The southern end of the Black Warrior Basin has been the site of limited drilling operations, but a critical need now exists to establish a greater understanding of the regional stratigraphy. The objectives of this study were to define a sequence stratigraphic framework for the southernmost Black Warrior Basin, to identify chronostratigraphic timelines within depositional environments, identify regional transgressive and high stand systems tracts. This information was used to identify three target reservoirs, characterize petrophysical properties, and confirm integrity of reservoir and seal formations for geologic storage. Methods include correlation of petrophysical well logs in the study area, well log analysis, as well as petrographic and core analyses. Five cycles were identified in well log cross sections. Sequence boundaries will be identified in both cross sections seismic data. Cretaceous sediments deposited above a regional sequence boundary above the Paleozoic that may represent as much as ~141 ma of erosion or non-deposition. The results of this study will contribute to development of a proposed geologic carbon sequestration facility in Kemper County, Mississippi.

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The quantification of sediment budget in a well-defined ancient source-to-sink (S2S) system is vital to understand Earth history and basin evolution. Fulcrum analysis is an effective approach to estimate sediment volumes of depositional systems, given total mass balance throughout source areas to basins. The key to this approach is to quantify sediment in a closed S2S system with time controls. We analyzed Allomember E of the Cretaceous Dunvegan Alloformation in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin to test this sediment estimation approach. The results indicate that the sediment transported by the trunk-river generically matches the sediment estimated to be deposited in the basin. The upper-range estimate may suggest mud dispersal southward by geostrophic currents. Deciphering the relationships between traditional lithostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy is the key to correctly understanding time-stratigraphic relationships. High-resolution sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Cretaceous Gallup system documents the high-frequency depositional cyclicity using detailed facies analysis in extensively exposed outcrops in northwestern New Mexico, US. We identified thirteen stratigraphic sequences, consisting of twenty-six parasequence and sixty-one parasequences. Shoreline trajectories are evaluated based on the geometry of the parasequences. The results show the previously identified sandstone tongues are equivalent to high-frequency sequence sets. The depositional duration estimates of respective sequence stratigraphic units, associated with the estimated changes in relative sea level, imply that Milankovitch-cycle-dominated glacio-eustasy may be the predominant control on the high-frequency sequence stratigraphy. Shoreline processes are more dynamic and complicated with mixed-energy dominance. The re-evaluation of the depositional environments of the Gallup system and the reconstructions of the paleogeography with temporal controls help to examine the depositional evolution in space and time. Paleogeographic reconstructions at parasequence scales allow for the documentation of the process-based lateral facies variations and the depositional evolution. The distinction between different wave-dominated facies associations is proposed based on this process-based facies analysis. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Well-cuttings data and wireline logs in conjunction with limited core and outcrop data are used to generate a regional, three dimensional high resolution sequence framework for Upper Mississippian (Chesterian), Big Lime carbonates, West Virginia, U.S.A.. The analysis was done using the washed coarse fraction (1-2 mm) of cuttings for each sample interval, which were separated into Dunham rock types, counted to determine relative abundance and the data presented as percent lithology plotted against depth for each well. Digitized wireline logs and the cuttings-percent logs were slipped to take into account drilling lag and lithologic columns produced from the combined data. Sequence stratigraphic cross sections through the basin and into the outcrop belt, with a resolution of 10 feet were then produced. Sequence stratigraphic time slices were generated as isopachs maps of the sequences, and of lowstand-transgressive, and highstand tracts with major facies shown. This data was then used to document the stratigraphic response of the foreland basin to tectonics and, with isotope data from the slope section, evaluates evidence for glacio-eustasy during the transition into ice-house times. The major mappable sequences are fourth-order sequences, a few meters to over 90 meters (300 feet) thick. They consist of updip red beds and eolianites, lagoonal muddy carbonates, ooid grainstone and skeletal grainstone-packstone shoal complexes, deeper ramp and slope wackestone-mudstone, and laminated argillaceous lime mudstone. Maximum flooding surfaces on the ramp slope occur at the base of deeper water facies that overlie lowstand- to transgressive siliciclastic or carbonate complexes, whereas on the ramp, maximum flooding surfaces cap near-shore shale or lime mudstone beneath widespread grainstones. The highstand systems tracts contain significant grainstone units, interlayered with extensive lagoonal lime mudstones. In spite of differential subsidence rates across the foreland, fourth-order eustatic sea level changes documented by isotopic signals in basinal facies, controlled regional sequence development. Thrust-load induced differential subsidence of fault-blocks of the foreland basement controlled the rapid basinward thickening of the depositional wedge while subtle structures such as arches at high angles as well as parallel to the margin, affected thicknesses and facies development. / Ph. D.