Structural segmentation, salt sheet provinces and hydrocarbon distribution of Louisiana shelf, Gulf of Mexico /
An integrated study of seismic, well and field data of film Inc.
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1998.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=733037031&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | An integrated study of seismic, well and field data of film Inc. the Gulf of Mexico greatly improves an understanding of the structure, sedimentation and hydrocarbons of the Louisiana shelf, which has a significant implication on hydrocarbon exploration. Diapirism and detachment are two distinct structural styles, exclusive to each other in distribution. They are formed with low and high sediment-influx respectively, reflecting sedimentation control on structural development during the early stage of salt withdrawal. In turn, structural influence on basin sedimentation is reflected by paleoshelf-edges that are straight and coincide with major faults in the detachment trend and sinuous and wraparound salt diapers in the diaper trend. Five-order structural segmentation reflecting the interplay of salt with sedimentation in different scales is defined. The first order is four tectonic provinces of the Texas shelf, western Louisiana shelf, eastern Louisiana shelf and Texas-Louisiana slope in the Gulf of Mexico. The second order is three structural trends along the inner, middle and outer western Louisiana shelf province. The third order is three salt-fault families along the outer western Louisiana shelf trend. The fourth order is the salt-wall corridors within each salt- fault family. The fifth order is the single salt sheet. Two salt sheet provinces characterize Louisiana shelf-coast area. Paleogene salt sheets beneath the present lower coastal plain and inner shelf are fed from Jurassic Louann salt and emplaced in three regional Paleogene transgressive surfaces during deposition episodes of the Houston Embayment. Neogene salt sheets beneath the outer shelf and slope areas are fed from both Paleogene salt- sheets and Louann salt and emplaced mainly in Pliocene sediments during deposition episodes of the Mississippi Embayment. Uneven distribution of discovered hydrocarbons within different orders of structural segments in terms of reservoir attribute, geological age and depositional style reflects the significant impact of structure and sedimentation on hydrocarbon accumulation. Sand bodies tend to be thin and widespread for detachment style and thick and isolated for diaper style. The ''sandwich'' reflection pattern identified underneath the inner shelf suggests a sandy-shaly-sandy section related to Miocene potential in lower Miocene deepwater sediments. Subset depositional fairways for subset exploration. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Geophysics". |
| Physical Description: | xiii,129 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-128). |