Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-mnl9s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-27T11:51:18.100Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Clay-Mineral Authigenesis in the Late Permian Coal Measures, Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

I. Tonguç Uysal ,
Suzanne D. Golding  and
Frank Audsley
I. Tonguç Uysal*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Suzanne D. Golding
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Frank Audsley
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
*
E-mail of corresponding author: t.uysal@earthsciences.uq.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Mineralogical studies were performed on authigenic clay minerals of mudrocks, sandstones, and bentonites from 38 boreholes in the Late Permian coal measures of the Bowen Basin. Clay-mineral separations of samples from the northern Bowen Basin consist mainly of (Reichweite, R) R = 1 and R ≥ 3 interstratified illite-smectite (I-S), chlorite, and kaolinite. In the southern Bowen Basin, samples from higher stratigraphie sections are characterized by randomly ordered (R = 0) I-S mixed layers, and kaolinite and chlorite in smaller amounts. Samples from the lower sections consist of (R ≥ 3) I-S, chlorite, chlorite-rich chlorite-smectite (C-S), and laumontite.

Examination of the mineralogy and distribution of authigenic clay minerals from the Late Permian coal measures in the northern part of the Bowen Basin indicated that the presence of clay minerals is not systematically related to depth and clay occurrences do not occur regularly. These mineralogical variations of clay in volcaniclastic sediments are incompatible with thermal control. Variations in the rate of fluid flow and potassium supply owing to permeability exert major influences on clay-mineral paragenesis and the reaction of illitization. In more permeable zones (possibly faults or fracture zones), highly illitic clays with lath-shaped morphologies may have precipitated directly from potassium-rich fluids migrating from deeper parts of the basin. In addition, abundant chlorite precipitated contemporaneously with illitic clays, which may have resulted from sufficient magnesium and iron occurring in the fluids as a result of dissolution of intermediate or mafic-rock fragments. At the same time, clay paragenesis with less illitic I-S, kaolinite, and minor chlorite occurs outside the channelized zones of high fluid flow, where a diffusive-flow regime may have predominated with lower ratios of the activities of K+ and H+ (i.e., αK+/αH+) in the solutions.

In the southern Bowen Basin, depth-related changes in the distribution of clay minerals are evident and may be indicative of thermal control on clay-mineral reactions. Zeolites are present locally in the Late Permian volcaniclastic rocks in the southern Bowen Basin, but not in the north. This is attributed to a low ratio of αCO2/αH2O (where α = activity) and/or more saline and alkaline solutions.

Keywords

ChloriteClay-Mineral DistributionFluid FlowIllite-SmectiteKaolinite

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 48 , Issue 3 , June 2000 , pp. 351 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © 2000, The Clay Minerals Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ahn, J.H. and Peacor, D.R., 1986 Transmission and analytical electron microscopy of the smectite-illite transition Clays and Clay Minerals 34 165–179 10.1346/CCMN.1986.0340207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Awwiller, D.N., 1993 Illite/smectite formation and potassium mass transfer during burial diagenesis of mudrocks: A study from the Texas Gulf Coast Paleocene-Eocene Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 63 501–512.Google Scholar
Baker, J.C. and Caritat, P. d., 1992 Postdepositional history of the Permian Sequence in the Denison Trough, eastern Australia American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 76 1224–1249.Google Scholar
Baker, J.C. and Golding, S.D., 1992 Occurrence and palaeo-hydrological significance of authigenic kaolinite in the Al-debaran Sandstone, Denison Trough, Queensland, Australia Clays and Clay Minerals 40 273–279 10.1346/CCMN.1992.0400304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, J.C. Fielding, C.R. de Caritat, P. and Wilkinson, M.M., 1993 Permian evolution of sandstone composition in a complex back-arc extensional to foreland basin: The Bowen Basin, Eastern Australia Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 63 881–893.Google Scholar
Beeston, J.W., 1981 Coal rank variation in the Bowen Basin Geological Survey of Queensland Record, Record 198/48 .Google Scholar
Biscaye, P.E., 1965 Mineralogy and sedimentation of recent deep-sea clay in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas and oceans Geological Society of America Bulletin 76 803–832 10.1130/0016-7606(1965)76[803:MASORD]2.0.CO;2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjørlykke, K., 1998 Clay mineral diagenesis in sedimentary basins—a key to the prediction of rock properties. Examples from the North Sea Basin Clay Minerals 33 15–34 10.1180/000985598545390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boles, J.R. and Franks, S.G., 1979 Clay diagenesis in Wilcox sandstones of southwest Texas: Implications of smectite diagenesis on sandstone cementation Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 49 55–70.Google Scholar
Biihmann, C., 1992 Smectite-to-illite conversion in a geo-thermally and lithologically complex Permian sedimentary sequence Clays and Clay Minerals 40 53–64 10.1346/CCMN.1992.0400107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chaudhuri, S. and Clauer, N., 1993 Strontium isotopie compositions and potassium and rubidium contents of formation waters in sedimentary basins: Clues to the origin of the solutes Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 57 429–437 10.1016/0016-7037(93)90441-X.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christidis, G.E., 1995 Mechanism of illitization of bentonites in the geothermal field of Milos Island Greece: Evidence based on mineralogy, chemistry, particle thickness and morphology Clays and Clay Minerals 43 569–585 10.1346/CCMN.1995.0430507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curtis, C.D. Hughes, C.R. Whiteman, J.A. and Whittle, C.K., 1985 Compositional variation with some sedimentary chlorites and some comments on their origin Miner-alogical Magazine 49 375–386 10.1180/minmag.1985.049.352.08.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deng, X. Sun, Y. Lei, X. and Lu, Q., 1996 Illite/smectite diagenesis in the NanXiang, Yitong, and North China Permian-Carboniferous basins: Application to petroleum exploration in China American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 80 157–173.Google Scholar
Draper, J.J. Palmieri, V. Price, P.I. Briggs, D.J.C. Parfrey, S.M. and Beeston, J.W., 1990 A biostratigraphic framework for the Bowen Basin Bowen Basin Symposium 1990 Proceedings Sydney Geological Society of Australia 26–35.Google Scholar
Dunoyer de Segonzag, G., 1970 The transformation of clay minerals during diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism: A review Sedimentology 15 281–346 10.1111/j.1365-3091.1970.tb02190.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eberl, D.D., 1993 Three zones for illite formation during burial diagenesis and metamorphism Clays and Clay Minerals 41 26–37 10.1346/CCMN.1993.0410103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esposito, K.J. and Whitney, G., 1995 Thermal Effects of Thin Igneous Intrusions on Diagenetic Reactions in a Tertiary Basin of Southwestern Washington Washington, D.C. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2085-C.Google Scholar
Fielding, C.R. Stephens, C.J. Holcombe, R.J., Ashley, P.M. and Flood, E.G., 1997 Permian stratigraphy and palaeogeography of the eastern Bowen Basin, Gogango Overfolded Zone and Strathmuir Synclinorium in the Rockhampton-Mackay region, central Queensland Tectonics and Metallogenesis of the New England Orogen Sydney Geological Society Australia Special Publication 19 80–95.Google Scholar
Flexser, S., 1991 Hydrothermal alteration and past and present thermal regimes in the western moat of Long Valley caldera Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 48 303–318 10.1016/0377-0273(91)90048-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Furlan, S. Clauer, N. Chaudhuri, S. and Sommer, F., 1996 K transfer during burial diagenesis in the Mahakam Delta Basin (Kalimantan, Indonesia) Clays and Clay Minerals 44 157–169 10.1346/CCMN.1996.0440201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glasmann, J.R. Latter, S. Briedis, N.A. and Lundegart, P.D., 1989 Shale diagenesis in the Bergen High area, North Sea Clays and Clay Minerals 37 97–112 10.1346/CCMN.1989.0370201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golding, S.D. Collerson, K.D. Uysal, I.T. Glikson, M. Baublys, K. Zhao, J.X., Glikson, M. and Mastalerz, M., 1999 Nature and source of carbonate mineralisation in coals of the Bowen Basin, eastern Australia: Implications for the origin of coal seam methane and other hydrocarbons sourced from coal Organic Matter and Mineralisation: Thermal Alteration, Hydrocarbon Generation and Role in Metallogenesis Dordrecht, The Netherlands Kluwer Academic Press 296–313.Google Scholar
Güven, N. Hower, W.F. and Davies, D.K., 1980 Nature of authigenic illites in sandstone reservoirs Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 50 761–766.Google Scholar
Harvey, C.C. and Browne, P.R., 1991 Mixed-layer clay geothermometry in the Wairakei geothermal field, New Zealand Clays and Clay Minerals 39 614–621 10.1346/CCMN.1991.0390607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillier, S., 1993 Origin, diagenesis, and mineralogy of chlorite minerals in Devonian lacustrine mudrocks, Orcadian Basin, Scotland Clays and Clay Minerals 41 240–259 10.1346/CCMN.1993.0410211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillier, S., 1994 Pore-lining chlorites in siliciclastic reservoir sandstones: Electron microprobe, SEM and XRD data, and implications for their origin Clay Minerals 29 665–679 10.1180/claymin.1994.029.4.20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillier, S. Fallick, A.E. and Matter, A., 1996 Origin of pore-lining chlorite in the aeolian of Rotliegend of northern Germany Clay Minerals 31 153–171 10.1180/claymin.1996.031.2.02.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoffman, J. Hower, J., Scholle, P.A. and Schluger, P.S., 1979 Clay mineral assemblages as low grade metamorphic geothermometers: Application to the thrust faulted disturbed belt of Montana Aspects of Diagenesis Tulsa, Oklahoma Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 26 55–79 10.2110/pec.79.26.0055.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horton, D.G., 1985 Mixed-layer illite-smectite as a paleotemperature indicator in the Amethyst vein system, Creede district, Colorado, USA Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 91 171–179 10.1007/BF00377764.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hower, J. Eslinger, E.V. Hower, M.E. and Perry, E.A., 1976 Mechanism of metamorphism of argillaceous sediment: Mineralogical and chemical evidence Geological Society of America Bulletin 87 725–737 10.1130/0016-7606(1976)87<725:MOBMOA>2.0.CO;2.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, W.L. and Houseknect, D.W., 1992 Illitic-clay formation during experimental diagenesis of arkoses Origin, Diagenesis and Petro-physics of Clay Minerals in Sandstones Tulsa, Oklahoma Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 47 49–63 10.2110/pec.92.47.0049.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutcheon, I. Oldershaw, A. and Ghent, E.D., 1980 Diagenesis of Cretaceous sandstones of the Kootenay Formation at Elk Valley (southeast British Columbia) and Mt. Allan (southwestern Alberta) Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 44 1425–1435 10.1016/0016-7037(80)90108-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inoue, A. Kohyama, N. Kitagawa, R. and Watanabe, T., 1987 Chemical and morphological evidence for the conversion of smectite to illite Clays and Clay Minerals 35 111–120 10.1346/CCMN.1987.0350203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inoue, A. Watanabe, T. Kohyama, N. and Brusewitz, A.M., 1990 Characterization of illitization of smectite in bentonite beds at Kinnekulle, Sweden Clays and Clay Minerals 38 241–249 10.1346/CCMN.1990.0380302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inoue, A. Utada, M. and Wakita, K., 1992 Smectite-to-illite conversion in natural hydrothermal systems Applied Clay Science 7 131–145 10.1016/0169-1317(92)90035-L.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jeans, C.V., 1989 Clay diagenesis in sandstones and shales: An introduction Clay Minerals .CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jennings, S. and Thompson, G.R., 1986 Diagenesis of PlioPleistocene sediments of the Colorado River delta, southern California Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 56 89–98.Google Scholar
Keller, W.D. Reynolds, R.C. and Inoue, A., 1986 Morphology of clay minerals in the smectite-to-illite conversion series by scanning electron microscopy Clays and Clay Minerals 34 187–197 10.1346/CCMN.1986.0340209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, G. Peacor, D.R. and Coombs, D.S., 1997 Transformation of smectite to illite in bentonite and associated sediments from Kaka Point, New Zealand: Contrast in rate and mechanism Clays and Clay Minerals .Google Scholar
Lynch, F.L., 1997 Frio shale mineralogy and the stoichi-ometry of the smectite-to-illite reaction: The most important reaction in clastic sedimentary diagenesis Clays and Clay Minerals 45 618–631 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mallett, C.W. Pattison, C. McLennan, T. Balfe, P. Sullivan, D., Ward, C.R. Harrington, H.J. Mallett, C.W. and Beeston, J.W., 1995 Bowen Basin Geology of Australian Coal Basins .Google Scholar
McHardy, W.J. Wilson, M.J. and Tait, J.M., 1982 Electron microscope and X-ray diffraction studies of filamentous illitic clay from sandstones of the Magnus field Clay Minerals 17 23–39 10.1180/claymin.1982.017.1.04.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, D.M. and Reynolds, R.C., 1989 X-ray Diffraction and the Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals Oxford Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Nadeau, P.H. and Reynolds, R.C., 1981 Burial and contact metamorphism in the Mancos shale Clays and Clay Minerals 29 249–259 10.1346/CCMN.1981.0290402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nadeau, P.H. Wilson, M.J. McHardy, W.J. and Tait, J.M., 1985 The conversion of smectite to illite during diagenesis: Evidence from some illitic clays from bentonites and sandstones Mineralogical Magazine 49 393–400 10.1180/minmag.1985.049.352.10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Shea, K.J. and Frape, S.K., 1988 Authigenic illite in the Lower Silurian Cataract Group sandstones of southern Ontario Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 36 158–167.Google Scholar
Owen, D.E. Turner-Peterson, C.E. and Fishman, N.S., 1989 X-ray Diffraction Studies of the <0.5-μm Fraction from the Brushy Basin Member of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, Colorado Plateau Washington, D.C U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1808-G.Google Scholar
Patrier, P. Papapanagiotou, P. Beaufort, D. Traîneau, H. Bril, H. and Rojas, J., 1996 Role of permeability versus temperature in the distribution of the fine (<0.2 μm) clay fraction in the Chipilapa geothermal system (El Salvador, Central America) Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 72 101–120 10.1016/0377-0273(95)00078-X.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pattison, C.I. Fielding, C.R. McWatters, R.H. Hamilton, L.H., Gayer, R. and Harris, I., 1996 Nature and origin of fractures in Permian coals from the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia Coalbed Methane and Coal Geology London Geological Society Special Publication 109 133–150.Google Scholar
Pollastro, R.M., Nuccio, V.E. and Barker, C.F., 1990 The illite/smectite geothermometer— Concepts, methodology, and application to basin history and hydrocarbon generation Applications of Thermal Maturity Studies to Energy Exploration Rocky Mountain Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists 1–18.Google Scholar
Pollastro, R.M., 1993 Considerations and applications of the illite/smectite geothermometer in hydrocarbon-bearing rocks of Miocene to Mississippian age Clays and Clay Minerals 41 119–133 10.1346/CCMN.1993.0410202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramseyer, K. and Boles, J.R., 1986 Mixed-layer illite/smectite minerals in Tertiary sandstones and shales, San Joaquin Basin, California Clays and Clay Minerals .CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reyes, A.G., 1990 Petrology of Philippine geothermal systems and the application of alteration mineralogy to their assessment Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 43 279–309 10.1016/0377-0273(90)90057-M.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Šamajová, E. Kraus, I. Mato, L. and Konta, J., 1993 Origin of the clay minerals in hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks in the Kremnica ore district Eleventh Conference on Clay Mineralogy and Petrology Czech Republic Univerzita Kar-lova, Ceske Budejovice 37–46.Google Scholar
Schultz, L.G., 1964 Quantitative interpretation of Mineralogical Composition from X-ray and Chemical Data for the Pierre Shale 10.3133/pp391C.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, S.G., 1987 Stratigraphie coal drilling in the northern Bowen Basin Geological Survey of Queensland, Record 1987/53 .Google Scholar
Shaw, H.F. and Primmer, T.J., 1991 Diagenesis of mudrocks from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the Brae Area, UK North Sea Marine and Petroleum Geology 8 270–277 10.1016/0264-8172(91)90081-B.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Small, J.S., 1994 Fluid composition, mineralogy and morphological changes associated with the smectite-to-illite reaction: An experimental investigation of the effect of organic acid anions Clay Minerals 29 539–554 10.1180/claymin.1994.029.4.11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steiner, A., 1977 The Wairakei geothermal area, North Island, New Zealand New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 90 New Zealand Wellington.Google Scholar
Surdam, R.C. Boles, J.R., Scholle, P.A. and Schluger, P.S., 1979 Diagenesis of volcanic sandstones Aspects of Diagenesis Tulsa, Oklahoma Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 26 227–242 10.2110/pec.79.26.0227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Surdam, R. Crossey, L.J. Hagen, E.S. and Heasler, H.R., 1989 Organic-inorganic interactions and sandstone diagenesis American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 73 1–23.Google Scholar
Uysal, I.T., 1999 Mineralogy and isotope geochemistry of authigenic clay and carbonate minerals in Late Permian coal measures, Bowen Basin, Queensland: Implications for thermal and fluid flow history Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Uysal, I.T. Glikson, M. Golding, S.D. and Audsley, E., 2000 The thermal history of the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia: Vitrinite reflectance and clay mineralogy of the Late Permian coal measures Tectonophysics .CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uysal, I.T. Golding, S.D. and Thiede, D.S., 2000 K-Ar and Rb-Sr dating of authigenic illite-smectite in Late Permian coal measures, Queensland, Australia: Implications for thermal history Chemical Geology .CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vavra, C.L., 1989 Mineral reactions and controls on zeolite-facies alteration in sandstone of the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 59 688–703.Google Scholar
Velde, B. and Vasseur, G., 1992 Estimation of the diagenetic smectite to illite transformation in time-temperature space American Mineralogist 77 967–976.Google Scholar
Welton, J.E., 1984 SEM Petrology Atlas Tulsa, Oklahoma American Association of Petroleum Geologists.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitney, G., 1990 Role of water in the smectite-to illite reaction Clays and Clay Minerals 38 343–350 10.1346/CCMN.1990.0380402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitney, G. and Northrop, H.R., 1987 Diagenesis and fluid flow in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico: Regional zona-tion in the mineralogy and stable isotope composition of clay minerals in sandstone American Journal of Science 287 353–382 10.2475/ajs.287.4.353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitney, G. and Velde, B., 1993 Changes in particle morphology during illitization: An experimental study Clays and Clay Minerals 41 209–218 10.1346/CCMN.1993.0410209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WoldeGabriel, G. and Goff, F., 1992 K/Ar dates of hydro-thermal clays from core hole VC-2B, Valles Caldera, New Mexico and their relation to alteration in a large hydro-thermal system Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 50 207–230 10.1016/0377-0273(92)90094-T.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yau, Y.C. Peacor, D.R. Essene, E.J. Lee, J.H. Kuo, L.C. and Cosca, M.A., 1987 Hydrothermal treatment of smectite, illite, and basalt to 460°C: Comparison of natural with hydrothermally formed clay minerals Clays and Clay Minerals 35 241–250 10.1346/CCMN.1987.0350401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yau, Y.C. Peacor, D.R. Beane, R.E. Essene, E.J. and McDowell, S.D., 1988 Microstructures, formation mechanisms, and depth-zoning of phyllosilicates in geothermally altered shales, Salton Sea, California Clays and Clay Minerals 36 1–10 10.1346/CCMN.1988.0360101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ylagan, R.F. Altaner, S.P. and Pozzuoli, A., 1996 Hydro-thermal alteration of a rhyolitic hyaloclastite from Ponza Island, Italy Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 74 215–231 10.1016/S0377-0273(96)00046-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar