Southern Gulf of Mexico Wilcox source to sink: Investigating and predicting Paleogene Wilcox reservoirs in eastern Mexico deep-water areas

摘要

Source-to-sink analyses show that northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Wilcox Group siliciclastic deep-water systems are linked to transport of sediments from the Laramide tectonic belt into the deep basin. Less is known, however, about southern GOM sedimentation. New drilling and discoveries in the Mexican deep water have generated considerable interest since the opening of Mexico to international exploration. To investigate Paleogene deposition in Mexico's offshore areas, a three-phased approach was employed: (1) seismic mapping of deep-water depocenters, (2) regional stratigraphic analysis of potential basin entry points, and (3) prediction of submarine-fan dimensions using empirical scaling relationships. Isochore and structural mapping of the Wilcox depocenters used available well and seismic data. Potential basin entry points were identified by evaluation of Wilcox fluvial-deltaic systems and tectonic elements. Empirical scaling relationships previously established between fluvial and deepwater segments provide first-order predictions of submarine-fan dimensions.