In January 1978, GeoChem Laboratories completed a regional hydrocarbon source-rock study involving 13 wells in the Atlantic coastal plain adjacent to the GE-1 COST well. The purpose of this study was to characterize the geochemical zones within the stratigraphic section of the individual wells, to establish their onshore hydrocarbon generating potential, and to assist in the evaluation of the Georgia embayment by projection of the geochemical data into the offshore region.

Although the analyses were performed on the Tertiary through Lower Cretaceous sediments, only the Upper Cretaceous section exhibited source-generating potential. Evaluation of the sediments as to total organic content (richness), organic-matter type (prone to be gas-, condensate-, or oil-productive), and state of thermal maturity, showed that both the Selma Group of the Upper Cretaceous (Navarro, Taylor, and Austin Formations) and the Tuscaloosa exhibit good to very good source-generating potential. This favorable potential appears to extend into the offshore region to the northern part of the blocks involved in OCS Sale 43, held in March 1978. Unfortunately, the Upper Cretaceous appears

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to be geothermally immature in both the onshore and offshore region and neither the Selma Group nor the Tuscaloosa is considered capable of generating producible quantities of either liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons within these areas.

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