Petroleum exploration contribution to the structural history of Golfe du Lin

Conference · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · AAPG Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5718557

Curnelle, R

Petroleum exploration has strongly contributed to the knowledge of the post-Hercynian structural history of the Golfe du Lion. It shows three stages: (1) Pyrenean orogenesis which started in the Late Cretaceous and culminated during the Eocene (40-75 Ma), (2) Oligocene rifting associated with the oceanic accretion of the Provencal basin, and (3) post-Messinian deformations due to salt tectonics. Pyrenean deformation of the area seems to have been controlled by its Hercynian inheritance: the major transcurrent faults of the Cevenole belt, Nimes, and the Durance. They favored displacement of the deformation in a northeasterly direction along the fault corridors, inside which the overthrust units were put into place. These east-west-oriented structures show northward vergence. The Pyrenean axial zone in this downthrown part of the belt consist of progressively more northerly units offset by transverse faults. The Oligocene rifting is represented by a series of horsts and deeply subsiding grabens linked to preexisting major faults. The horst are deeply eroded and the Mesozoic carbonates are karstified. The extension of the Messinian evaporitic deposits known throughout the Mediterranean basin is located north of the shallower deep-water well. The gravitational deformation of the salt is expressed by a large number of listric faults which originate in the salt bodies. The sedimentary sequence ends with a thick discordant, erosional, undeformed Pliocene-Quaternary series.

• Research Organization: SNEA, St. Martory (France)
• OSTI ID: 5718557
• Report Number(s): CONF-8809346-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 72:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CENOZOIC ERA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
EUROPE
EXPLORATION
FRANCE
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
TERTIARY PERIOD
WESTERN EUROPE