Paleokarst, karst related diagenesis and reservoir development: Examples from Ordovician-Devonian age strata of west Texas and the Mid-continent

Abstract

This publication served as a guidebook for a Permian Basin Section-SEPM field trip to examine exposures of paleokarst in lower Paleozoic platform carbonates of West Texas and New Mexico. Included are road logs for the field trips and a collection of eighteen papers and abstracts that focus on various aspects of paleokarst in shallow-water carbonates including: (1) recognition and classification of karst-related textures in outcrop and the subsurface; (2) sequence stratigraphic analysis of karsted platforms; (3) diagenetic products of karstification; and (4) production characteristics of karst reservoirs. Collectively, these papers provide excellent documentation of sedimentary fabrics and diagenetic products associated with paleokarst development resulting from regional exposure of Cambro-Ordovician and Siluro-Devonian carbonates of the Great American Bank.'' The major value of this volume lies in the integration of a variety of approaches for examining processes and products related to karstification. These include the use of core, outcrop, well logs, and computer modeling to better understand paleokarst development and preservation. Some of the more interesting articles are highlighted below.