The topic of sediment diagenesis is of fundamental importance to
industry in the evaluation of hydrocarbon and water reservoir rocks.
Detailed knowledge of the diagenetic textures, fabrics, and minerals,
and a prediction of the regional diagenetic response, partly controls
hydrocarbon recovery programmes. In other words, knowledge of the
diagenesis can aid (or even control) conservation policy. Similarly,
facies and diagenetic trends w.ithin basins can influence exploration
policy. This volume incorporates the majority of the principal
contributions given to the NATO Advanced Study Institute held in the
University of Reading, U.K., from July 12th-25th, 1981, at which the
major themes of carbonate and terrigenous clastic sediments were treated
sequentially from deposition to deep burial. Eighty selected scientists
from twelve NATO and three other countries participated in the
Institute. The keynote addresses which acted as the touchstones for
discussion are presented here in the expectation that they will
stimulate a still wider audience. We gratefully acknowledge the award of
a grant from the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO to run the
Institute, and also the cooperation of the University of Reading. Mrs.
D. M. Powell helped in many ways with the organisation, and also retyped
the entire manuscript of this book. A. Parker B. lv. Sellwood vii
FACIES, SEQUENCES AND SAND-BODIES OF THE PRINCIPAL CLASTIC DEPOSITIONAL
ENVIRONMENTS T.Elliott Department of Geology University College of
Swansea Singleton Park, Swansea SA 2 8PP Wales, U.K.