Diagenesis and fracturing of Paleocene-Eocene carbonate turbidite systems in the Ionian Basin: The example of the Kelcyra area (Albania)

The Kelcyra area is emplaced in a foreland fold-and-thrust belt (FFTB), characterized by a westward thrusting with the Triassic evaporites as the major decollement level. Several secondary features related with this evolution, like back-thrusting, folding, duplex structures, evaporite diapirism are present. During the FFTB evolution, the study area has been subjected to several fracturing events with associated stages of fluid migration. During the pre-deformational stage, complex textures such as crack-and-seal features most likely reflect expulsion of overpressured fluids. These fluids were dominantly host-rock buffered. Within the post-deformational stage, a meteoric fluid caused cementation and development of a karst network during a period of emergence after the thrust emplacement. Subsequently, Mg calcite reprecipitated in the more stable carbonate phase calcite and dolomite, which filled part of the karts network. The latter is finally dedolomitized and locally partially dissolved by a second meteoric fluid flow, which greatly increased the secondary porosity. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.