Micritisation products in the inner ramp settings of the Abu Dhabi Lagoon

In numerous carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East, peloidal packstone-grainstones are rock types with excellent pore storage potential in micritised microporous grains. However, the origin of the micro-porosity and associated micro-spar remains unclear, and one hypothesis is that both micro-spar and porosity originate from early marine micritisation and were later altered during subsequent diagenesis (i.e. cementation recrystallisation). The south-eastern coast of the Arabian Gulf is recognised as a modern, albeit miniature, depositional setting analogue to Mesozoic carbonate sequences that form the supergiant reservoirs of the Middle East. Using optical microscopy, backscattered scanning electron microscopy and carbon and oxygen stable isotope analysis the present study aims to document the nature of internal microstructures of micritic envelopes and peloids from the surface sediments of various sub-environments of the Abu Dhabi Lagoon. Results highlight a high degree of diversity and heterogeneities of most micritic envelopes and peloids observed across the sub-environments. First, carbonate grains from ooid and bioclastic shoals show the simpler micritic envelopes. Here, micritic envelopes and peloids show sparse microborings filled with banded radial aragonite cement, a pattern of production of cryptocrystalline texture (e.g. micritisation) that is similar to the sequence of micritisation observed in the modern sediment of the Great Bahama Bank. Conversely, in the subtidal and intertidal zones with mangroves or seagrass, the micritic envelopes and peloids are much more complex and show multiple generations of microborings that are either empty or filled with carbonate materials of varying types (i.e. various cements, fragments, etc.).