Early Cretaceous Sea-Level Curves, Gulf Coast and Southeastern Arabia

Scott, Robert W.; Frost, S. H.; Shaffer, Bernard L.

doi:10.2110/pec.88.01.0275

Cited by 26 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…Scott (1995) proposed that the Cobán Formation was deposited on a shallow carbonate platform in strandline, supratidal, intertidal and shelf lagoon environments. Scott (1995) recognized limestone marker beds that represent marine flooding events across the greater Petén Basin platform and which may be equivalent to Aptian and Albian event beds recorded in the US Gulf Coast (Scott et al, 1988).…”

Section: Lago De Izabalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemistry of Crude Oils, Seepage Oils and Source Rocks From Belize and Guatemala: Indications of Carbonate‐sourced Petroleum Systems

Petersen¹,

Holland²,

Nytoft³

et al. 2012

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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This study reviews the stratigraphy and the poorly documented petroleum geology of the Belize‐Guatemala area in northern Central America. Guatemala is divided by the east‐west trending La Libertad arch into the North and South Petén Basins. The arch is the westward continuation of the Maya Mountains fault block in central Belize which separates the Corozal Basin in northern Belize from the Belize Basin to the south. Numerous petroleum seeps have been reported in both of these basins. Small‐scale oil production takes place in the Corozal Basin and the North and South Petén Basins. For this study, samples of crude oil, seepage oil and potential source rocks were collected from both countries and were investigated by organic geochemical analyses and microscopy. The oil samples consisted of non‐biodegraded crude oils and slightly to severely biodegraded seepage oils, both of which were generated from source rocks with similar thermal maturities. The crude oils were generated from marine carbonate source rocks and could be divided into three groups: Group 1 oils come from the North Petén Basin (Guatemala) and the western part of the Corozal Basin (Belize), and have a typical carbonate‐sourced geochemical composition. The oils correlate with extracts of organic‐rich limestones assigned to the Upper Cretaceous “Xan horizon” in the Xan oilfield in the North Petén Basin. The oils were generated from a single source facies in the North Petén Basin, but were charged from two different sub‐basins. Group 2 oils comprise crudes from the South Petén Basin. They have characteristics typical of carbonate‐sourced oils, but these characteristics are less pronounced than those of Group 1 oils. A mixed marine/lacustrine source facies deposited under strongly reducing conditions in a local kitchen area is inferred. Group 3 oils come from the Corozal Basin, Belize. A carbonate but also a more “shaly” source rock composition for these oils is inferred. A severely biodegraded seepage oil from Belmopan, the capital of Belize, resembles a nearby crude oil. The eastern sub‐basin in the North Petén Basin may potentially be the kitchen area for these oils, and for the seepage oils found in the western part of the Corozal Basin. The seepage oils from the Corozal and Belize Basins are moderately to severely biodegraded and were generated from carbonate source rocks. Some of the seepage oils have identical C27–29 sterane distributions to the Group 2 oils, but “biodegradation insensitive” biomarker ratios show that the seepage oils can be divided into separate sub‐groups. Severely and slightly biodegraded seepage oils in the Belize Basin were probably almost identical prior to biodegradation. Lower Cretaceous limestones from the Belize Basin have petroleum generation potential, but the samples are immature. The kitchen for the seepage oils in the Belize Basin remains unknown.

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Section: Lago De Izabalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemistry of Crude Oils, Seepage Oils and Source Rocks From Belize and Guatemala: Indications of Carbonate‐sourced Petroleum Systems

Petersen¹,

Holland²,

Nytoft³

et al. 2012

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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“…6) is modified from the version published by Goldhammer et al (1991). In addition to the 44 sources originally cited by Goldhammer et al (1991) used to construct the chart, the following additional references were incorporated in modifying it to its present state (Márquez, 1979;Scott et al, 1988;Salvador, 1991aSalvador, , 1991bSalvador, , 1991cSalvador and Muñeton, 1991;McFarlan and Menes, 1991;Sohl et al, 1991;Wilson and Ward, 1993;Basáñez-Loyola et al, 1993;Cantú-Chapa, 1993;Warzeski, 1993, cited in Scott, 1993;Yurewicz et al, 1993;Scott, 1993;Marton and Buffler, 1994;Moran-Zenteno, 1994;Lehmann, this volume;Michalzik and Schumann, 1994;. The chronostratigraphic chart (Fig.…”

Section: Paleogeography and Stratigraphic Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tectonic subsidence analysis indicates a thermal event at 150.5 Ma followed by typical exponential tectonic subsidence (~50% crustal thinning; Goldhammer et al, 1991). During the drift stage of passive-margin development, the stratigraphic evolution is interpreted to have been dominated principally by eustasy (Todd and Mitchum, 1977;Vail et al, 1984;Haq et al, 1987;Scott et al, 1988;Goldhammer et al, 1991;Scott, 1993;Yurewicz et al, 1993) for two reasons: (1) thick regional accommodation cycles of second-order supersequence development can be correlated throughout the Gulf of Mexico (Salvador, 1991a(Salvador, , 1991b(Salvador, , 1991cMcFarlan and Menes, 1991;Sohl et al, 1991); and (2) the rates of background tectonic subsidence are much too slow to account for the requisite accommodation space required to accumulate the thick supersequences.…”

Section: Second-order Supersequence Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesozoic sequence stratigraphy and paleogeographic evolution of northeast Mexico

Goldhammer¹

1999

Special Paper 340: Mesozoic Sedimentary and Tectonic History of North-Central Mexico

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The Monterrey-Saltillo area of northeast Mexico is the juncture of two distinctly different Mexican tectono-stratigraphic provinces, the eastern Gulf of Mexico province and the western Pacific Mexico province, where Gulf of Mexico-driven versus Pacificdriven tectono-stratigraphic processes can be compared and contrasted. Each of these provinces are large subregions that have distinctive and separate tectonic evolutions, and different resulting stratigraphic packaging. They are characterized by distinctive structural belts and structural styles and basement. The different stratigraphies record a subregional response to the interaction of provincial tectonics (i.e., convergent versus divergent margins), eustatic changes in sea level, and sediment type and supply. The Monterrey-Saltillo area contains elements related to both Gulf of Mexico passive-margin development (principally the stratigraphy) and Pacific-related convergent margin (arc) tectonism (chiefly the structure). Thus a complete understanding of the area is critical in linking together two somewhat disparate geologic provinces in Mexico.In the Gulf of Mexico province, the tectonic evolution is dominated by passivemargin development associated with the opening of the Gulf of Mexico, overprinted by nonigneous Laramide orogenic effects. The stratigraphic evolution is dominated principally by eustasy in as far as thick regional accommodation cycles can be correlated throughout the Gulf of Mexico. I propose that the Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous stratigraphy of northeast Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico area in general can be subdivided into four major, second-order depositional supersequences (~15 m.y. duration), defined as large regionally correlative, retrogradational to aggradational-progradational accommodation packages. Each supersequence exhibits systematic vertical stacking patterns and associated lateral facies shifts within subordinate third-order sequences (1-3 m.y. duration) and component lateral-vertical facies and systems tracts. The four supersequences are supersequence 1-upper Bathonian to lower Kimmeridgian (158.5-144 Ma); supersequence 2-lower Kimmeridgian to Berriasian (144-128.5 Ma); supersequence 3-Valanginian to lower Aptian (128.5-112 Ma); supersequence 4-lower Aptian to upper Albian (112-98 Ma). (Note that these ages are not certain.) Second-order supersequence boundaries, condensed sections, transgressive surfaces, and second-order systems tracts have been identified in outcrops of the Sierra Madre Oriental, biostratigraphically dated, and correlated with the northern U.S. Gulf of Mexico stratigraphic section. The identification of these components is based on (1) gross shelf to basin relationships of onlapping and offlapping facies; (2) stacking Goldhammer, R. K., 1999, Mesozoic sequence stratigraphy and paleogeographic evolution of northeast Mexico, in Bartolini, C., Wilson, J. L., and Lawton, T. F., eds., Mesozoic Sedimentary and Tectonic History of North-Central Mexico: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Pa...

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“…Graphic correlation analysis suggested that this disconformity was virtually synchronous in Oman, and evidence of meteoric diagenesis has been identified from carbon-isotope analysis (Wagner 1990). Absence of evidence for this Mid-Cenomanian sequence boundary (Scott et al 1988Scott 1990) in the studied well data causes an ambiguous correlation of top sequence I with Oman.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

The development of Middle Cretaceous carbonate platforms, Persian Gulf, Iran: constraints from seismic stratigraphy, well and biostratigraphy

Farzadi

2006

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In the Iranian Persian Gulf several fields have been producing oil from Middle Cretaceous carbonates. Geological studies of these fields (limited to industry reports) describe the subsurface using lithostratigraphic principles. Lithological boundaries are obvious and are the focus for the correlation of the interwell areas. Most of the structural highs, which were easily found, have been drilled. The lack of a sufficiently detailed seismic sequence stratigraphic analysis has precluded the definition of reliable models at both regional and field scales.The development of many oil and gas fields requires seismic sequence stratigraphy as a predictive technique, particularly in areas between drilled structures. This study aims to re-evaluate the field-scale stratigraphy in an oil field in the southern Persian Gulf using these techniques. The high quality seismic and well data from this field form one of the first datasets of this kind presented in the literature. High-resolution seismic data reveal the internal complexity of carbonates. The Cenomanian carbonate systems of the southeastern Persian Gulf reveal internal architecture and subsurface variability that neither seismic nor well data alone can provide. This paper analyses the seismic character of the Cenomanian Khatiyah and Mishrif formations and discusses how, even after more than 25 years of production, application of sequence stratigraphic principles can improve the understanding of an oil field. For this oil field, the combination of seismic, wireline logs and biostratigraphy has allowed a better understanding of the internal heterogeneity of the Mishrif reservoir. Understanding the successive stages of drowning and back-stepping of a carbonate platform within this reservoir unit has important implications for well planning and further reservoir development.Important new information on the depositional geometries has also been obtained from within the Khatiyah Formation (the regional source rock) which leads to exploration targets in the interwell area. This information gives new insights as to the stratigraphic distribution and internal variability of the carbonate platforms and isolated build-up geometries. The insights gained are important to the estimation of reservoir volume, connectivity and variability.

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Early Cretaceous Sea-Level Curves, Gulf Coast and Southeastern Arabia

Cited by 26 publications

References 0 publications

Geochemistry of Crude Oils, Seepage Oils and Source Rocks From Belize and Guatemala: Indications of Carbonate‐sourced Petroleum Systems

Geochemistry of Crude Oils, Seepage Oils and Source Rocks From Belize and Guatemala: Indications of Carbonate‐sourced Petroleum Systems

Mesozoic sequence stratigraphy and paleogeographic evolution of northeast Mexico

The development of Middle Cretaceous carbonate platforms, Persian Gulf, Iran: constraints from seismic stratigraphy, well and biostratigraphy

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