Distribution and Permeability of Stylolite-Bearing Horizons Within a Lower Cretaceous Carbonate Reservoir in the Middle East

Abstract

Summary Stylolites and related pressure-solution features occur in many carbonate reservoirs. They are seams of insoluble residue that record the removal of rock by pressure dissolution. Stylolites may limit reservoir continuity by forming barriers or impedances to fluid flow. This core-based study documents both the distribution of stylolites and the variable impact of stylolite-bearing horizons on reservoir continuity for a Lower Cretaceous carbonate reservoir in the Middle East.