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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database
AAPG Special Volumes
Abstract
Nummedal, Dag, H. Edward Clifton, and Eileen Williams,
DOI:10.1306/13291386M95385
2012 by The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
Late Miocene and Early Pliocene High-Frequency Lake Level Cycles in Lacustrine Hydrocarbon Reservoir Strata, South Caspian Basin: Insights for Subseismic-scale Lithofacies Variations
Dag Nummedal,1 H. Edward Clifton,2 Eileen Williams3
1Colorado Energy Research Institute, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, U.S.A.
2Monterey, California, U.S.A.
3Gresham, Oregon, U.S.A.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The data and interpretations presented in this chapter represent the input of a great many geologists associated with the early phase of development of the ACG megastructure offshore Azerbaijan. In particular, the consortium that existed between SOCAR, BP, Amoco, Conoco, Unocal, TPAO, and ENI-Agip deserves great credit for bringing together several people with diverse scientific backgrounds and a common commitment to better understand the sedimentology, stratigraphy, and climate history of the Productive Series of Azerbaijan. This consortium also worked very closely with the Geological Institute of Azerbaijan. We like to express our gratitude to all the following colleagues for having played an instrumental function in the success of this joint project: Vitor Abreu, Zhutu Bati, Tomas Demchuk, Mario Fornaciari, Akif Narimanov, Donald van Niewenhuise, Tony Reynolds, Greg Riley, Jeffrey Stein, Alaattin Sayili, and Roger Witmer. The work could not have been done without great logistical and financial support of the companies previously listed.
We also want to express our gratitude to Kevin Bohacs for sharing perspectives on the relevance of this study to hydrocarbon exploration, development, and production in lacustrine basins.
ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a comprehensive analysis
of the nature and origin of the observed cyclic patterns in the late Miocene and Pliocene rocks that are the main hydrocarbon reservoirs along the Azerbaijan margin of the Caspian Sea. Data from extensive onshore studies of outcrop sedimentology were combined with
well
-
log
interpretations from the offshore Azeri-Chirag-Deep Water Guneshli oil field to quantify the nested nature of depositional cycles inferred to represent 20 ka, 100 ka, and 400 ka astronomically driven climate cycles. Spectral
analysis
of gamma-ray logs supports the conclusion that much of the Productive Series in the South Caspian Basin (base KS to top of the Balakhany) records the controlling influence of astronomical changes in insolation that acted in phase across both the Volga drainage basin and the Caspian Sea.
We constructed an idealized depositional sequence
and its link to the lake level/climate drivers based on evidence for cyclic sedimentation from spectral
analysis
of the gamma-ray logs, the range of depositional systems interpreted, and the climate signal derived from palynology. These sequences are expressed consistently in strata deposited in fluvial, lake-margin mudflats, shoreline, and lake center settings. In the sandier stratigraphic intervals, the 20 k.y.
sequence
is expressed as follows. The
sequence
boundary is an exposure surface within mudstones. Overlying the
sequence
boundary is generally a forestepping succession of terminal splay sandstones and mudstones suggesting slowly rising lake level. Above this, a stack of braided stream deposits is present that generally represents the dominant sandstone interval of the entire
sequence
. We interpret this as a lowstand systems tract (LST). The LST is abruptly truncated by a lacustrine flooding surface, which in turn is capped by a backstepping succession of more terminal splay deposits and density underflow strata. In most sequences, no definite expression of the highstand and falling stage systems tracts exists. This contrasts greatly with shallow marine depositional sequences, where the falling stage systems tract generally contains the best-developed sandstones.
The recognition that climate drivers of astronomical origin did fundamentally control sedimentation in the Caspian Sea profoundly affects both petroleum systems modeling and reservoir modeling by reducing the degrees of uncertainty compared with what is commonly the case in other less ordered depositional systems.
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