Oligocene and Lower Miocene source rocks in the Paratethys: palaeogeographical and stratigraphic controls

Sachsenhofer, Reinhard F.; Попов, С. В.; Bechtel, Achim; Ćorić, Stjepan; Franců, Juraj; Gratzer, Reinhard; Grunert, Patrick; Kotarba, Maciej J.; Mayer, J. J.; Pupp, Magdalena; Rupprecht, Bernhard; Vincent, Stephen J.

doi:10.1144/sp464.1

Cited by 43 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Deep-water zones with permanent anoxia (dark red) and zones with temporary anoxia (light red) are shown for the Eastern Paratethys (Popov and Stolyarov, 1996). SPI values and the expected petroleum type are shown after Sachsenhofer et al (2017b) and Rauball and Sachsenhofer (2017 relatively light marls and 3 to 5 cm thick beds of darker marls is typical, as is the occurrence of abundant fish remains. Plant debris and grey-green intercalations become abundant in the upper part of the formation.…”

Section: Bakhchisaray Section Crimeamentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Inan et al, 1997;Katz et al, 2000;Guliyev et al, 2003). Sachsenhofer et al (2017b) presented an overview of the source potential of Maikopian successions in the different sub-basins of the Paratethys, and this paper is summarized briefly in the following section.…”

Section: Oligocene Early Miocene Maikopian Source Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both the Chert Member (3.8-5.3 wt.% TOC; HI: 580-680 mgHC/gTOC) and the Dynow Marlstone (5.1-5.9 wt.% TOC; HI: 460-560 mgHC/gTOC) contain abundant Type II kerogen with good to very good petroleum potential ( Fig. 8a) (Francu and Feyzullaev, 2010;Sachsenhofer et al, 2017b).…”

Section: Western Carpathians (Czech Republic): the Menilitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Formation of the Paratethys is usually dated to around the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, when a sea-level fall in combination with the effects of the Alpine orogeny caused the separation of the Paratethys from the Mediterranean (Rögl, 1999;Allen and Armstrong, 2008). Subsequent basin isolation resulted in the development of an endemic fauna in the Paratethys, together with varying salinity and redox conditions which favoured the accumulation of organic matter-rich rocks (Popov and Stolyarov, 1996;Rögl, 1999;Popov et al, 2004a;Sachsenhofer et al, 2017b). However, major changes in the seaways which connected Paratethys to the open oceans resulted in oxygen-depleted conditions as early as the Middle Eocene (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Paratethyan Petroleum Source Rocks: An Overview

Sachsenhofer

Popov

Ćorić

et al. 2018

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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The Paratethys area extends from Central Europe to the borders of the Caspian Sea in Central Asia and hosts a significant number of petroleum provinces, many of which have been charged by Eocene to Miocene source rocks of supra‐regional significance. These include highly oil‐prone Middle Eocene marls and limestones in the Eastern Paratethys (Kuma Formation and equivalents) which are several tens of metres thick. Estimates of the source potential index (SPI) indicate that the Kuma Formation in the northern Caucasus and the Rioni Basin (Georgia) may generate 1 to 2 tons of hydrocarbons per square metre (tHC/m2). This implies that the Kuma Formation may also be an important and additional source rock in the eastern Black Sea. Oligocene and Lower Miocene pelitic rocks (Maikop Group and equivalents) are considered to be the most important source rocks in the Paratethys. Vertical variations in source potential record different stages of basin isolation that reached a maximum during the Early Oligocene (NP23) Solenovian Event. However major variations exist between different sub‐basins in the Central and the Eastern Paratethys. In the Central Paratethys, the highest quality source rocks occur in the Carpathian Basin where the Menilite Formation, several hundreds of metres thick, can generate up to 10 tHC/m2. Locally the Menilite Formation is about 1500 m thick and continues into the Lower Miocene. In these settings, the Menilite Formation can generate approximately 70 tHC/m2. In the Alpine Foreland Basin (Schöneck and Eggerding Formations) and the Pannonian Basin (Tard Clay Formation), oil‐prone source rocks are restricted to the Lower Oligocene. In the Eastern Paratethys, the best source rock intervals of the Maikop Group are typically associated with the Early Oligocene Solenovian Event. By contrast, with the exception of the Kura Basin in Azerbaijan, the potential of Upper Oligocene and Lower Miocene rocks is often limited. In total, the Maikop Group may generate up to 2 tHC/m2 in the North Caucasus area and 4 tHC/m2 in the Rioni Basin. A particular source rock facies is found in the Western Black Sea where diatomaceous rocks with good oil potential accumulated in the Kaliakra Canyon during Early Miocene time. This facies may generate up to 8 tHC/m2, but is probably limited to shelf‐break canyons. Middle and Upper Miocene rocks are the main source for oil and thermogenic gas in the Pannonian Basin System, and also contributed to thermogenic hydrocarbons in the Moesian Platform and the South Caspian Basin. In addition, Upper Oligocene and Miocene rocks are the source for microbial gas in several basins including the Alpine and Carpathian foredeeps.

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Section: Bakhchisaray Section Crimeamentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Oligocene Early Miocene Maikopian Source Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Western Carpathians (Czech Republic): the Menilitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Paratethyan Petroleum Source Rocks: An Overview

Sachsenhofer

Popov

Ćorić

et al. 2018

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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“…Mayer et al (2017), Sachsenhofer et al (2017b) and Vincent & Kaye (2017) all demonstrate that the Maykop Suite and its equivalents may not be the high-quality source rock in the Black Sea basins that is often assumed. How important are older source rocks, such as the Kuma Suite, and, given the likely depth of burial of that unit, is gas a more likely hydrocarbon phase than oil?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Petroleum geology of the Black Sea: introduction

Simmons

Tari

Okay

2018

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Abstract:The exploration for petroleum in the Black Sea is still in its infancy. Notwithstanding the technical challenges in drilling in its deep-water regions, several geological risks require better understanding. These challenges include reservoir presence and quality (partly related to sediment provenance), and the timing and migration of hydrocarbons from source rocks relative to trap formation. In turn, these risks can only be better understood by an appreciation of the geological history of the Black Sea basins and the surrounding orogens. This history is not without ongoing controversy. The timing of basin formation, uplift of the margins and facies distribution remain issues for robust debate. This Special Publication presents the results of 15 studies that relate to the tectonostratigraphy and petroleum geology of the Black Sea. The methodologies of these studies encompass crustal structure, geodynamic evolution, stratigraphy and its regional correlation, petroleum systems, source to sink, hydrocarbon habitat and play concepts, and reviews of past exploration. They provide insight into the many ongoing controversies regarding the geological history of the Black Sea region and provide a better understanding of the geological risks that must be considered for future hydrocarbon exploration. The Black Sea remains one of the largest underexplored rift basins in the world. Although significant biogenic gas discoveries have been made within the last decade, thermogenic petroleum systems must be proven through the systematic exploration of a wide variety of play concepts.Gold Open Access: This article is published under the terms of the CC-BY 3.0 license.The Black Sea, located between Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, covers an area of approximately 423 000 km 2 with a maximum water depth of 2245 m. Sedimentary thickness can exceed 14 km. The Black Sea holds an abiding fascination for petroleum geologists and is a true frontier basin with very few wells drilled in its deepwater sector. Abundant seepage, outcrops of potential source rocks around its margins, large potential traps imaged on seismic data, and a variety of potential reservoir and play concepts point towards considerable potential to reward the successful explorer. This volume brings together several geoscience studies (Fig. 1) that provide additional information about the origins of the Western and Eastern Black Sea basins, their tectonostratigraphic history, sedimentary fill and petroleum potential.The Black Sea and its surrounding regions have a long history of geological research: for example, it has long been regarded as the type example of an euxinic basin in which bottom water anoxia and free hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) result in an absence of benthonic life and the preservation of organic matter (Wignall 1994). Somewhat ironically, the term 'euxinic' is derived from an ancient Greek name for the sea, Pontus Euxinus, meaning the welcoming or hospitable sea. Another ancient Greek name (probably derived from an Iranian nam...

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