Organic geochemistry of sediments of the Deep Gulf of Mexico Basin

Conference · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6729451

Sassen, R ^[1]; Jiasong, Fang

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1. BP Exploration, Inc., Houston, TX (USA)

Analysis of 716 core samples cored at DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) Leg 96 in the Mississippi submarine fan and the Orca and Pigmy basins in the Louisiana continental slope using a Rock-Eval pyrolysis unit with a TOC (total organic carbon) module allows computations of hydrogen index (HI), total organic carbon, kerogen type, and oil generative capacity assessment. No samples are obviously oil prone. TOC content ranges from 0.12 to 2.29%, with an overall average of 9.82%. HI values are generally less than 150 mg HC/g TOC. T{sub max} (maximum temperature of S{sub 2}) values (average = 425{degree}C) show the sediments are thermally immature through-out the study area. Hydrocarbon generative potential of the sediments ranges from 492 to 1,107 ppm, with an average of 854 ppm. Higher PI (Production index) values, ranging from 0.12 to 0.32 and averaging 0.15, suggest the presence of hydrocarbon seepage. Because of organically lean, thermally immature, and gas-prone terrestrial kerogen, there is little reason to assume that the sediments of the Mississippi fan can provide oil source rock for the Gulf of Mexico Basin, or that sediments of anoxic basins in the Louisiana continental slope are analogs to past environments where source rocks for crude oil have been deposited.

• OSTI ID: 6729451
• Report Number(s): CONF-900605-; CODEN: AABUD
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Vol. 74:5; Conference: Annual convention and exposition of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, San Francisco, CA (USA), 3-6 Jun 1990; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
58 GEOSCIENCES
GULF OF MEXICO
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
SOURCE ROCKS
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
CONTINENTAL SLOPE
DRILL CORES
KEROGEN
LOUISIANA
MATURATION
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
PYROLYSIS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARIBBEAN SEA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
DECOMPOSITION
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC MATTER
RESOURCES
RIVERS
SEAS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
580000 - Geosciences