Petrology of Devonian and Carboniferous carbonates of the Canning and Bonaparte Basins

Summary

The study concentrated particularly on petrologic aspects of depositional facies and diagenetic features.

Characteristic lithologies are described of reef-complex carbonates on a scale that is useful for facies analysis of cores and cuttings as well as for field studies.

Processes that control development of economically significant porosity, and the inter-relationship between diagenetic features and associated stages of platform development, have been examined, aimed at producing a combined depositional – diagenetic model for the reef complex development.

Keywords: Canning Basin, carbonate cements, carbonate diagenesis, carbonate lithotopes, Devonian reef complexes