is the latest observable diagenetic event
before oil emplacement in the Ra and Ri of
Hassi Messaoud, though in other water wet
reservoirs, a later alteration to chlorite may be
observed (see below). Although this has not
been studied in Hassi Messaoud itself, the
timing of formation of the fibrous illite cement
in Cambro-Ordovician reservoirs has been the
subject of a number of studies in other areas of
Algeria, aimed at providing control on the
timing of oil emplacement. The best data comes

Fig. 6. Simplification of Figs 4 and 5, showing average porosities, permeabilities, quartz and clay content for the
various reservoirs of the two wells. (Note the clear relationships between permeability and clay type.)
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172 M.R. DJARNIA & B. FEKIRINE

again from the Cambro-Ordovician of the Hassi
R'Mel field (well HR22), where K - A r dating has
established an age of 324 Ma (Carboniferous) for
the fibrous illite (Djarnia ,1991). Durfee (1995)
has also attempted to date the illite at the well
EHT-1, where an average age of 273 Ma (Per-
mian) was recorded. These dates would suggest
a tie to Hercynian tectonic events, which may
have caused major changes in patterns of fluid
flow in these reservoirs, particularly as a result
of subaerial exposure on the Hercynian uncon-
formity.
Chlorite
In the Hamra Quartzite, much of the illite
appears to be partly transformed to chlorite.
Chlorite is, however, rare in the Ra and Ri.
mineralogy and diagenetic features. Porosity
within these units varies between 3 and 12%
(Figs 6-8), with little variation seen between the
two zones. Porosity reduction has occurred
through quartz overgrowth, and through plug-
ging of pores by illite and kaolinite cement. As
observed in scanning electron micrographs, sig-
nificant secondary intercrystalline microporosity
is developed where authigenic hexagonal kaoli-
nite and/or fibrous illite are abundant. As illu-
strated in Figs 7 and 8, the relationship
between porosity and permeability is poor for
these wells. This is the result of variations in
cement type and its implications for the relative
amounts of intergranular macroporosity and
100

Controls on clay mineralogy HGA-1 Ri

The relative timing of clay cements observed in ~ 10

these wells is consistent with that observed in
the main part of the Hassi Messaoud field. .~
Here, three main stages of clay formation are
suggested; (1) kaolinite, (2) illite (3) the transfor-
mation of illite to chlorite, the latter being largely ~ 1 ,,%
confined to the Hamra Quartzite.
By and large, there is a statistical correlation
(Fig. 6), by which sandstones rich in one
0.1 2 - - 4 " g s- 12
cement tend to be poorer in another cement
type. A decrease in quartz cement may thus be Porosity(%)
associated with an increase in kaolinite and a Fig. 7. Porosity v. permeability for the Ra unit of well
decrease in kaolinite with an increase in illite. HGA-1. Net pay cut-off can be taken as low as 6%
Many sandstone units are therefore polarized in here, though there is a strong dependence on clay
terms of their relative clay mineral content, mineralogy.
being composed almost entirely of one clay
mineral type. This is believed to be a result of
pH control on clay mineral formation. The for- 100
9 O 9
mation of kaolinite requires low-pH near surface
free water circulation conditions, whereas forma-
$$ 9
tion of illite is favoured by more confined and
alkaline conditions at depth. The change from ~10 D
acidic to alkaline conditions with depth may be
extremely rapid, such that no zone permits the
formation of a mixed set of clay minerals.
" 1

HGA-1 Ra
Reservoir quality and relationship to cements
and clays
0.1 2
I--
4 6 8 10 12
Cambrian reservoirs
Porosity(%)
The emphasis in this study is on the main Cam- Fig. 8. Porosity v. permeability for the Ra unit of well
brian reservoirs of the lowstand sequence tract HGA-1. (Note the differences in trend compared with
of Sequence 1 (Ra + Ri lithozones), and on rela- Fig. 7, attributable to a lower clay and particularly illite
tionships observed between permeability, clay content in this unit.)
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RESERVOIR QUALITY IN HASSI MESSAOUD AREA
intercrystalline microporosity, permeability
being generally associated with the former. Gen-
eral trends that are apparent in Figure 6 are as
follows: (a) Sandstones with a high proportion
of secondary porosity filled with fibrous illite
often show appreciable porosity but nearly
always show low permeability (e.g. Ri of well
SG-1); (b) within the Ra, the highest permeabil-
ities (> 10 mD) occur in clay- (and particularly
illite)-poor quartz cemented sandstones, with a
range of porosity between 5 and 9%;
(c) contents of chlorite are insufficient in the Ra
and Ri to significantly influence porosity and
permeability development.
Ra reservoirs show an average permeability of
46 mD in the kaolinite-rich and illite-poor sec-
tion at well HGA-I and 17 mD in well SG-1,
with an overall range of 1 to > 100 mD. Cross-
plotting for the Ra of well HGA-1 shows the cor-
relation coefficient between porosity and perme-
ability to be low, at <0.2 (Fig. 7). The
overlying more illite-rich Ri unit shows poorer
reservoir quality, with an average permeability
of around 4.5 mD in well HGA-1 and only 0.4
mD in a particularly illite-rich interval in well
SG-1.
In summary, variations in reservoir quality
within both Cambrian reservoirs indicate clearly
the effect of the relative proportions of kaolinite,
illite and silica cements in controlling permeabil-
ity. The failure of well SG-1 at this level can be
attributed to the absence of any permeable
illite-poor reservoir intervals above the OWC,
with the only instances of permeability greater
than 10 mD occurring in the Ra, below the
OWC.
O r d o v i c i a n reservoirs
High allogenic clay content accounts for reser-
voir quality impairment within the E1 Atchane
Sandstones and the Alternance Zone in well
SG-1 and HGA-1 (Fig. 6). Average permeability
within these units is only around 0.2 roD. despite
porosities in the E1 Atchane of around 7%.
The Hamra Quartzite, representing the low-
stand deposits of Sequence 2, shows extensive
quartz overgrowths, which have drastically
reduced porosity to around 4-6%. Kaolinite is
almost completely absent in this unit whereas
fibrous illite and chlorite are abundant, as is
interstitial clay. The combined effect of these
clays is to reduce permeabilities to well below
those for equivalent porosities in the Ra reservoir
(Fig. 6) and therefore to make this unit ineffective
as an oil reservoir. Porosity and permeability
again show a relatively poor relationship in this
unit.
173
Conclusions
Two geological controls are observed on reser-
voir development in the southern Hassi Mes-
saoud field: sequence stratigraphy and
diagenesis. The thickest and highest-quality
reservoirs of the Ra lithozone and Hamra Quart-
zite represent the lowstand deposits of two
Palaeozoic sequences.
Diagenesis is a very important controlling
factor on permeability development in the reser-
voirs of the Hassi Messaoud field. The main
cements present are quartz, kaolinite and illite,
deposited in that order. Specific formations and
intervals are usually dominated by a single clay
type, with the controlling factor on that clay
type probably being pH. A distinct relationship
is seen between presence and amount of clay
cement, particularly pore throat blocking fibrous
illite, and permeability. The highest permeabil-
ities consequently occur in the sandstone inter-
vals with a high proportion of quartz cement
and low clay content, where most of the clay pre-
sent is kaolinite. These are concentrated in the
Cambrian Ra lithozone. The more clay-rich
sandstones of the Ri lithozone, Alternance
Zone and E1 Atchane tend to be tight as a
result of high illite content. Poor reservoir quality
in the Hamra Quartzite seems to be related to a
high illite and chlorite content. Because of the
lowering of permeability in these upper reser-
voirs, many wells, such as SG-1, are unproduc-
tive where the kaolinite-rich and clay-poor Ra
lithozone falls below the OWC.
The authors wish to acknowledge the Director of
CRD-Sonatrach for the permission to publish this
work.
Ph. Karcher from the Institute of Geology, Strasbourg,
France, was responsible for the SEM work. BP are
thanked for their assistance in drafting the figures.
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