Understanding Dolomite and Dolomitization

Carbonate rocks (limestones and dolostones) make up about 15% of the Phanerozoic stratigraphic record; however, carbonate reservoirs hold over 50% of the world’s oil and gas reserves. Dolomite presents one of the great enigmas in sedimentary geology. This principally diagenetic mineral is abundant in the stratigraphic record, yet volumetrically very little dolomite is forming today. Also, it is difficult to form dolomite in the lab under conditions that we believe most natural dolomites have formed, that is, at near-surface temperatures and pressures. This course reviews properties of the mineral dolomite, introduces models for its formation, presents recognition criteria for dolomitization, and discusses dolomite porosity.