Characterization of late-diagenetic calcites of the Devonian Southesk-Cairn Carbonate Complex (Alberta Basin): constraints from petrography, stable and radiogenic isotopes, fluid inclusion and organic matter maturity data

Abstract

The Alberta Basin has been the subject of various diagenetic studies but the precise understanding of the processes behind deep burial cementation remains unclear. This study investigates late-diagenetic calcites from the Devonian Southesk-Cairn Carbonate Complex with the purpose of constraining temperature, relative timing and chemistry of the paleo-fluids involved during calcite precipitation. Two types of late-diagenetic calcites were petrographically and geochemically characterized. Whereas calcite-I resulted from thermochemical sulfate reduction, calcite-II precipitated with no or little oxidized organic carbon present. As shown by the Sr isotopic signatures, some reservoirs were exposed to radiogenic Sr-bearing fluids. A slight trend of increasing fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures with depth is only seen in calcite-I, and bitumen reflectance also increases with depth following a normal burial gradient. These results, however, are not conclusive to interpret the influence of tectonically-driven fluids during deep burial.