Clay minerals are one of the most important groups of minerals thatdestroy permeability in sandstones. However, they also react withdrilling and completion fluids and induce fines migration duringhydrocarbon production. They are a very complex family of mineralsthat are routinely intergrown with each other, contain a wide rangeof solid solutions and form by a variety of processes under a widerange temperatures and rock and fluid compositions. In this volume, clay minerals in sandstones are reviewed interms of their mineralogy and general occurrence, their stable andradiogenic isotope geochemistry, XRD quantification, their effectson the petrophysical properties of sandstones and theirrelationships to sequence stratigraphy and palaeoclimate. Thecontrols on various clay minerals are addressed and a variety ofgeochemical issues, including the importance of mass flux, links tocarbonate mineral diagenesis and linked clay mineral diagenesis ininterbedded mudstone-sandstone are explored. A number of casestudies are included for kaolin, illite and chlorite cements, andthe occurrence of smectite in sandstone is reviewed. Experimentalrate data for clay cements in sandstones are reviewed and there aretwo model-based case studies that address the rates of growth ofkaolinite and illite. The readership of this volume will include sedimentologists andpetrographers who deal with the occurrence, spatial and temporaldistribution patterns and importance of clay mineral cements insandstones, geochemists involved in unraveling the factors thatcontrol clay mineral cement formation in sandstones and petroleumgeoscientists involved in predicting clay mineral distribution insandstones. The book will also be of interest to geologistsinvolved in palaeoclimate studies basin analysis. Latest geochemical data on clays in sandstones Provides important information for geologists involved inbasin analysis, sandstone petrology and petroleum geology If you are a member of the International Association ofSedimentologists (IAS), for purchasing details, please see:http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP34

Diagenesis affects all sediments after their deposition andincludes a fundamental suite of physical, chemical and biologicalprocesses that control the texture, mineralogy and fluid-flowproperties of sedimentary rocks. Understanding the processes andproducts of diagenesis is thus a critical component in the analysisof the evolution of sedimentary basins, and has practicalimplications for subsurface porosity destruction, preservation andgeneration. This in turn is of great relevance to the petroleum andwater industries, as well as to the location and nature of someeconomic mineral deposits. Combines key papers in sandstone diagenesis published inSedimentology over the last 30 years. Records the development of diagenesis from the description ofgrain shapes through provenance, petrography and analyticalgeochemistry to predictive models of diagenetic process. Provides definitions and explanations of the terms and conceptsused in diagenesis. If you are a member of the International Association ofSedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see:http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=RP4

Quartz is the major porosity-reducing cement in many sandstonesequences. Therefore, Quartz cements represent a key source ofpetrographic and geochemical information about diagenetic history.They are also the major determinant of sandstone reservoirquality. While the ultimate goal of research in this area is to makerobust predictions about the amount and distribution of quartzcements in a wide variety of depositional and burial settings,there are nevertheless large areas of the subject that are poorlyunderstood and remain the subject of controversy. The aim of this Volume, which is based partly on paperssubmitted to a 1996 workshop in Belfast, and partly on invitedcontributions, is to bring together some of the main strands ofresearch into quartz cements and provide a focus for debate anddirection for future research. This book will be welcomed by sedimentologists, petrographersand geochemists involved in sandstone digenesis, as well as bypetroleum geologists seeking a deeper understanding of the factorsinfluencing reservoir porosity and permeability. Contributors from 11 countries and 4 continents. Represents the benchmark in quartz cement research. If you are a member of the International Association ofSedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see:http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP29

Carbonate cements are very common and abundant in clastic sequences. They profoundly influence the quality of hydrocarbon reservoirs and supply important information on palaeoenvironments and the chemical composition and flow patterns of fluids in sedimentary basins. Despite this importance, their distribution patterns in time and space and their geochemical evolution are not yet deeply explored and elucidated. This Special Publication contains 21 review papers and case studies on carbonate cementation in clastic sequences written by invited specialists on the subject. These papers present a wide and deep coverage that enhance our knowledge about carbonate cementation in various clastic depositional environments, tectonic settings and burial histories. The book will be of special interest to researchers, petroleum geologists and teachers and students at the postgraduate level.

Backscattered scanning electron microscopy (BSE) reveals the minerals, textures, and fabrics of sediments and rocks in much greater detail than is possible with conventional optical microscopy. Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy provides a concise summary of the BSE technique. This comprehensive guide uses abundant images to illustrate the type of information BSE yields and the application of the technique to the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks. The authors review the use of this petrographic technique on all the major sedimentary rock types, including sediment grains, sandstones, shales, carbonate rocks, rock varnish, and glauconite. They also describe image analysis techniques that allow quantification of backscattered scanning electron microscope images. Heavily illustrated and lucidly written, this book will provide researchers and graduate students with the most current research on this important geological tool.