Copyright by Nysha Chaderton 2009 - The University of Texas at ...
Copyright by Nysha Chaderton 2009 - The University of Texas at ...
Copyright by Nysha Chaderton 2009 - The University of Texas at ...
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eported. <strong>The</strong> Scotland reservoir rock outcrops onshore in several localities and has been<br />
the subject <strong>of</strong> preliminary work to understand the sedimentology, depositional<br />
environments and reservoir architecture. It is <strong>of</strong>ten steeply dipping and highly deformed<br />
complic<strong>at</strong>ing the details <strong>of</strong> its n<strong>at</strong>ure; however several outcrops do lend themselves to<br />
l<strong>at</strong>erally extensive observ<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> facies distribution and surface rel<strong>at</strong>ionships.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fine grained pelagic muds and marls <strong>of</strong> the Oceanic Form<strong>at</strong>ion are considered<br />
to be the broad regional seal <strong>of</strong> the petroleum system. Understanding the regional extent<br />
and distribution <strong>of</strong> the Oceanic Form<strong>at</strong>ion across the southern BAP will help us with our<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> the BAP petroleum system as a whole.<br />
No source rocks are exposed onshore Barbados, nor have they been penetr<strong>at</strong>ed <strong>by</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore drilling or identified in seismic d<strong>at</strong>a. However, geochemical work carried out <strong>by</strong><br />
geoscientists from the United St<strong>at</strong>es Geological Survey (USGS) suggests th<strong>at</strong> Barbados<br />
oils are <strong>of</strong> uniform thermal m<strong>at</strong>urity and origin<strong>at</strong>e from a Cretaceous source rock (Hill<br />
and Schenk, 2005).<br />
Fluid migr<strong>at</strong>ion within accretionary prisms occurs along extension fractures, veins<br />
faults and also through sediment pores as a result <strong>of</strong> high fluid pressure cre<strong>at</strong>ed <strong>by</strong> the<br />
reduction <strong>of</strong> pore volume due to sediment burial (Moore, 2001). Within the BAP, mud<br />
volcanoes are associ<strong>at</strong>ed with thrust faults. Fluid-rich mud th<strong>at</strong> reaches the surface forms<br />
expulsion fe<strong>at</strong>ures, suggesting th<strong>at</strong> these structural fe<strong>at</strong>ures are fluid migr<strong>at</strong>ion p<strong>at</strong>hways.<br />
This dissert<strong>at</strong>ion focuses on the defining the characteristics and distribution <strong>of</strong> the<br />
onshore reservoir the Scotland Form<strong>at</strong>ion and examining its potential distribution<br />
<strong>of</strong>fshore Barbados. In addition the rel<strong>at</strong>ionship with the Scotland Form<strong>at</strong>ion and its<br />
equivalents with the Oceanic Form<strong>at</strong>ion; which is the regional seal, will be examined.<br />
Source rock and migr<strong>at</strong>ion p<strong>at</strong>hway analysis was not undertaken as part <strong>of</strong> this study.<br />
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