Sand Body Characterisation in Tidal Marine

Settings – Examples from the Malay Basin

Dr. M. Johansson
mjohansson@geode-energy.com
 MODERN DAY DELTAS

Sundarbans, Bangladesh

Rajang River Delta, Sarawak

Volga River Delta, Caspian Sea
SCHEMATIC MAP OF TIDE DOMINATED DELTA

From Dalrymple & Choi 2007 (Earth Science Reviews 81 135-175)

 SUNDA SHELF
Lower Glacial Maximum 21K BP

Mesozoic Sundaland
 Depositional Environment

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 2017, v. 87, 17–40

Research Article
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2016.88
 TIDAL SHOAL CORE

MS & MF-:Microfractures; SC-Synaeresis Cracks:SR- Shear Rotation; RS-Reactivation Surfaces;

Gy- Gyrolithes burrow; J-J shaped burrows; MC-mud filled cracks; Rp-Ripple Structures; Scl-clay
lam Sst; Sba-bioturbated Sst; Pa – Paleophycus burrows; Sl- lam Sst
 FACIES CLASSIFICATION SCHEME
Core Description Facies Facies Described from the Image

Petrophysical
Core Facies Image Facies Facies
 PETROPHYSICAL FACIES
Rock Type PHIT BFV T2LM KTIM Frequency Grain-size Analysis from CMR Facies Code Facies Description Core Photo Way up
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2 Ssx Cross-Bedded Sandstone
1 0.26 0.04 376.22 1361.39 0.08
0.1
0
clay vfslt fslt mslt cslt vfsd fsd msd csd vcsdgrvl

0.5
0.4
0.3 Sb Bioturbated Sandstone
0.2
2 0.25 0.04 105.07 937.01 0.07 Sltb Bioturbated Silty Sandstone
0.1
0
clay vfslt fslt mslt cslt vfsd fsd msd csd vcsdgrvl

0.5

0.4
Horizontally Laminated
Sl
0.3 Sandstone

0.2 Ripple Cross-Laminated

Srx
sandstone
3 0.23 0.07 64.42 175.75 0.11 0.1

0
clay vfslt fslt mslt cslt vfsd fsd msd csd vcsdgrvl

0.5
0.4
0.3 Scl Clay Laminated Sandstone

0.2 Glaugonite Calcite Cemented

SG
4 0.21 0.10 27.57 19.19 0.14 Sandstone
0.1
0
clay vfslt fslt mslt cslt vfsd fsd msd csd vcsdgrvl

0.5
0.4
5 0.21 0.12 21.90 15.36 0.20 0.3 Ssltb Bioturbated Silty Sandstone
Ripple Cross-Laminated
0.2 Sltrx
Silty Sandstone
0.1
Sandstone Ripple Cross-
0 Srxrt
laminated with Rootlets
clay vfslt fslt mslt cslt vfsd fsd msd csd vcsdgrvl

0.5 Dolomite horizon with Small

Dmp
Pisoids
0.4

0.3 Msb Sandy Biouturbated Shale

0.2 Msl Sandy Laminated Shale

6 0.14 0.13 4.02 0.05 0.39 0.1 Mslt Silty-Shale (Mslt)
Msltb Silty Bioturbated Shale
0
Msrt Mudstone with Rootlets
clay vfslt fslt mslt cslt vfsd fsd msd csd vcsdgrvl
RL Regressive Lag Deposit
 CROSS-SECTIONAL
DISTRIBUTION

Journal of Sedimentary Research, 2017, v. 87, 17–40

Research Article
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2016.88
 VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION

R.W. Dalrymple, K. Choi / Earth-Science Reviews 81 (2007) 135–174

DISTRIBUTARY CHANNEL
 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF DISTRIBUTARY
CHANNELS
•Fining-up Grain-size
•High-angle cross-bedding
•Dominance of clean sand
•Paleosols evident with rootlets
•Abundance of calcite cement layers

Average Sand Body Average Thickness 25m thick

TIDAL CHANNELS
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF TIDAL CHANNELS
•Coarsening-up grain size
•Cross-bedding (Hummocky Cross-Stratification)
•Dominance of Heterolithic facies or clay drapes
•Fine –medium grain sand
•Calcite Cements

Average Sand Body Average Thickness 3m thick

DISTRIBUTARY CHANNEL
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF MOUTH BARS
•Coarsening-up Grain-size
•Low-angle cross-bedding (Ripples)
•Dominance of Clean sand
•Rootlets at top of sand
•Little to no Calcite Cement

Average Sand Body Average Thickness 15m thick

 Estuarine Channel
FACIES TRANSITION
Tidal Channel

Mouth bar
 HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION
Controls on Sinuosity
- slope gradient
2km - bed resistance
- Sediment supply
- Flow Regime
Sundarbans, Bangladesh

2km 2km
TYPES OF SINUOSITY AND CHANNEL
WIDTH

2km

2km 2km
 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESISTANCE ON
SINUOSITY
Resistance-dominated surfaces produce
channels with higher sinuosity than those of
slope-dominated surfaces because increased
resistance impedes downslope flow.

Straightened river after vegetation

cover is removed

Generic theory for channel sinuosity Eli D. Lazarus

and José Antonio Constantine
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1214074110
 TYPES OF SINUOSITY
AND SAND/MUD RATIO
2km

2km
 CONCLUSION
• Understanding the tidal marine-estuarine processes is critical to
understanding the nature of sandstone processes

•The relationship between sinuosity and facies, could provide a useful

exploratory tool

•Distinct sand bodies and palaeocurrents can be identified and placed in an

estuarine Geological model

•The combination of core, image logs, elemental spectroscopy and NMR

identified robust depofacies, lithofacies and rock types simplify complex
Any Questions?