Patterns of rapid and extremely rapid (avalanche) sedimentation: implications for marine oil and gas generation

Abstract

According to recent data from seas and oceans, marine sediments have extremely uneven thicknesses varying from tens of meters to 15–20 km. Sedimentary material is localized mainly at three global levels: river–sea boundary (zero level, continental base of erosion), continental rise (3–5 km), and trenches (6–11 km). As a result of extremely rapid (“avalanche”) deposition in trenches, large amounts of organic matter accumulate in bottom sediments, thus providing their high petroleum reservoir potential. Sediments in areas of rapid sedimentation have a particular rheology, which causes them to move downslope hundreds of kilometers on the sea floor. Continental rise is a global area where gravitites accelerate, with their potential energy due to a depth difference of 3 to 5 km. Global-scale drift of sedimentary masses driven by eustatic sea level change produces very large deposition zones rich in oil and gas at the continental rise (global piedmont), i.e., at the second level. Predicted oil and gas fields of this kind have been discovered recently at sea depths over 3.5 km, which lie in stock for future development through the 21st century.