Siliciclastic sequence stratigraphy : recent developments and applications

509 Pages·1994·318.124 MB·English

by  Weimer, Paul, Posamentier, Henry W.

Recent Development!i and App ication!i
Edited by Paul Weimer and Henry W. Po a entler
Siliciclastic Sequence
Stratigraphy
Recent Developments
and Applications
Edited by
Paul Weimer
and
Henry Posamentier
AAPG Memoir 58
Published by
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.A.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Copyright©1993
The AmericanAssociationofPetroleumGeologists
All RightsReserved
Published1994
ISBN:0-89181-337-3
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AAPG
Wishes to thank the following
for their generous contributions
to
Siliciclastic Sequence Stratigraphy
••••
ARCO Oil and Gas Company
Department of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Edinburgh
Department of Geology at the University of Texas at Austin
Exxon Production Research Company
InterGeos BV
Soekor (Pty) Ltd.
••••
Contributions are applied against the production costs
ofthe publication, thus directlyreducing the book's
purchase price andmaking it available toa
greater audience.
iii
About the Editors
Paul Weimer is an assistant professor in the Department of Geological
Sciences at the Universityof Colorado at Boulder, and serves as the Associate
Director of the Energy and Minerals Applied Research Center. He received
his B.A. from Pomona College in Claremont, California, in 1978 with honors
in geology. He received his M.S. in geology in 1980 from the University of
Colorado at Boulder,and his Ph.D. frOITI The University of Texas at Austin in
1989. During the summer of 1978, Paul worked as a geologist with Amoco
Production Company in Denver, Colorado. From 1980 to 1984, he worked as
an exploration geologist with Sohio Petroleum Company in San Francisco,
California, doing regional exploration of the North Slope of Alaska. He
worked with Mobil Oil Corporation in Dallas, Texas, as a research and explo-
ration geologist from 1988 to 1990.Paul co-edited Alaskan North SlopeGeology
(SEPM-Pacific Section) and Seismic Facies and Sedimentary Processes of
SubmarineFan andTurbiditeSyste7ns(Springer-Verlag),and has authored more
than40papers.
Paul's research interests are in applied sequence stratigraphy and basin
analysis, petroleum geology of turbidite systems, 3-D seismic interpretation,
and stratigraphic software development for workstations. He received the
1992J. C. "Cam" SprouleAwarefrom theAAPG.
HenryW.Posamentiergraduated withaB.S.from the CityCollegeofNew
York in 1970, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in geology from Syracuse University,
New York, in 1973 and 1976, respectively. In 1972-1973, he was a Fulbright
Fellow to Austria. After a five-year stint in academia, he joined the Seismic
Stratigraphygroup at Exxon Production Research Company in 1979.Between
1979 and 1987, he worked on various regional projects in North America and
Europe, and was involved in the development and application of sequence
stratigraphic concepts. From 1987 to 1991, he worked for Esso Resources
Canada Ltd., first as an explorationist and later as a technical mentor.
Subsequently, he joined ARCO Exploration and Production Technology,
where he currently is employed as a research advisor. In 1993, Henry was an
AAPG DistinguishedLecturer.
Henry has co-edited Sea-Level Changes-An Integrated Approach (SEPM
Special Publication), as well as Sequence Stratigraphy and Facies Associations
(lAS Special Publication). In addition, he has authored more than 60 papers.
His current research interests are in the area of sequence stratigraphy, in par-
ticular the development and application of these concepts at the field-devel-
opmentscaleusingsubsurfaceand outcrop data.
iv
Table of Contents
•
Preface vii
Overview 1
Chapter 1
RecentDevelopmentsandApplicationsin SiliciclasticSequenceStratigraphy 3
PaulWeimerandHenry W.Posamentier
RecentApplicationsofSiliciclasticSequence Stratigraphy 13
Chapter 2
The RelativeSuccess ofSiliciclasticSequenceStratigraphicConceptsin Exploration:
ExamplesfromIncisedValleyFillandTurbiditeSystemsReservoirs 15
DavidW.Bowen,PaulWeimer,andAlanJ. Scott
Chapter 3
DepositionofFourth-Order,Post-RiftSequencesandSequenceSets, Lower
Cretaceous (LowerValanginianto LowerAptian),PletmosBasin, Southern
Offshore,SouthAfrica 43
G.J. Brink,J. H. G.Keenan,andL.F.Brown,Jr.
Chapter4
SequenceStratigraphyofPetroleumPlays,Post-RiftCretaceousRocks (Lower
Aptianto UpperMaastrichtian),OrangeBasin, WesternOffshore,SouthAfrica 71
A. Muntingh andL.F.Brown,Jr.
Chapter 5
IntegratedStratigraphicandDepositional-FaciesAnalysisofParasequencesin a
TransgressiveSystemsTract, San JoaquinBasin, California 99
RobertS. Tye,James S.Hewlett,PeterR. Thompson,andDavidK.Goodman
Chapter 6
StratigraphicandCombinationTrapsWithinaSeismicSequenceFramework,
MioceneStevensTurbidites,BakersfieldArch,California 135
James S.HewlettandDouglas W.Jordan
Chapter 7
RecognizingSequencesandSystemsTractsfrom Well Logs, SeismicData,and
Biostratigraphy:Examplesfrom theLate Cenozoic 163
RobertM.Mitchum,John B.Sangree,PeterR.Vail,andWalterW. Wornardt
Chapter 8
Variationsin SlopeDeposition,Pliocene-Pleistocene,OffshoreLouisiana,
NortheastGulfofMexico 199
AndrewJ. Pulham
Chapter 9
DetailedFaciesAnatomyofTransgressiveandHighstandSystemsTractsfrom the
UpperCretaceousofSouthernUtah,U.S.A 235
RobertD.Hettinger,PeterJ. McCabe,andKeith W. Shanley
v
vi TableofContents
Chapter10
GenesisandArchitectureofIncisedValleyFillSequences:ALate Quaternary
Examplefrom theColoradoRiver, GulfCoastalPlainofTexas 259
Michael D. Blum
Chapter11
ApplicationofHigh-ResolutionSequenceStratigraphyto theUpperRotliegend
in theNetherlandsOffshore 285
Chang-Shu YangandSwie-Djin Nio
Chapter12
SequenceStratigraphyofa LacustrineSystem:UpperFortUnionFormation
(Paleocene),WindRiverBasin, Wyoming,U.S.A 317
LouisM. Liro
RecentDevelopmentsinSiliciclasticSequenceStratigraphy 335
Chapter13
EvaluationofEustasy,Subsidence,andSedimentInputasControlson Depositional
SequenceGeometriesandtheSynchroneityofSequenceBoundaries 337
DavidT.Lawrence
Chapter14
EffectsofVariationsinSubsidenceandSedimentSupplyon ParasequenceStacking
Patterns 369
F.L.Wehr
Chapter15
AnExperimentalStudyoftheInfluenceofSubaqueousShelfAnglesonCoastal
PlainandShelfDeposits 381
L.J. Wood,F.G.Ethridge,andS.A. Schumm
Chapter16
.EolianSequenceStratigraphy-AConceptualFramework 393
GaryKocurekandKaren G.Havholm
Chapter17
PhotostratigraphicCharacteristicsofSequenceStratigraphicFeaturesandPatterns:
UpperCretaceousandEoceneStrataoftheSouth-CentralPyrenees,Spain 411
Maria Sgavetti
Chapter18
Use ofGeneticSequenceStratigraphyin DefiningandDetermininga Regional
TectonicControlon the "MidCimmerianUnconformity": Implicationsfor North
Sea Basin DevelopmentandtheGlobalSea-LevelChart 449
J. R. UnderhillandM. A. Partington
PREFACE
•
This memoir grew out of the 2~-daysymposium, We thank Barrett Dixon and Peter Varnai for their
"Variations in Depositional Systems Within a assistancein assemblingthefinal volume.
Sequence Stratigraphic Framework: Applications to We thank the reviewers listed below for their time
Exploration," that we organized at the 1991 AAPG and efforts. Their contributionimproved the contents
annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. Robert Loucks and ofthememoirimmeasurably.
Rick Sarg have edited a companion volume to this George Allen, Beverly Blakeney-Dejarnett, Mike
one, also published by AAPG, entitled Carbonate Blum, Chris Bowland, David Bowen, Gerhard Brink,
Sequence Stratigraphy: New Developments and Frank Brown, Fadjar Budhijanto, Mario Carminatti,
Applications. Stephen G. Crews, Maurice Cucci, Barrett Dixon,
We thank the authors for their continued patience FrankEthridge,DavidJames, DavidLawrence,Karen
during the time that it has taken us to solicit, review, Loomis, Robert Mitchum, William Morris, Harry
compile, and edit all chapters that are included in the Roberts, Jory Pacht, Mike Porter, Bill Ross, Juan
volume. We also thank the editorial staff of AAPG, Rosell, Keith Shanley, Roger Slatt, Mike Sweet,Julian
specificallyCathleenWilliams,GaryHowell,and Ken Thorne,RobertTye, PeterVarnai,JohnVanWagoner,
Frakes, for their support and input on the volume. and LynnWatney.
Paul Weimerand HenryPosamentier
vii

•
Overview