Correlation efficiency as a tool to establish depositional subenvironments in submarine fans

Conference · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:6965456

Bouma, A H; Cook, T W ^[1]; Devries, M B ^[2]

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1. Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
2. Exxon Exploration Company, Houston, TX (United States)

Depositional units in submarine fan systems commonly are too large to be entirely or sufficiently exposed in an outcrop to properly identify. Channel fills can be massive, bedded, or any combination thereof. The layering can be horizontal or inclined. Typical bedded series can be thick or thin bedded, or a combination with or without a certain cyclicity. Occurrence of sedimentary structures is not yet a decisive interpretation characteristic. At the present, the Lower Permian Skoorsteenberg Formation of the Southwest Karoo in South Africa may be the best example of long, nontilted, outcrops where entire subenvironments can be observed. Using that knowledge, outcrop information from several areas, and ideas from the literature, we attempted correlations in two spillways in the Jackfork Group in Arkansas. A layer-by-layer correlation failed, even after small layer package could be established using an occasional thick shale break, a major slump, or a very thick massive sandstone layer for dividing both sides of the spillway. A [open quotes]semi-logarithmic[close quotes] display of measured thickness provides patterns of variations in layer thickness that normally are sufficiently typical to use as a correlation tool between both sides. This is not a foolproof system and one should consider additional parameters, such as location within the entire fan system. However, the degree of correlatibility helps identify or suggest depositional environments.

• OSTI ID: 6965456
• Report Number(s): CONF-9310237-; CODEN: AABUD2
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 77:9; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) mid-continent section meeting, Amarillo, TX (United States), 10-12 Oct 1993; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
SEDIMENTATION
LAYERS
CORRELATIONS
SEDIMENTS
DEPOSITION
GEOMORPHOLOGY
HYDROCARBONS
SANDSTONES
SEA BED
SHALES
GEOLOGY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
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030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
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