Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir
In the Murzuq Basin, southwest Libya, as elsewhere in North Africa, Upper Ordovician glaciogenic rocks represent an important hydrocarbon reservoir. In this basin, anastomosing, potentially sand-filled palaeovalley networks within the Upper Ordovician succession have been described from seismic data...
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ftholloway:oai:repository.royalholloway.ac.uk:7e60348f-a2cc-f561-c126-198b0f111c00/1 2023-05-15T16:41:09+02:00 Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir Le Heron, Daniel Paul Sutcliffe, Owen Bourgig, Khalid Craig, Jonathan Visentin, Claudio Whitington, Robert 2004 application/pdf https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/7e60348f-a2cc-f561-c126-198b0f111c00/1/ eng eng https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/7e60348f-a2cc-f561-c126-198b0f111c00/1/ GeoArabia, 9 (2) Ordovician Libya palaeovalleys sedimentation glaciogenic ice sheets hydrocarbon reservoirs Faculty of Science\Earth Sciences info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2004 ftholloway 2022-09-26T13:03:18Z In the Murzuq Basin, southwest Libya, as elsewhere in North Africa, Upper Ordovician glaciogenic rocks represent an important hydrocarbon reservoir. In this basin, anastomosing, potentially sand-filled palaeovalley networks within the Upper Ordovician succession have been described from seismic data that provide promising prospects for exploration. However, little is known about the origin and architecture of the palaeovalley-fills. On the Gargaf Arch, an outcrop analogue for these structures occurs and is comparable in scale to the valley networks described in the subsurface. This palaeovalley system is 30 km long with two 4 km-wide tributaries, cut into ice-distal glaciomarine mudrocks and diamictites and filled with ice-proximal sandstones and subordinate shales. It was created by subglacial meltwater erosion and glacial loading of a soft substrate during ice sheet advance. The initial stage of valley-fill involved the deposition of coarse-grained sands and conglomeratic ice-proximal, submarine outwash, as localised mass flows. The main stage of fill was characterised by axially (northerly) prograding, underflow-dominated fan lobes deposited in water depths of up to 80m. A comparison with coeval valley systems in Mauritania, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan is provided that highlights the variable regional character of palaeovalley-fills and the influence that water-depth had on architecture. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Sheet Royal Holloway University of London: Royal Holloway Digital Repository |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Royal Holloway University of London: Royal Holloway Digital Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftholloway |
language |
English |
topic |
Ordovician Libya palaeovalleys sedimentation glaciogenic ice sheets hydrocarbon reservoirs Faculty of Science\Earth Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Ordovician Libya palaeovalleys sedimentation glaciogenic ice sheets hydrocarbon reservoirs Faculty of Science\Earth Sciences Le Heron, Daniel Paul Sutcliffe, Owen Bourgig, Khalid Craig, Jonathan Visentin, Claudio Whitington, Robert Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
topic_facet |
Ordovician Libya palaeovalleys sedimentation glaciogenic ice sheets hydrocarbon reservoirs Faculty of Science\Earth Sciences |
description |
In the Murzuq Basin, southwest Libya, as elsewhere in North Africa, Upper Ordovician glaciogenic rocks represent an important hydrocarbon reservoir. In this basin, anastomosing, potentially sand-filled palaeovalley networks within the Upper Ordovician succession have been described from seismic data that provide promising prospects for exploration. However, little is known about the origin and architecture of the palaeovalley-fills. On the Gargaf Arch, an outcrop analogue for these structures occurs and is comparable in scale to the valley networks described in the subsurface. This palaeovalley system is 30 km long with two 4 km-wide tributaries, cut into ice-distal glaciomarine mudrocks and diamictites and filled with ice-proximal sandstones and subordinate shales. It was created by subglacial meltwater erosion and glacial loading of a soft substrate during ice sheet advance. The initial stage of valley-fill involved the deposition of coarse-grained sands and conglomeratic ice-proximal, submarine outwash, as localised mass flows. The main stage of fill was characterised by axially (northerly) prograding, underflow-dominated fan lobes deposited in water depths of up to 80m. A comparison with coeval valley systems in Mauritania, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan is provided that highlights the variable regional character of palaeovalley-fills and the influence that water-depth had on architecture. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Le Heron, Daniel Paul Sutcliffe, Owen Bourgig, Khalid Craig, Jonathan Visentin, Claudio Whitington, Robert |
author_facet |
Le Heron, Daniel Paul Sutcliffe, Owen Bourgig, Khalid Craig, Jonathan Visentin, Claudio Whitington, Robert |
author_sort |
Le Heron, Daniel Paul |
title |
Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
title_short |
Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
title_full |
Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
title_fullStr |
Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sedimentary architecture of Upper Ordovician tunnel valleys, Gargaf Arch, Libya: Implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
title_sort |
sedimentary architecture of upper ordovician tunnel valleys, gargaf arch, libya: implications for the genesis of a hydrocarbon reservoir |
publishDate |
2004 |
url |
https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/7e60348f-a2cc-f561-c126-198b0f111c00/1/ |
genre |
Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet |
op_source |
GeoArabia, 9 (2) |
op_relation |
https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/7e60348f-a2cc-f561-c126-198b0f111c00/1/ |
_version_ |
1766031589065621504 |