Authigenic albite formation due to water–rock interactions — Case study: Magnus oilfield (UK, Northern North Sea)

It is the aim of this contribution to test whether organic–inorganic interactions could induce the formation of authigenic albite. This concept and related results are being compared with modelling scenarios which are purely based on inorganic geochemical reactions. In order to unravel the pathway of authigenic albite formation, this paper presents results of a multidisciplinary study from imaging, geochemistry, mineralogy, and hydrogeochemical modelling. The Jurassic reservoir sandstones of the Magnus oilfield (UK, North Sea) were chosen as a test site.Albite occurs with 4–18 wt.% in the Magnus sandstones and its contents vary with depth. However, albite contents increase with increasing K-feldspar contents and decreasing grain size. It occurs in three forms: (1) as lamellae in perthite, (2) as overgrowth on/in corroded feldspar, and, (3) as cloudy replacing albite patches in K-feldspar. The albite overgrowth has the highest chemical purity (100% albite) whilst albite lamellae and replacing albite patches are slightly less pure (containing 1–4% anorthite). Albite appears non-altered, and has a euhedral morphology and dull cathodoluminescence. It commonly co-occurs with corroded K-feldspar grains.The precipitation of diagenetic albite in the Magnus sandstones is attributed to deep burial 80 Ma ago and may have continued until today at temperatures between 90–120 °C. The results of hydrogeochemical modelling offer two possible pathways for the authigenic albite formation: (1) Dissolution of unstable minerals (such as kaolinite and chalcedony) coupled to reduction of ferric iron minerals by products generated during oil generation, migration and degradation; (2) Dissolution of non-end member feldspar, such as K-feldspar with 10% albite, coupled to illite formation can account for trace amounts of albite due to an elevated Na+/K+ activity ratio in the pore water.