The development history of a strictly oligo-mesophotic, Lower Miocene, isolated carbonate platform in the northern Andaman Sea (Yadana platform) has been evidenced from the integration of sedimentological core studies, well-correlations, seismic geomorphology and analysis of the ecological requirements of the main skeletal components. Three types of carbonate factory operated on the top of the platform, depending on the paleoceanographic setting: 1) a scleractinianechinodermal carbonate factory developing under meso-oligophotic, and high-nutrient (mesotrophic to eutrophic) conditions, 2) a large benthic foraminiferal (LBF)-coralline algal carbonate factory prevailing under mesophotic and oligotrophic conditions and 3) a LBF carbonate factory dominating in oligophotic and oligotrophic settings. The low lateral changes in facies, the layer-cake depositional architecture inferred from well-correlations and the seismic expression of the Yadana buildup suggest a deposition on a flat shelf. Carbonate production and accumulation on the Yadana platform has been shown to be mainly controlled by light intensity, nutrient content and water energy. Corals have been shown to preferentially develop in low-light and high-nutrient setting and are accompanied by abundant communities of suspension-feeders such as ophiuroids. Changes in monsoonal intensity and terrestrial runoff from the river Irrawaddy during the Early Miocene, are likely responsible for the repeated development of high-nutrient, low-to-moderate water transparency conditions as well as for the episodic occurrence of upwelling currents and/or internal waves, that promoted the development of an oligo-mesophotic, incipiently drowned platform. from the Early Miocene to the Late Miocene and the UBL carbonates are sealed by Late Miocene (N16 planktonic zone) pro-delta shales (Pyawbwe and Badamyar formations) from the Irrawaddy deltaic system (Paumard et al., 2017). During the Late Miocene, the separation between the Indian and Australian plates resulted in a regional compression and eastward in the Andaman basin opening and tilting of the Yadana high (Curray, 2005). At present, as a result of such an eastward tilting, the Yadana gas accumulation is located on the structurally elevated western margin of the Oligo-Miocene carbonate buildup. The base of the lithostratigraphic regional chart (Fig. 3) includes Upper Eocene volcano-clastics sediments. Above has developed the Oligo-Miocene carbonate platform, reaching up to 700 m thick, this can be divided into two parts. The lower Burman Limestone formation (LBL), Chattian in age (Paumard et al., 2017) consists of two distinct carbonate buildups separated by a central canyon. The central canyon is filled by the Sein clastic formation (late Chattian after Paumard et al. 2017). Above the LBL carbonate buildups, the Upper Burman Limestone formation (UBL) occurs as a single carbonate buildup during the Early Miocene and interpreted as a. It corresponds to the main gas-bearing reservoir. The Yadana carbonate buildup arranges from ...
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