Miocene platform-margin reefs, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6591694

Noel, J P; Rosen, B; Coniglio, M

Jebel Abu Shaar is a completely dolomitized carbonate platform atop a crystalline basement horst on the western side of the Gulf of Suez. Margins of the platform, where not removed by synsedimentary faulting, are formed by well-developed coral reefs. The massive reef carbonates consistently illustrate two stages of growth: a basal paucispecific unit of branching coral bafflestone, mostly Stylophora and a thicker upper unit of diverse coral framestone, dominated by faviids. In the upper unit, the reef crest is massive columnar Porites and less common Caulastrea framestone. The back-reef is a framestone of diverse faviids, mainly Montastrea Favites, and Tarbellastrea, and interbedded reef-flat rhodolite rudstones. The back-reef and reef-flat facies grade onshelf into Stylophora bafflestone biostromers and faviid bioherms. The reef front is a shallow to intermediate depth zone of numerous and diverse faviids, dominated by Montastrea and Acanthastrea framestones, bioclastic sands, and hardgrounds. Deeper zones are mostly small Acanthastrea mounds or rhodolite/bivalve rudstones with scattered faviids and Acanthastrea. Synsedimentary lithification, internal sedimentationm, and bioerosion prevail throughout. A deep-water, slope-parallel biostrome of ahermatypic corals, dominated by Dendrophyllia and containing numerous Balanophyllia and Madracis, is present 10 km north of Abu Shaar. Corals are well cemented by numerous rinds of marine cement which is overlain by geopetal internal sediment containing planktonic foraminifers and pteropods.

• OSTI ID: 6591694
• Report Number(s): CONF-880301-
• Resource Relation: Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Houston, TX, USA, 20 Mar 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
GULF OF SUEZ
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
CARBONATES
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CORALS
EGYPTIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
MIOCENE EPOCH
PLANKTON
REEFS
SEDIMENTATION
AFRICA
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CENOZOIC ERA
CHEMISTRY
CNIDARIA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
MINERAL RESOURCES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RED SEA
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
TERTIARY PERIOD
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration