New Concepts in Stratigraphy for Near-Synchronous Correlation of the Paleocene-Eocene Interval of the Se Sirte Basin

The new method of climate stratigraphy has been used to generate a well-to-well near-synchronous correlation framework with a unifying stratigraphic scheme for the interval from the uppermost Cretaceous to Eocene in the southeastern Sirte Basin of Libya. Climate stratigraphy combines the principles of global cyclostratigraphy with spectral (frequency) analysis of facies-sensitive wireline logs such as GR to identify near-synchronous bounding surfaces. The so-called spectral trend attribute curve (INPEFA_GR) has been developed to show the breaks and trends which are used for correlation. Seventeen regionally important near-synchronous bounding surfaces have been systematically identified in wells. Lateral facies variations between these bounding surfaces as well as regional differences in facies development through time become apparent – a framework for systematic evaluation of potential reservoir-seal pairs has been generated. Problems and uncertainties inherent to lithostratigraphic correlations are largely overcome. Details of the method and of its application to well correlation in the SE Sirte Basin will be given in the presentation.