Eustatic control of tertiary hydrocarbon deposits, Central California borderline basins
- Minerals Management Service, Camarillo, CA (United States)
In the central California borderland basins, the Vail-Haq Cenozoic Global Eustatic Cycle appears to have influenced depositional patterns that have fundamental significance in the present distribution of hydrocarbon source and reservoir beds. Coupled with tectonic events, traps were created that now control the distribution of hydrocarbon accumulations. Seismic data combined with subsurface lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, and log data from wells drilled on the central California outer continental shelf (OCS) were used to date and correlate Tertiary stratigraphic sequences in the Santa Maria, Bodega-La Honda, and Point Arena basins. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages also served to reconstruct each basin's paleobathymetric history. The west coast benthic foram stages, commerically used to solve subsurface stratigraphic problems for over 60 yr, occur with planktonic microfossil groups that now serve to calibrate the provincial stages with the absolute geologic time scale. The Miocene through Pliocene stratigraphic sequences in these three depocenters are markedly similar, and record a parallel marine onlap and offlap pattern that correlates closely with the Vail-Haq Cenozoic Global Eustatic Cycle. The highstand depositional cycles are generally dominated by organic-rich sediments of good to excellent are generally dominated by organic-rich sediments of good to excellent source-bed potential. Lowstand regressive to transgressive clastic deposits have good reservoir potential. The middle Miocene siliceous Monterey Formation was deposited during maximum Tertiary global sea levels and is present in all of these basins. In addition to being a prolific source bed, the Monterey is unique in that when diagnetically altered, it fractures and also becomes an excellent hydrocarbon reservoir.
- OSTI ID:
- 7120004
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9404149-; CODEN: AABUD2
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 78:4; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Pacific Section meeting, Ventura, CA (United States), 27-29 Apr 1994; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
CALIFORNIA
CONTINENTAL SHELF
HYDROCARBONS
RESERVOIR ROCK
SOURCE ROCKS
SEA LEVEL
VARIATIONS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
AGE ESTIMATION
SEDIMENTATION
CENOZOIC ERA
DISTRIBUTION
FORAMINIFERA
FOSSILS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
MIOCENE EPOCH
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEISMIC WAVES
STRATIGRAPHY
TECTONICS
TERTIARY PERIOD
ANIMALS
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
INVERTEBRATES
LEVELS
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTOZOA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SARCODINA
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration