Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2024
This study uses the data from Miocene rocks of the Carpathian Foredeep to test the performance of the computer programs QUANTA and BESTMIN in aiding the interpretation of geophysical log data. These programs were designed to help trace trends in the mineral composition of rocks, the chemical composition of minerals, and the effects of these data on petrophysical and geophysical logging parameters. Chemical and X-ray diffraction data for 65 samples of shales, sandstones, and carbonates taken from cored wells in the molasse basin of the Carpathian Foredeep were processed. Compositional differences were detected between rocks sourced from the platform and rocks sourced from the Carpathians. Quartz, K-feldspar, and zircon were more abundant in the coarse-grained rocks (sandstones), while calcite, ankerite, siderite, pyrite, barite, halite, celestite, apatite, anatase, chlorite, 2:1 minerals, and organic matter were more abundant in the fine-grained rocks (shales). Plagioclase reached its maximum in coarse shales. Ankerite, chlorite, and dioctahedral 2:1 minerals had more Fe in the coarse-grained rocks. The dioctahedral 2:1 minerals in fine-grained rocks had a greater concentration of smectitic layers. This information permitted the precise calculation of grain density, porosity, adsorbed water, and some geophysical logging parameters. It also permitted the calibration of well-log response, in particular, the macroscopic neutron absorption cross-section (Σa) combined with the photoelectric absorption factor (P{e}) or with Pe + Ca (calcium content, measurable in wells by spectroscopic techniques) with porosity and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The NaCl concentration in the pore waters was found to range from the values typical for seawater in shales to the freshwater level in clean sandstones.