Tethyan Megasequences, Isolated Carbonate Platforms and Petroleum Systems Chart: First Order Correlation Tool for the Mediterranean

Isolated carbonate platforms (ICPs) are spectacular features of Mediterranean geology and have long been known to host important hydrocarbon reserves, for example in the Southern Apennines of Italy. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in the resource potential of Mediterranean isolated carbonate platforms following recent world class exploration successes in this play in the Eastern Mediterranean. The scarcity of subsurface case histories in the Mediterranean Region lets open a series of questions on the characteristics of Mediterranean ICPs and their relationships with the elements of the associated petroleum systems.

In order to provide a better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential of this interesting carbonate target, we have developed a regional sequence stratigraphic framework based on a proprietary database, which includes a large amount of public and original data on the carbonate systems of the Mediterranean and on the related petroleum systems. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic Tethyan Megasequences and Petroleum Systems Chart represents the first megasequence stratigraphic framework that attempts to unify Alpine Tethys and Neotethys with North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean, and it provides an exploration and first-order correlation tool for the spatial and temporal distribution of ICPs, and associated petroleum systems across the entire Mediterranean.