Clay mineral burial diagenesis: A case study from the Calabar flank of the Niger Delta

Detailed clay mineralogic and chemical analyses of Tertiary subsurface sediments of the Agbada and Akata Formations, from two wells on the Calabar Flank of the Niger Delta, have been systematically studied with a view to understanding clay mineral burial diagenesis. Five principal clay minerals, smectite, illite, kaolinite, chlorite and various proportions of mixed-layer illite/smectite were identified. Seven major oxides (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO, Fe₂O₃, CaO, Na₂O, K₂O) were analysed for with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, with a view to ascertain any depth related variations. The geothermal gradient of the two wells (Uruan-1 and Uda-1) was also calculated.

The results appear to suggest a transformation from smectite to a mixed-layer illite/smectite (I/S) phase. The transformation first goes to a random I/S phase, and then to ordered I/S and back to random I/S, even though postulated conditions for a complete transformation to illite did exist. It would therefore seem, from this case study, that neither temperature nor the availability of potassium is the principal factor controlling the transformation. Kaolinite and chlorite distribution does not exhibit any systematic trend that could be related to burial diagenesis.

These results provoked an extensive literature review on the subject, and key ideas discerned are summarized here. The prognosis? In the author's opinion, we still have a lot to learn about the factors that control the mechanics and reaction extent of clay mineral burial diagenesis.