GEOCHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF TERRIGENOUS SANDS AND SHALES FROM CORE OR LOG DATA' MICHAEL M. HERRON Schlumberger-Doll Research Old Quarry Road Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877-4108 Ansruact: A means of relating geochemical concentrations to existing sandstone classification schemes is based on three chemical parameters: the SiO,/AI,0, rato, the Fe,O,/K,O ratio, and the Ca content. In terigenous sands and shales, the SIOVALO, ratio. Separates Si-rch quartzareites from Al-rich shales, with otber sand types showing intermediate values. The ratio of total iron (as Fe.O)) to K,O separates lithic sands (litharentes and sublithaenits) from feldspathic sands (arkoses and subarkose) In addicon, very high Fe,0,/K,0 ratios indicate Ferich shales (¢@, yi, sideiic,hematitc) or Fe-nich sands (eg, Bauconitic) depending fn the silica alumina ratio, The Ca content is used to eiferetiate noncalcarcous from calcareous sandstones and shales and 10 ‘Separate sicilastic from carbonate rocks, Sandstones ar classified the same by ths Scheme as by petrographic analysis about 88% fof the time, and shales are effectively discriminated from sandstones. The requisite input data can be accurately supplied by teochemical well-logging measurertens, enabling unbiased sandstone classification tobe displayed on a continuous basis with depth, INTRODUCTION The recently introduced Geochemical Logging Too! (GLT? logs provide measurements of concentrations of Al, Si, Ca, Fe, S, Gd, Ti, Th, U, and K in boreholes (Hertzog et al. 1987). These data promise to enhance significantly the characterization of sedimentary forma: tions with applications including the derivation of min- eralogy, matrix density, and permeability (Herron 19872). One possible application of these data is sandstone clas- sification, the next level of detail beyond lithological clas- sification. Previous attempts to relate sandstone type and chemical composition used Na concentrations as an input variable (Garrels and Mackenzie 1971; Pettijohn ct al. 1972). Unfortunately, sodium concentrations are not available from the GLT logs. ‘A new scheme for relating chemical concentrations to common sandstone classifications, applicable for terrig- enous sands and shales, is presented here. This scheme uses the SiO,/A1,0, and Fe,0,/K,0 ratios and Ca con- centrations available either from laboratory measure- ‘ments or from GLT log data. Where geochemical log data are used, hundreds of meters of terrigenous sediments can be classified on a continuous basis within hours of logging. Such a characterization can be beneficial in well- to-well correlation, depositional environment interpre~ tation, reservoir quality assessment, tectonic setting anal- ysis, and general subsurface geology (Crook 1974; Schwab 1975; Dickinson and Suczek 1979; Selley 1982; Bhatia 1983; Roser and Korsch 1986; Herron 1987). SANDSTONE CLASSIFICATION ‘Numerous sandstone classification schemes exist, most of them based on the work of Krynine (1948). Pettijohn etal. (1972) reviewed twenty of the more notable schemes and many of the ambiguities and shortcomings involved in sandstone classification. In most schemes, the funda- mental classification of sands and sandstones involves " Manvscrip received 16 February 1987; reviseé 9 March 1988 Trademark of Schlumberger. four parameters: quartz (Q), feldspars (F), rock or lithic fragments (R or L), and matrix (M). Quartz may include chert as well as single-crystal grains of quartz (Dickinson 1970; Valloni and Maynard 1981). Feldspar refers to sin- gle-crystal grains of potassium feldspars as well as pla- sioclase. Lithic fragments may encompass all multi-crys- tal grains, even ifthe individual minerals involved include quartz, feldspar, or shale clasts; in Dickinson's (1970) system, igneous fragments of quartz and feldspars are counted as though they were individual grains. Chert is considered asa lithic fragment in some schemes. Matrix {neludes all material that is smaller than a given diameter, usually between 20 and 62.5 um, and thus not reliably identifiable microscopically. Most or all of the silt-sized material and all of the clay-sized particles fall in this, category. The variety of classification schemes, the com- positional ambiguity of the matrix and lithic fragment components, and differences in the size range of the ma- trix, among other factors, preclude an exact relationship between chemical composition and sandstone type, but attempts have been made to derive useful, if inexact, relationships. For example, the concentration ratios SiO,/Al,0, and Na;0/K,0 or (Na,O + CaOVK,O have been used to differentiate major sandstone varieties (Middleton 1960; Garrels and Mackenzie 1971; Pettijohn et al. 1972) and tectonic settings of sandstones (Roser and Korsch 1986). The SiO./Al.O, ratio separates Si-rich quartzarenites from more Al-rich intermediate sandstones. The Na;0/K,0 ratio has been observed to distinguish graywackes from arkoses (Pettijohn 1943; Middleton 1960; Pettijohn etal 1972; Pettijohn 1975). Pettijohn et al. (1972) related the SiO,/A1,0, and Na,O/K,O ratios to sandstone type as displayed in Figure 1. Unfortunately, the Na,O/K,O ratio is not well suited to distinguishing lithic fragments from feldspars, a fun- damental part of most sandstone classifications. For ex- ample, an arkose containing abundant albite will have a high Na,O/K,O ratio and be incorrectly classified as a lithic arenite, whereas an arkose rich in a potassium feld- spar such as orthoclase will have a low ratio and be cor- rectly classified. For basic petrographic classification, the JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY, VoL. 58, NO. 5, Qerrmsauun, 1988, p. 820-829 Copriaht © 1986, The Society of Economic Pleontologiss and Mineralogie 0022-4472/88/0056-820/503 00GEOCHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTS 821 2 tog (Nay O/Kp 0) log (Fe 203/Kp 0) H/ 10g (SiO, /Al 0.4) Fic. 1. Geochemical classification for terigenous sands from Pet- tijobn et a. (1972), 2 28 type of feldspar is immaterial, and both sands should be classified as arkoses. Thus, the Na;O/K,0 ratio does not have the ability to distinguish between lithic arenites and feldspathic arenites, and this is probably the major short- coming of past attempts to relate chemical composition 10 sandstone type. ‘A now geochemical mapping system, the SandClass? system, has been constructed t0 allow reliable estimates of sandstone type from geochemical data. The primary parameters used are the SiO,/AI0; and Fe,0,/K,0 ra- tios. Figure 2 shows the sandstone fields defined by these ratios according to the SandClass system. The use of the SiO,/AI,O; ratio follows many other geochemical schemes and allows distinction between quartz-rich, high-ratio sandstones and clay-rich, low-ratio shales. Wackes and feldspathic and lithic sandstones have intermediate ra- tios. The Si0,/ALO, ratio has been described as an in- dicator of mineralogical maturity (Pettijohn et al. 1972). The ratio of total iron, expressed as Fe, to K,O is effective in distinguishing lithic fragments from feldspars in a wide variety of sandstones. The Fe,O,/K,0 ratio can bbe thought of as an indicator of mineralogical stability. AL the low temperatures and pressures characteristic of sedimentary environments, the most stable rock-forming minerals are K-feldspar, muscovite mica, and quartz, the first two of which are rich in potassium and all three of which are low in iron content. In contrast, the less stable rock-forming minerals, commonly occurring in lithic fragments, tend to be richer in iron and magnesium. Therefore, as a general rule: stable mineral assemblages have low Fe,0,/K,0 ratios, less stable mineral assem- blages, located close to the sediment source and contain- ing abundant lithic fragments, have high Fe,0,/K,O ra- tios. Only in the very mature quartzarenites, containing little Fe or K, will the Fe,Oy/K,O ratio become mean- ingless. There are a few iron-rich minerals which are stable at low temperatures and pressures, but these tend to have exceedingly high Fe;03/K;0 ratios (eg. chlorite) or to » Trademark of Schlumberger. log (SiO, /Al 0g) Fic. 2.~The SandCass system for geochemical classification of ter- ‘genous sands and shales. The thir axis, not shown isthe Ca conten 15%) sediments be devoid of potassium entirely (eg. siderite, pyrite, an- kerite). In the SandClass system, the presence of these minerals forces the Fe,O,/K,O ratios to very high values, distinguishable from the moderate levels in litharenites. One might expect the Fe,0,/K30 ratios to fail to identify arkoses when the feldspars are not K-rich; however, even in plagioclases, this ratio is generally less than unity (Pa- pezik 1965; Smith 1974). Usually, feldspathic sands con~ tain some mixture of Na-rich and K-rich feldspars, re- sulting in even lower values of the ratio. The Fe;0,/K,O ratio of 1.1 divides litharenites and sublitharenites from arkoses and subarkoses (Fig. 2). We will see that for a variety of arkosic arenites, the ratio of Fe,O,/K,0 is less than 1.1 whether the dominant feldspar is potassic or sodic. Field boundary lines for the SandClass system are siven in the Appendix. A th’rd axis of total Ca, not shown in Figure 2, divides samples in the SandClass system into noncalcareous (Ca < 4%), calcareous (4% < Ca < 15%), and carbonate (Ca > 15%). Calcite and dolomite are important diagenetic components of sandstones and may not properly belong ina sandstone classification scheme. This axis is included ‘because of the importance of carbonate cementation to formation properties such as porosity, permeability, and rock strength. For many sandstones, Ca concentrations above 1% strongly indicate some carbonate cementation; for other sands, the source of the Ca may be noncarbonate ‘minerals including plagioclase. The dividing line of 4% was deliberately chosen to avoid describing carbonate- free sands as calcareous at the risk of missing some slightly calcareous sands. The division between a calcareous sand and a sandy carbonate is usually taken at 50% carbonate. ‘The division in this scheme at Ca = 15% reflects about 50% of a carbonate composed of equal parts of calcite and dolomite. While most of the categories shown in Figure 2, in- cluding quartzarenite, subarkose, arkose, sublitharenite, litharenite, and wacke, follow according to the sandstone classification schemes of Dott (1964), Folk (1968), and Pettijobn et al. (1972), three additional categories areA log (Fe 204/K, 0) log (Nay O/K20) 25 Fig, 3 —Benchmark sandstone chemical compositions (Petijon 1963; Peston etal. 1972) plotted for the SandClass scheme (A), and the Peston scheme (B) included, Shale, not present in the Pettijohn geochemical scheme, is distinguished from wacke primarily by a lower Si0,/A1,0, ratio. Samples with very high Fe,0,/K,O ra- tios (> 4) are classified as iron-rich or ferruginous, and are further broken down as Fe-rich sands cg. glauconite rich) or Fe-rich shales (eg., containing abundant pyrite and/or siderite) on the basis of the SiO,/AI,0 ratio. COMPARISON OF CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES Pettljohn’s Benchmark Sandstones ‘The Peitijohn sandstone classification (Fig. 1) was es- sentially constructed from the chemical composition of several “benchmark” sandstones that were also petro- graphically classified (Pettijohn 1963; Pettijohn et al 1972). The SandClass system was constructed in a similar fashion. Because of the compositional ambiguity of ma- trix and lithic fragments, exact compositional boundaries cannot be derived for either scheme. The chemical data for the benchmark sandstones are plotted in the SandClass format and the Pettijohn format in Figure 3. Quartzarenites are classified solely on the basis of high SiO,/Al,0, ratios; both the Pertijohn and SandClass schemes correctly classify these samples. Pet- tijohn (1963, table 4) gives compositional data on a com- 2 MICHAEL M. HERRON ‘Taaue 1.—Comparison of sandstone classifications according to the ‘SandClass and Peta etal (1972) presentations ‘Sap See Sane Benchmark Sandstones (33) Correct 2 4 Incorrect 4 1 Ofeeale o 2 ther Sandstones (13) Correct 2 6 Incorrect 2 6 Oftseale 1 3 Kem Co. Arkoses (38) ‘Correct 31 ° Incorrect 7 3 OfFscale o 0 ‘Shales, Slates, Mite (34) Corsect 3 - Incorrect 1 = Ofeseale o 7 Total Sands (86) Correct 284%) 30.85%) Tnoorrect Base 51 (59%) Ofeseale %) 51) posite of 96 sublitharenites from the Colorado Plateau and both schemes place this composite in the proper cat- egory. Similarly, both schemes place eight of ten wackes in the proper category. All of the litharenite samples fall in the proper area of the Pettijohn presentation, while two are misplaced as wackes in the SandClass presenta tion. Two arkoses are misclassified in the Pettijohn for- ‘mat, while all eight are properly placed in the SandClass format. Two of three subarkoses fallin the sublitharenite category of the Pettijohn format, while all are in the prop- cer SandClass category. One of the subarkoses, a Berea sandstone, was previously identified as a sublitharenite. We reanalyzed a Berea sample chemically and petro- graphically. While the chemical analysis was similar to that previously reported, the QugFyLs analysis indicates a subarkose. Overall, the SandClass system generally classifies the Pettijohn benchmark sandstones in agreement with their petrographic classification. For the 33 benchmark sand- stones, counting composites as individual samples, 29 are correctly identified by the SandClass classification com- pared to 24 in the Peitijohn scheme (Table 1). The SiO./ ‘A1,0) ratio permits separation of quartzarenites from in termediate sand types in the suite of rocks examined, while the Fe,0,/K,0 ratio allows a meaningful distine~ tion between lithic and feldspathic sandstones. No lith- arenites or sublitharenites had Fe,O,/K,O ratios less than 1.1; no arkoses or subarkoses had ratios greater than 1.1, even when the dominant feldspar phase was clearly so” dium-rich, as evidenced by the Na,0/K,O ratio. Additional Samples ‘The SandClass system has been applied to additional samples beyond the Pettijohn benchmark sandstones. Figure 4 shows data for subarkoses from the BradorejEOCHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTS 23 a a _ 4 5B / 3 es =r S Boop se, & = 05 Zo oo, goa : 3 as 4 1 ' 8 © NonCalcareous 08 o et ele 3 5 goo 2 $ x # -05 So : z s é 2 4 Zz & 2 ou : 2 = as $08 1 ‘8 2 as ca a 10g (SiO, /Al 03) Fig, Additional sandstone chemical compositions plotted forthe ‘SandCass scheme (A), and the Petijohn scheme (B). The Berea Sand- stone sample has been reclassified asa subarkose. 7 Giayaaste Formation in Labrador; wackes from the Cacouna For- mation in Gaspé, Quebec; Amazon and Danube river sediments classified as litharenites (Potter 1978); Harz graywackes (Blatt et al. 1980); a Nugget sandstone clas- sified as a subarkose; and a Massillon sublitharenite. In the Pettijohn classification (Fig. 4B), both Bradore sam- ples have lower Na,O/K,0 ratios than 0.1, and so they are off the original presentation field but are close to the subarkose/sublitharenite border in terms of their SiOy/ Al,O, ratios; the SandClass system (Fig. 4A) correctly identifies these samples as subarkoses. The SandClass system correctly identifies two of the Cacouna samples as wackes, but two are in the adjacent litharenite field. In contrast, in the Pettijohn scheme, all the Cacouna samples are misidentified as arkoses, with one falling near the litharenite border. The SandClass system correctly iden- tifies both river samples (duplicate analyses) as lithar- enites (Potter 1978). The Danube samples, with over 4.7% Ca and over 5% CO,, are further characterized as cal- careous. The Pettijohn presentation correctly classifies the ‘Amazon samples but misplaces the Danube samples on the arkose/subarkose border. Both the Pettijohn and SandClass presentations correctly identify the Harz sam- ples as wackes. The SandClass presentation correctly clas- sifies both the Nugget and Massillon sandstones. The Massillon sample is correctly identified as a sublitharenite in the Pettijohn presentation, but the Nugget sample is log (SiO, /Al 205) Fic, 5.—Chemical compositions of Santa Fe Energy well in Kern County, California (Herron and Grau 1987) plotted for the SandClass scheme (A), and the Pettjohn scheme (B), outside the normal boundaries of the Pettijohn system. and is difficult to classify. Kern County, California Sixty-four samples of whole core from a Santa Fe En- ergy well in Kern County, in the southeastern San Joaquin basin of California, were analyzed chemically (Herron and Grau 1987) and optically. Stained thin sections of loose grain mounts were prepared and analyzed for modal. content according to Dickinson (1970). Thirty-eight sand intervals identified in the well are all clearly arkoses. Of the more argillaceous samples, 11 contain between 50% and 75% matrix, almost all of which have been identified as clay minerals by X-ray diffraction (Herron and Grau 1987). These samples are then paradoxically classified as wackes from the petrographic data (< 75% matrix) and as shales because the clay mineral content exceeds 50% (Potter et al. 1980, p. 13). Only three samples are classified as shales by both conventions. The chemistry data are plotted in the SandClass and Pettijohn formats in Figure 5. The SandClass presentation shows arkosic arenites grading into a few shales with some transitional wackes, in general accord with the petro- graphic assessment. Ignoring the ambiguous clay-rich samples, the SandClass scheme properly classified 31 of the 38 arkosic arenites (Table 1), with some disagreement clearly due to sample inhomogeneity. In contrast, the824 A log (Fe203/K, 0) log (Nay O/K, 0) 25 log (SiO, /Al,0.5) Fic. 6.—Chemical compositions of average shales and slates (Pett {john 1973), the North American Shale Composite (Gromet ctl. 198), Venezuelan shales (Herron 1986), and Teuas shales ploted for the SandClas scheme (A), and the Pejoha scheme (B) Pettijohn format shows populations only of litharenites, and graywackes with no samples identified as arkoses. This again demonstrates the inability of the Na;O/K;O ratio to identify properly arkosic arenites when the pri- mary feldspar is sodium-rich plagioclase. ‘Shales and Slates Shales were not considered in the Pettijohn scheme, but it would be useful to be able to distinguish rapidly argillaceous sediments from sandstones, as well as dif- ferent sand types from chemical data. Chemical com- positions of average shale and slate (Pettijohn 1975, table 8-7), the North American Shale Composite (Gromet et al, 1984), shale samples from a Venezuelan well (Herron 1986) and from a Texas well have been plotted in Figure 6. The shale and slate averages are fairly tightly bunched in the shale category of the SandClass presentation (Fig. 6A) with significantly lower values ofthe SiO,/Al,0, ratio than the graywacke samples in Figure 3. The Peitijohn classification, which was not intended to identify shales, does not clearly distinguish these argillaceous samples, from either graywacke or litharenite (Fig, 6B) The Venezuelan shales are described as being com- posed of kaolinite, illite, quartz, K-feldspar, and com- MICHAEL M. HERRON a 3 fe K ce (%) (96) (96) (96) (56) 0 20 50s 4074 + ? 2 i 680 * 520 200 ‘ Ez & cw 3 5 oo . 800. seo : 5 700. Fig. 7.—Elemental concentration logs calculated on a "dry" basis (Graw and Herron 1987) fr the Santa Fe Energy well and whole-core analyses by XRF 2s a function of depth: A) aluminum, B) silicon, C) iron, D) potassium, and E) calcium monly, siderite or pyrite (Herron 1986). Figure 6 shows that all samples are correctly identified in the SandClass presentation as shales with about half of the samples fall- ing in the Fe-rich shale category. The SandClass presen- tation correctly identifies ten of 11 Texas samples as shales, two as Fe-rich, with one sample misidentified as a wacke. In summary, the SandClass system of mapping chem- ical data to petrographic classification agrees with the thin-section analysis for about 84% of the sandstones able 1), while the Pettijohn classification agrees only 30 times or 35% of the time. If the California samples are excluded, the Pettijohn scheme correctly identifies 63% of the sandstones. Table 1 also shows that the SandClass presentation correctly idemtifies 33 of 34 shales, effectively distinguishing argillaccous samples from ar- cenites. These results lend a degree of confidence to clas- sifications by the SandClass scheme that has been missing in previous attempts to map geochemical content to pet- rographic classification. ‘THE SANDCLASS SYSTEM WITH LOG DATA Recent advances in geochemical well-logging tech- niques (Hertzog et al. 1987) have made it possible to provide continuous logs of concentrations of several in- organic elements, including those required for theGEOCHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTS as Aluminum Silicon lop (SONA) tog F040) 26215 108 0 o 3 2 wo = + ° 560. z S : = 00 7 aa 3 2 Core (%) 600. . . Potassium E a cae =e . 4 z 40 s 4 ; “3 0 > Core (%) = = 700 AIL Sh Feld Lith Fetch a ae Nw Fic 9.—Loparitims ofthe S1O/AL.O, and Fe,0¥/K,0 ratios forthe Santa Fe Enery well and wole-cre snags by XRF a function oF z dp: A SiOVAl}0, and B) F,0y/K,0, Also shown ae ie approx: ze Ime boundares tetween various and ispes according othe Sands precton 3 e large difference in the formation volume sampled by the ° 0 20 geochemical logs and the whole-core plugs (Herron 1987b). Core (%) Table 2 shows that the agreement between the two chem- Fic, 8.—Elemental concentration logs calculated on a “dry” basis (Grau and Herron 1987) for the Santa Fe Energy well ané whole-core analyses by XRF: A) aluminum, B)slicoa, Cron, D) potassium, and Fyeatcium. SandClass classification system. Elemental concentration logs from the Santa Fe Energy well (Grau and Herron 1987) are shown along with core concentrations measured ‘on the 64 samples asa function of depth in Figure 7 and in crossplot in Figure 8. The logarithms of the Si0,/AI,0, and Fe,0,/K,0 ratios were also calculated and are shown with the corresponding core data in Figure 9. The log concentrations were all computed on a “dry” basis, that is, per gram of dry rock, s0 as to be directly comparable to the core data (Hertzog et al. 1987). ‘The core and log data are statistically compared at the matching depths in Table 2. The comparisons have been made assuming that listed core depths, rounded to the nearest six inches (15 cm), are exactly on depth with the logs. Such comparisons will overestimate the true error because of possible depth mismatches and because of the ical analysis methods is nevertheless good, with essen- tially equivalent means and standard deviations for core and log data, Correlation coefficients are somewhat low because of the relatively small variance in the data. A ‘more meaningful comparison measure in such a case may be the standard error or the average absolute difference between core and log values. Standard errors range from 0.30% for K to 2.2% for Si, only slightly greater than the standard deviation of the log data on replicate runs (Hert- zog et al. 1987). ‘The standard errors for the logarithms of the SiO,/ Al,O, and Fe,0,/K,0 ratios are 0.10 and 0.28, respec- tively. The standard error for the log(SiO,/Al,0,) term is only 4% of the range in values in the SandClass presen- tation of Figure 3 and will only result in misidentification for samples very close to one of the boundaries, or for wackes which have a narrow range of valucs. The stan- dard error of the log(Fe,0,/K,0) term is about 9% of the range in Figure 3, and about one-third of the total lith- arenite and sublitharenite range. ‘At every log-data-depth interval, the Si0,/Al,0, and826 MICHAEL M. HERRON ‘Tass 2.—Comparson of core and log meaturemonts of elemental concentrations and oxide ratios used in the SandClass presentation. These ‘aleulations assume thatthe listed core dep nh is exactly on depth with recorded log depth Mar Bae Tuned on Do Conon Par oe ta cor = AA wt 8) 70 76 17 126 110 Sian. ®) 330 m3 4 oas 28 166 Fe (rt. 9%) 22 18 16 074 107 os K (wa. %) 24 21 o on 030 023 Caton. %) 9 18 10 036 091 oss Log(Sioy/AL03) 074 0.469 16 078 0.10 0.08 Log(Fe,OyK,0) -0.03 “0.2 039 on 028 020 ‘Abbreviations: += corelation coefficient SE = standard error aad = Fe,0,/K,0 ratios and Ca concentrations were translated according to the SandClass scheme into rock classifica~ tions. These classifications and the core petrographic analyses for nonargillaceous samples are shown asa func tion of well depth in Figure 10. The classifications in this presentation are ordered roughly according to decreasing reservoir quality, with highest-quality quartzarenite at the Jef, grading through sublitharenite and subarkose, through litharenite and arkose to wacke and shale. Noncalcareous samples are plotted on the main class divisions; calcar- Classification GR Sate" on, a ¢ wo] (= S 2 = z 2 a7 = fa a ca wo 2 =. a Fic. 10.~Santa Fe Energy well A) Arkose samples identified from thin section and SandClate classifcation from geochemical log data plotted asa function of depth. The SandClass classifications have been ‘ordered approximately according to reservoir quality, rom quarzare- nite to shale. B) Gammacray curve in this interval can be qualitative'y ‘interpreted in terms of sands (low-GR) and agilaceovs(high-GR) sata. average absolute difference cous samples are displaced one-half division to the right, Itis clear from Figure 10 thet the sandstone classifications derived from the geochemical log data and the SandClass presentation are in close agreement with the thin-section data. The few disagreements, at 560 m, 620 m, and 650 1, are probably due to thin strata, reflecting the difference in volumes sampled by the logs and in thin section. There are also borderline cases between wackes and arkoses. In ‘this well, the gamma-ray curve (Fig. 10B) somewhat de- lineates sands from more argillaceous sediments. Figure 10A also shows that these same boundaries arc clcarly defined in the SandClass presentation. Figure 11 isa similar presentation of geochemical log data processed through the SandClass system and petro- graphic analyses of thin sections from a nearby well in the same Kern Front field. Only a few samples of sands from this well were analyzed. As in Figure 10, there is essential agreement between the sand type determined from thin section and from the SandClass expression of ‘geochemical log data. However, Figure 11B shows that the gamma-ray curve does not clearly distinguish sands from argillaceous sediments. This is a common problem in easter Kern County and in many other locations where sands typically have high feldspar abundances and sig- nificant clay abundances. Potassium from the K-feldspars often gives gamma-ray logs in such sands a high, shale- like appearance, thus making it difficult to distinguish sands from shales. In contrast, the geochemical log data, combined with the SandClass system, not only permit an accurate distinction of sands from shales, they also cor- rectly identify the sand type as atkosic arenite. For studies of depositional environment and tectonic significance, population histograms of the various sand types and shales identified by the SandClass expression of geochemical log data may be useful presentation for- ‘mats to complement the depth presentations in Figures, 10 and 11. The great advantage of utilizing geochemical Jog data in such investigations is thatthe logs provide an unbiased sampling of the formations as a function of depth. Figure 12 shows the histograms for the two Kern County wells. There are two main populations in both wells, arkosic arenites and shales, with wackes occupying 4 minor, transitional role. Both wells intersected alluvial fan depositional environments fed by the nearby Sierra Nevada range, in accord with Selley’s (1982) observation of the environment associated with most arkoses. TheGEOCHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTS Classification cr ae 100 0 = z aoc 2 = o no - 2 £ ef BE |] 2 : g © 700 Lo y 3 780 b | 800. oH Fro, 11.—Second Ker County wel. A) Arkose depts fom thin section and SandClass classifications from geochemical log data forthe Second Kern County well plotted asa function of depth. 8) Gamma- ray curve in this well is relatively featureless and cannot be readily Interpreted in erm of thology differences in population distributions between the two wells may reflect differences in subenvironment or dis- tance from the sediment source. Interestingly, wells in deep-water turbidite facies that have been processed through the SandClass presentation using GLT data show the expected major population of wackes and shales, with minor arkose populations. These differences in deposi- tional environment are readily discernible from classifi- cation population histograms such as Figure 12. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ‘The SandClass system, based on SiO,/Al,0, and Fe,Oy K,O ratios and Ca concentrations, isa useful advance in ‘geochemical sandstone classification schemes, While no perfect map between petrographic and geochemical clas- sification can be expected, the Fe,Oy/K;0 ratio does dis- criminate better between lithic and feldspathic types than does the Na,0/K,O ratio. This has been demonstrated for the benchmark sandstones and additional samples, including the California arkosic sands. The inclusion of ‘Ca content in the SandClass scheme permits distinction Of calcareous from noncalcareous sandstones, which is useful information for reservoir quality assessment. The additional classifications of ferruginous shale and ferru- i Ae e ME Non-celcaroous: plac os BS s00 398, a eT z oo 1 2 0 0 oO zl 7 ac é 400 | zn 3 x0 i 7 ; MCE Fic. 12.~Histoprams of sandstone populations: A) Santa Fe Energy well, and 8) second Kern County well ‘ginous sand also allow an improved assessment of the The data in Table | indicate that the SandClass clas- sification should agree with petrographic assessments about 85% of the time for terrigenous sands and that shales should be effectively discriminated from sands. Misidentification by the SandClass scheme, meaning dis- agreement with petrographic classification, is occasion- ally observed. The most common discrepancy occurs when shale clasts, which are classified as rock fragments, occur in abundance. In such cases, litharenites may be classified in the SandClass system as wackes, and wackes as shales, reflecting the difference between compositional and tex- tural information. The distinction between shale clasts and matrix under the microscope, however, is frequently subjective, particularly if some compaction has occurred. It is apparent that siltstones with litle clay will be clas- sified by SandCiassas though they were sandstones. How- ever, it has been seen that the mineral assemblage and elemental composition of siliciclastic sediments frequent- ly contain significant textural information (Herron 1987). In the future, that textural information might be useful for distinguishing siltstones from sandstones. It has also been infrequently observed that the occur- rence of Fe-rich minerals, such as pyrite, siderite, anker- ite, and chlorite, pushes an otherwise feldspathic sand into the neighboring lithic category but not fully into the Fe-rich sand category. Pyrite iron can be subtracted from total iron prior to SandClass computation, using the sul- fur concentration log from the GLT data and the Fe/S ratio of pyrite. As has been mentioned, the calcium con-828 centration limit of 4% may misclassify truly calcareous sands as noncalcareous. Despite these concerns, classifi- cation of sandstones and shales using the SandClass sys- tem usually agrees with petrographic classifications. The great utility of the SandClass system lies in the use of continuous geochemical log data for input. The geo- chemical log data and the SandClass classifications can be obtained within hours of logging a well. The log in Figure 10 represents a 160-m-depth interval and contains cover 1,000 individual classifications derived from more than 5,000 individual elemental concentration points. Comparable data from laboratory analysis of core inter- vals would be prohibitively expensive and time consum- ing. On the other hand, the vertical resolution of GLT data is about 0.5 m, so thin, alternating beds of sand and shale may be mistakenly identified as wackes from GLT data alone. The complementary use of other, higher-res- lution log data may help in recognizing these situations. ‘The geochemical log data not only provide a significant enhancement over geophysical data in reservoir descrip- tion, but they also permit meaningful selection of key core samples for detailed petrographic analysis. Using geochemical log data, the SandClass system will enhance well-to-well correlation, reservoir quality assessment, provenance studies, and depositional environment inter~ pretation. Finally, it is anticipated that the SandClass system, particularly using geochemical log data, will aid in re- solving the degree of influence of such factors as source material, tectonic setting, and depositional environment in determining sandstone type (Pettijohn et al. 1972). This paper has been concerned primarily with demonstrating the fairly close agreement between the SandClass system and standard petrographic classifications. Other maps have been constructed relating sandstone type to tectonic en- vironment (e.g., Dickinson et al. 1983). It is relatively straightforward’ to extend these relationships 0 the ‘SandClass system. Sandstone type has been related to influencing variables such as paleoclimate and tectonic provenance (e.g., Schwab 1975; Dickinson and Suczek 1979; Dickinson et al. 1983; Yerino and Maynard 1984). Many of these studies, however, are plagued by a low number of samples involved in the analyses (Schwab 1975). It also appears that classification population his- tograms may prove useful in rapidly comparing and con- strasting wells. Large, unbiased data sets in well-charac- terized geologic environments will greatly enhance these studies. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank J. Howard for making the petrographic analysis ofthe Berea, Nugget, and Massillon samples and for many fruitful discussions. S. Luthi provided the Bradore and Cacouna samples and petrographic analysis. P. Schroeder analyzed the Kern County thin sections. I also thank R. Dott, J. Helwig, and J. Boles for helpful discussions. Iam indebied to H. Sugden and the Sante Fe Energy Company for providing the Kern County well samples and for per- mission to publish. MICHAEL M. HERRON REFERENCES. BuaTia, M. R., 1983, Plate tectonics and geochemical composition of sandstones: j. Geol, v.91, p. 611-627. BLart, H., MIDDLETON, G., AND MURRAY, R., 1980, Origin of Sedi- ‘mentary Rocks: Englewood Cliff, NJ, Prentice-Hall, 782 p. ‘CnoOK, K. A, 1974, Lithogenesis and geotectonics: The significance of ‘compositional vanation in flysch arenites (raywackes), in Dott, R, H,, Jr, and Shaver, R. HL, eds, Modern and Ancient Geosynctinal Sedimentation: Soe: Econ Palcontologists Mineralogists Spee. 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B, 1984, Petcgraphy of modem erties: Nev York, Springer-Veras, 690 p. ‘marine sands from the Peru-Chile Trench and adjacent area: Sei Yatton, R, AND Mavaanp, J.B, 1981, Detrtal modes of Recent mentology, v.31, p. 83-89, Appenpix 1.—The pairs of poims defining the SandClass field bound ‘ary lines id Bomiy Ta ORO ‘Quartzarenite: Other 16 To us 1s Ferruginous: Nonferrugincws 172 0 00 06 Fe Sand : Fe Shale on 06 on 1s ‘Shale: Wacke oss ~o1 on 06 Wace: Lithareaite/Arkose 0.683 -05 039) 06 Feldspatic: Lite 0.7608 aos 168 00s Subarkose‘Subltharenite 10 10 Litharenite/Arkose Lists 06