The Oligo-Miocene deepwater system of the Levant Basin

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- 67 -Clastic channel-fill deposits, other than the Afiq Formation, were not found in wells. However, theirexistence in the offshore may be speculated. It can be assumed that sediments of the Hazeva Group,which were widely exposed in southern Israel during this time, were transported to the shelf areaand further into the basin through the Afiq-Beer Sheva Canyon.7. Summary and ConclusionThe study of the Oligo-Miocene section through modern seismic data and well information revealsthe detailed stratigraphy and structure of an extensive, siliciclastic deep-water system in the LevantBasin and margin.The onset of clastic deposition, in the Oligocene, reflects a major change in the regional setting. Theaccumulation of a few thousand meters of Oligo-Miocene sediments in the deeper parts of the basinwas caused by a regional uplift and denudation onshore and transportation of the eroded productinto the basin. Only the distal marine deeper parts are preserved today, while the coeval proximalnon-marine parts have been eroded. The latest Messinian short-lived lacusrine and fluvial sedimentsare the only non marine exceptions.The factors that controlled the depositional settings are: (1) updoming and break apart of theArabian Massif, (2) folding on both local and regional scale due to the collision between the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian plates, and (3) relative sea-level fluctuations.Four regional unconformity surfaces were detected in the seismic records within the Oligo-Miocenesuccession: (1) Early Oligocene; (2) Middle Miocene; (3) Late Miocene (upper Tortonian); and (4)latest Miocene (post-evaporites) age. The Early Oligocene, Late Miocene (upper Tortonian) andlatest Miocene (post-evaporites) surfaces reveal a series of stacked submarine canyons on theLevant slope.Some of the canyons are deeply incised, others show minor incision and are developed withintopographic lows. Both types acted as conduits for gravity flows. Mass flow into the basin isassociated with complex and repeated processes of erosion, transportation and deposition.Transport of sands from the East was quite effective during the Oligocene to Miocene section. Incontrast, the transport of sands during the Pliocene was more restricted, because of increasedsubsidence within the Dead Sea Rift which became a major trap for coarse clastics.
- 68 -Oligo-Miocene sands were deposited in two settings: (1) as channel fill within the canyons, in aconfined, intra-slope setting, or (2) as sheets and lobes in an unconfined setting at the lower slopeand basin floor. Channel fill sands were penetrated by several wells in the Afiq and Ashdodcanyons. The existence of other sand-rich channels in these and other canyons is indicated by theseismic data. Basin floor sands were not yet tested by drilling and their existence is only inferredbased on the seismic data. Both types of reservoirs are considered as attractive, potentialhydrocarbons traps.The Oligo-Miocene deep-water system of the Levant Basin is stratigraphicly located betweenpotential Mesozoic source rocks and the Messinian evaporite seal. The combination of this settingand the evidence for transport and deposition of reservoir elements strongly suggest a significantpotential for major hydrocarbon discoveries in the Levant Basin.ReferencesBall, M. W., and Ball, D., 1953, Oil prospects of Israel. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 37:1-113.Bar, O., Zilberman, E., Gvirtzman, Z., and Feinstein, S., 2006, Reconstruction of the uplift stages ofthe mountain backbone in central Israel. Geol. Surv. Report GSI/28/2006, 73 p. (in Hebrew,English abstract).Bar, O., Gvirtzman, Z., Zilberman, E., and Feinstein, S., 2008, The development of the continentalmargin of central and southern Israel from Early Mesozoic formation to Late Tertiaryreshaping: the role of tectonic and sedimentary processes in structural and morphologicalevolution of a continental shelf. GSI report GSI/31/2008, 68 p. (in Hebrew, English abstract).Bein, A., and Gvirtzman, G., 1977, A Mesozoic fossil edge of the Arabian plate along the Levantcoastline and its bearing on the evolution of the eastern Mediterranean, In: Biju-Duval B. andMontadert, L. (eds.) Structural History of the Mediterranean Basins: Editions Technip, Paris,95-110.Ben-Gai, Y., and Ben-Avraham, Z., 1995, Tectonic processes in the offshore northern Israel and theevolution of the Carmel structure. Marine Petrol. Geol., 12:553-548.Benjamini, C., 1979, Facies relationships of the Avdat Group (Eocene) in northern Negev, Israel.Isr. J. Earth Sci., 28:47-69.Benjamini, C., 1980, Stratigraphy and Foraminifera of the Qezi'ot and Har-Aqrav formations (latestMiddle to Late Eocene) of the Western Negev, Israel. Isr. J. Earth Sci., 29:227-244.Benjamini, C., 1984, Stratigraphy of the Eocene of the Arava valley (eastern and southern Negev,southern Israel). Isr. J. Earth Sci., 33:167-177.Benjamini, C., 1993, Paleobathymetry of the Eocene of Israel. Isr. Geol. Soc., Annu. Meet., Arad,Abstr. p. 17.
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The Oligo-Miocene deepwater system
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ITable of contentPageAbstract …
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IIIFigure 16: Depth map of the base
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- 2 -Oligo-Miocene sands were depos
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- 4 -The discoveries of the early 2
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- 6 -the southeastern part of the b
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- 8 -Legend2D survey A2D survey B2D
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- 10 -2.2 Seismic dataThe seismic i
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- 12 -conditions, and possibly sedi
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- 14 -3.3.2 Lower Oligocene sedimen
Page 23 and 24: - 16 -Druckman, 2006; Bertoni and C
Page 25 and 26: - 18 -aSWNETWT (ms)bSWHanaha-1NEMav
Page 27 and 28: - 20 -aNWSETWT (ms)bYam West-1Ziqim
Page 29 and 30: - 22 -WETWT (ms)aYam Yafo-1multiple
Page 31 and 32: - 24 -NW SEaYam West-2Plio-Pleistoc
Page 33 and 34: - 26 -A third incision surface, mar
Page 35 and 36: - 28 -4.2.2 Deep, central part of t
Page 37 and 38: - 30 -10812591167Figure 13: Time st
Page 39 and 40: - 32 -10812591167Figure 15: Time st
Page 41 and 42: - 34 -HaifaQishon302829AtlitCaesare
Page 43 and 44: - 36 -Figure 19: Depth map on the t
Page 45 and 46: - 38 -SW NEAfiq Canyon Ashdod Canyo
Page 47 and 48: - 40 -The Beer Sheva-Afiq Canyon lo
Page 49 and 50: - 42 -SWNE SW NE SW NEPlio-Pleistoc
Page 51 and 52: - 44 -SWHanaha-1NE SW NE SW Hof Ash
Page 53 and 54: - 46 -BMSL1400m.1500200025003000Han
Page 55 and 56: - 48 -WE W E NW SEPlio-PleistoceneC
Page 57 and 58: - 50 -W EPlio-PleistoceneMessinian
Page 59 and 60: - 52 -S NPlio-PleistoceneM.-U. Mioc
Page 61 and 62: Figure 31: Stratigraphic section al
Page 63 and 64: - 56 -W ELower-slope and basin floo
Page 65 and 66: - 58 -SlopeSusita + En-GevsandsShel
Page 67 and 68: - 60 -In the Hadera Canyon the seis
Page 69 and 70: - 62 -Additional mechanisms for tra
Page 71 and 72: - 64 -The existence of channel fill
Page 73: - 66 -SlopePartly Uplifted ?Hordos
Page 77 and 78: - 70 -Druckman, Y., Conway, B.H., E
Page 79 and 80: - 72 -Neev, D., 1960, A pre-Neogene
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The Oligo-Miocene deepwater system of the Levant Basin

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