Deep Marine Systems

Deep-water (below wave base) processes, although generallyhidden from view, shape the sedimentary record of more than 65% ofthe Earth’s surface, including large parts of ancientmountain belts. This book aims to inform advanced-levelundergraduate and postgraduate students, and professional Earthscientists with interests in physical oceanography and hydrocarbonexploration and production, about many of the important physicalaspects of deep-water (mainly deep-marine) systems. The authorsconsider transport and deposition in the deep sea, trace-fossilassemblages, and facies stacking patterns as an archive of theunderlying controls on deposit architecture (e.g., seismicity,climate change, autocyclicity). Topics include modern and ancientdeep-water sedimentary environments, tectonic settings, and howbasinal and extra-basinal processes generate the typicalcharacteristics of basin slopes, submarine canyons, contouritemounds and drifts, submarine fans, basin floors and abyssalplains.

The oceans have a great impact on the Earth and its climate. Coastal zones are not static but dynamic environments. They involve transformation of mass and energy through waves and currents. Shorelines are always subjected to both continental and oceanic processes. Waves, tides and currents are very powerful geomorphic agents. The erosional and depositional work of the sea waves can create many spectacular landscapes along the borders of the continents. Studying the coastal landforms are interesting aspects in geomorphology. Over 1200 oil and gas fields are known from deep-water systems. The petroleum industry is increasingly moving exploration into the deep-water realm to meet the growing demand for oil and gas. There is no shortage of deep-water discoveries. To produce hydrocarbons economically, a proper understanding of the reservoir is a prerequisite. To meet this challenge successfully, petroleum geologists, petrophysicists, and engineers must have a good working knowledge of deepwater processes and their implications for sandstone reservoirs. Deep Marine Systems brings together detailed coverage on modern and ancient deep-water sedimentary environments, tectonic settings, and how basinal and extra-basinal processes generate the typical characteristics of basin slopes, submarine canyons, contourite mounds and drifts, submarine fans, basin floors and abyssal plains. It describes the sedimentary facies of the deep-marine deposits, and discusses the link between depositional facies and the variation in porosity and permeability of the sandstones. Further, other factors controlling the variation in porosity and permeability of these deep-marine sandstones are discussed. Factors that cause anomalously high porosity and permeability are discussed widely in the literature; however, many of these studies focus on deeply buried shallow-marine reservoirs with grain coats. This book is of interest to advanced graduate students, and researchers with interests in physical oceanography and hydrocarbon exploration and production, about many of the important physical aspects of deep-water systems.

Deep-water (below wave base) processes, although generally hidden from view, shape the sedimentary record of more than 65% of the Earth’s surface, including large parts of ancient mountain belts. This book aims to inform advanced-level undergraduate and postgraduate students, and professional Earth scientists with interests in physical oceanography and hydrocarbon exploration and production, about many of the important physical aspects of deep-water (mainly deep-marine) systems. The authors consider transport and deposition in the deep sea, trace-fossil assemblages, and facies stacking patterns as an archive of the underlying controls on deposit architecture (e.g., seismicity, climate change, autocyclicity). Topics include modern and ancient deep-water sedimentary environments, tectonic settings, and how basinal and extra-basinal processes generate the typical characteristics of basin slopes, submarine canyons, contourite mounds and drifts, submarine fans, basin floors and abyssal plains.

Discovery of the Arbroath, Montrose and Forties fields initiated intensive exploration of the Tertiary deep-marine play in the North Sea region. Subsequent discoveries demonstrated the success of this play and the geological diversity of the depositional systems. The play is now mature and in many areas the remaining exploration potential is likely to be dominated by small, subtle traps with a major component of stratigraphic trapping. Economically marginal discoveries need an in-depth understanding of subsurface uncertainty to mitigate risk with limited appraisal wells. Mature fields require detailed geological understanding in the search for the remaining oil. This volume focuses on the regional depositional setting of these deep-marine systems, providing a stratigraphic and palaeogeographical context for exploration, and development case histories that outline the challenges of producing from these reservoirs. The fields are arranged around the production life cycle, describing the changing needs of geological models as the flow of static and dynamic data refines geological understanding and defines the nature of new opportunities as fields mature.

The innovation and refinement of the techniques and concepts of sequence stratigraphy has been one of the most exciting and profound developments in geology over the past thirty years. Seismic stratigraphy has now become one of the standard tools of the geoscientist, and there is a pressing need for an introductory text on sequence stratigraphy. This new book sets out to define and explain the concepts, principles and applications of this remarkably influential approach to the study of sedimentary strata. The authors take a rigorous objective stance in evaluating the techniques and interpretation of sequence stratigraphy - basing the text on an internal training course developed by British Petroleum (BP). A new text on this increasingly important field A practical guide based on the experience of practising sequence stratigraphers Based on a highly successful BP training course

Submarine slopes provide the critical link between shallow-water and deep-water sedimentary environments. They accumulate a sensitive record of sediment supply, accommodation creation/destruction, and tectonic processes during basin filling. There is a complex stratigraphic response to the interplay between parameters that control the evolution of submarine slope systems, e.g. slope gradient, topographic complexity, sediment flux and calibre, base-level change, tectonic setting, and post-depositional sediment remobilization processes. The increased understanding of submarine slope systems has been driven partly by the discovery of large hydrocarbon fields in morphologically complex slope settings, such as the Gulf of Mexico and offshore West Africa, and has led to detailed case studies and improved generic models for their evolution. This volume brings together research papers from modern, outcrop and subsurface settings to highlight these recent advances in understanding of the stratigraphic evolution of submarine slope systems.

Arising from the perceived needs of the academic and industrial communities to understand the controls on the architecture and geometry of deep marine clastic reservoirs, this publication highlights some of the current avenues and potential ways forward in the study of deep marine clastic systems, particularly with applicdation to hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Deepwater Sedimentary Systems: Science, Discovery and Applications helps readers identify, understand and interpret deepwater sedimentary systems at various scales – both onshore and offshore. This book describes the best practices in the integration of geology, geophysics, engineering, technology and economics used to inform smart business decisions in these diverse environments. It draws on technical results gained from deepwater exploration and production drilling campaigns and global field analog studies. With the multi-decadal resilience of deepwater exploration and production and the nature of its inherent uncertainty, this book serves as the essential reference for companies, consultancies, universities, governments and deepwater practitioners around the world seeking to understand deepwater systems and how to explore for and produce resources in these frontier environments. From an academic perspective, readers will use this book as the primer for understanding the processes, deposits and sedimentary environments in deep water – from deep oceans to deep lakes. This book provides conceptual approaches and state-of-the-art information on deepwater systems, as well as scenarios for the next 100 years of human-led exploration and development in deepwater, offshore environments. The students taught this material in today’s classrooms will become the leaders of tomorrow in Earth’s deepwater frontier. This book provides a broad foundation in deepwater sedimentary systems. What may take an individual dozens of academic and professional courses to achieve an understanding in these systems is provided here in one book. Presents a holistic view of how subsurface and engineering processes work together in the energy industry, bringing together contributions from the various technical and engineering disciplines Provides diverse perspectives from a global authorship to create an accurate picture of the process of deepwater exploration and production around the world Helps readers understand how to interpret deepwater systems at various scales to inform smart business decisions, with a significant portion of the workflows derived from the upstream energy industry