In this month's AAPG BULLETIN...

April 2008

E&P NOTE

Upper Jurassic updip stratigraphic trap and associated Smackover microbial and nearshore carbonate facies, eastern Gulf coastal plain

Ernest A. Mancini, William C. Parcell, Wayne M. Ahr, Victor O. Ramirez, Juan Carlos Llinás, and Milo Cameron

Little Cedar Creek Refines Strategies

The productive reservoirs within the Upper Jurassic Smackover microbial buildups of the United States Gulf Coastal Plain have been traditionally associated with Paleozoic topographic highs. However, it is now recognized that these deposits developed in more varied paleogeographic settings, necessitating refinement of strategies for microbial facies.

GEOLOGIC NOTE

The constructive roles of tropical cyclones and tsunamis on deep-water sand deposition during sea-level highstand: Implications for petroleum exploration

G. Shanmugam

Cyclones and Tsunamis Affect Reservoirs

Tropical cyclones and tsunamis are powerful and frequent events during the present sea level highstand and have the power to stir up the entire water column across a typical continental shelf. These events are capable of transporting gravel-sized sediment and may significantly impact deep-water reservoirs.

GEOHORIZON

Prediction of subseismic faults and fractures: Integration of three-dimensional seismic data, three-dimensional retrodeformation, and well data on an example of deformation around an inverted fault

Tina Lohr, Charlotte M. Krawczyk, David C. Tanner, Ramin Samiee, Heike Endres, Peter O. Thierer, Onno Oncken, Henning Trappe, Raik Bachmann, and Peter A. Kukla

Sub-Seismic Fault Prediction

Strain variation up to 1 km away from a fault results in heterogeneous subseismic fracture distribution that often complicates reservoir development. A workflow for predicting deformation due to subseismic faults and fractures allows prediction of small-scale fault density in areas without well data.

ARTICLES

Evolution of the Cretaceous Astrid thrust belt in the ultradeep-water Lower Congo Basin, Gabon

Martin P. A. Jackson, Michael R. Hudec, David C. Jennette, and Richard E. Kilby

Astrid Thrust Belt

Detailed study provides insight into the evolution of the Astrid thrust belt, which is the greatest salt-based fold and thrust belt of the African Atlantic margin and is located in the Lower Congo Basin. The paucity of salt sheets in the study area allowed for the acquisition of outstanding seismic images of the deep structure.

Facies architecture of a net transgressive sandstone reservoir analog: The Cretaceous Hosta Tongue, New Mexico

Peter J. Sixsmith, Gary J. Hampson, Sanjeev Gupta, Howard D. Johnson, and John F. Fofana

Net Transgressive Sandstone Analogue

Improved understanding of the patterns and controls of facies architecture in net transgressive sandstone reservoirs is acquired through detailed analysis of the Cretaceous Hosta Tongue outcrop, New Mexico. Results of this study provide both qualitative and quantitative conditioning for reservoir models.

About the BULLETIN

First published in 1917 as the Bulletin of the Southwestern Association of Petroleum Geologists--AAPG’s predecessor organization--in order to disseminate scientific material from annual meetings of the S.A.P.G., the AAPG Bulletin changed its name one year later when S.A.P.G. became AAPG.

The AAPG Bulletin has been delivering quality research to the scientific world ever since. The first issue contained papers written by the best-known geologists of the day, and included papers on such topics as South America, Europe, and general geologic problems of structure and sedimentation.

While the 21st-century AAPG Bulletin has undergone some changes since 1917, enlarging to 8 ½ x 11” size to incorporate more material and being published digitally as well as in print, it continues to adhere to the primary purpose of the organization, which is to advance the science of geology especially as it relates to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources.

Delivered digitally or in print monthly to each AAPG Member as a part of membership dues, the AAPG Bulletin is one of the most respected, peer-reviewed technical journals in existence, with recent issues containing papers focused on such topics as the Middle East, channel detection, China, permeability, subseismic fault prediction, the U.S., and Africa.