The Exhumed Tethyan Passive Margin Of Eastern Sardinia - An Analogue For The Atlantic Margin Upper Jurassic Play Fairways

Field seminar to Sardinia examining Upper Jurassic passive margin carbonates as analogues for West Africa Atlantic margin play fairways

Objectives

The aims of this field seminar are to:

  • examine the Upper Jurassic Carbonates of eastern Sardinia

  • compare outcrops to coeval platform carbonates on the West African Atlantic margin

  • examine sequence boundary related karst systems

  • examine high energy platform margin facies which are the main reservoir target

Who Should Attend

This seminar will be of interest to geologists and engineers involved in the exploration and development of Jurassic karsted reservoir systems.

Geological Setting

The eastern Sardinia Upper Jurassic carbonates developed along a perched passive margin with a crystalline horst at the at the inboard basin termination.  The outcrop comprise a series of seismic scale outcrops which show a series of seismic scale outcrops with a number of sea level driven episodes of platform progradation and backstepping.  The outcrops also illustrate:

  • the distribution of dolomitized bodies in the different areas of the passive margin

  • the effect of Tertiary strike-slip tectonism and its control on present day geomorphology

  • sequence boundary related karstification

  • downlap surfaces and progradation of shallow water carbonate deposystems

 A special emphasis is placed on high-energy platform margin facies such as:

  • Oxfordian - Kimmeridgian oolitic shoals and intercalated coral-stromatoporoid knolls

  • Tithonian microbial - coral - stromatoporoid bioherms

  • Tithonian - Berriasian skeletal shoals presented along extensive saw cut quarry faces

 The field trip will also present a series of syn-sedimentary tectonic features including

  • basin-scale out of sequence unconformities and related megabreccias

  • sedimentary dykes

  • a polyphase fracture network developed during early to shallow diagenesis of Tithonian skeletal shoal and microbial - dominated bioherms

Course Format

Long and moderately strenuous days in the field, with moderate to difficult hiking conditions. ‘Hands-on’ field discussions and informal evening sessions.

Course Details
  • Duration: requires 3 full days (dawn to dusk) but can be organised over 4 days on a more relaxed schedule

  • Proposed dates: to be arranged.  Best dates would be March to May or September to October.

  • Location:  The 3-day fieldtrip starts and finishes in olbia or Cagliari Airports, Sardinia

  • Cost: By quotation, includes field transportation, instruction, accommodation (double occupancy), food, boat trip along the Orosei Gulf and a comprehensive field manual.  Flights are not included.

  • Clothing: Participants should be equipped with stout walking boots.  Swimming suit to relax during breaks and in the evenings.

  • Insurance: Participants should ensure that their employers liability insurance cover (including medical insurance) is in order, particularly for personal accident and loss or damage of equipment, as Oolithica Geoscience Ltd cannot accept responsibility for claims arising from this or any other field seminar

  • Attendance Limit: 8 to 15 participants