... 1 Danubian Energy Consulting, Bucharest, Romania 2 Bucharest University, Faculty of Geology a... more ... 1 Danubian Energy Consulting, Bucharest, Romania 2 Bucharest University, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Romania Emails: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] ...
The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years... more The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years, but only after the great oil discovery of Tupi (2007), they did attract the attention of companies and academies. The pre-salt reservoir of the West Africa has being exploited since early seventies in the Congo Basin and recent discoveries are reported also in the Kwanza Basin rising expectations about a replica of the giant discoveries of Brazilian Santos Basin. The continental carbonate system includes a high variability of depositional environments from subaqueous to subaerial ones, corresponding to a large spectrum of sedimentary facies. These variability was tackled by studying recent and fossil analogues of lacustrine and subaerial deposits (travertine and tufa) in different settings. These studies pointed out the influence of abiotic and biological-induced carbonate precipitation in various climatic and geological contexts, and provided information on the controlling parameters ...
The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years... more The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years, but only after the great oil discovery of Tupi (2007), they did attract the attention of companies and academies. The pre-salt reservoir of the West Africa has being exploited since early seventies in the Congo Basin and recent discoveries are reported also in the Kwanza Basin rising expectations about a replica of the giant discoveries of Brazilian Santos Basin. The continental carbonate system includes a high variability of depositional environments from subaqueous to subaerial ones, corresponding to a large spectrum of sedimentary facies. These variability was tackled by studying recent and fossil analogues of lacustrine and subaerial deposits (travertine and tufa) in different settings. These studies pointed out the influence of abiotic and biological-induced carbonate precipitation in various climatic and geological contexts, and provided information on the controlling parameters ...
Hydrothermal dolomitization is one of the main diagenetic processes potentially affecting the pet... more Hydrothermal dolomitization is one of the main diagenetic processes potentially affecting the petrophysical characteristics of carbonate reservoir rocks. It's effect on Barremian lacustrine carbonates of Upper and Lower Toca Formations has been investigated through an integrated diagenetic study and simulated through a quantitative diagenetic modeling (RTM TOUGHREACT software), in order to understand the behavior of dolomitizating fluids in the carbonate reservoir rock. This approach is also useful in carbonate marine contexts. Among the analyzed core samples, the best reservoir facies are represented by coarse Mollusk Coquina limestone and hydrothermal dolomite, which is the subject of this study. Two types of dolomite have been recognized. A finely crystalline, likely early diagenetic dolomite, shows low reservoir properties, and a coarsely crystalline, likely late diagenetic zebra dolomite, with very good reservoir properties. Dolomitisation is associated with strong silica p...
ABSTRACT According to past publications, the deep-water Mesozoic successions that outcrop in the ... more ABSTRACT According to past publications, the deep-water Mesozoic successions that outcrop in the Sicilian chain area belong to different stratigraphic-structural domains: the Sicanian and Imerese thrust systems. These were investigated in the subsurface by means of many wells, most of which were drilled in the 1960s.
This paper focuses on the Upper Triassic Streppenosa Formation, penetrated by the Pachino 4 on-sh... more This paper focuses on the Upper Triassic Streppenosa Formation, penetrated by the Pachino 4 on-shore well, (Southern Sicily, Italy) in order to find stratigraphic age constrains and to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution of this basin within the Upper Triassic palaeogeographic scenario of the western Tethys. Pachino 4 is one of the wells drilled by Eni Exploration and Production in the south-eastern Hyblean plateau with the purpose to better define the time and space distribution of reservoirs and source rocks in an area characterized by considerable subsidence and strong tectonic activity, balanced by high sedimentation rate. The Streppenosa Formation depocenter consists of a thick sequence (N 2500 m) of organic rich shales, turbiditic limestones and marly limestones, grouped into three members (Lower, Middle and Upper). The well diversified microflora assemblages allow the dating of the upper part of the Lower Member and the Middle Member as Norian and the Upper Member as Rhaetian. The palynofacies variations across the Streppenosa Formation show significative changes in the relative abundances of the organic debris that, associated with the lithological and sedimentological features, allowed a reconstruction of the depositional facies successions and a hypothesis for the forcing mechanisms driving the black shale deposition. We considered that the deposition of the Streppenosa Formation occurred in an epeiric basin, under oxygendepleted bottom waters, with different depth that varied through time in response to the sedimentation rates, eustatic sea level changes, and basin subsidence. The integration of palynofacies and lithofacies data suggests a crucial role for river runoff, responsible for water stratification and for primary productivity increase in the water column. The process was triggered by warmer and wetter climate conditions as documented in many Upper Triassic successions of the western Tethys realm.
... and 7 from the Streppenosa TEIFEIATgI[ li01.|l II-t. ~ ~l~,teO m iO-0 .... ~ 7,~ In In ill Ch... more ... and 7 from the Streppenosa TEIFEIATgI[ li01.|l II-t. ~ ~l~,teO m iO-0 .... ~ 7,~ In In ill Chloroform exlrlcted kerogen I ' I In IlO ii lll 0 I0 __ I ! ! ,, . a', i, ACTIIATIOII lllnlEl Ilul/lelI ii I-! I Ill - "*' IAI' I ' ! , I , , i IIHI Ill III 611 TIIPInTIIII llel.ll nl .~ /0| ! I01, I . ~', . i, ;, ICTIIAIlII IIIIIIII llul/mll Fig. ...
In the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily), the late Triassic Noto formation is considered as the ... more In the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily), the late Triassic Noto formation is considered as the main oil source rock. We provide a detailed description of the sedimentary facies determined from core samples, and discuss geochemical results, obtained for both kerogens and chloroform extractable hydrocarbons from samples where sedimentary organic matter is immature.
The Noto and Streppenosa formations of the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily) are considered the ... more The Noto and Streppenosa formations of the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily) are considered the main source rocks for oil in this area. They display various styles of sedimentation in a generally carbonate context. The organic matter is basically of marine planktonic origin but with some variations, especially in terms of O/C ratio and kinetic behavior. Three main styles of sedimentation
We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and
buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water c... more We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water carbonate successions, forming some of the tectonic units mostly buried beneath the Late Neogene sedimentary cover in the fold and thrust belt of Central Sicily. Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara, Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, bio - stratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments. The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deepwater Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions; b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates. The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sica - nian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped carbonate platform margins.
We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water c... more We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water carbonate successions, forming some of the tectonic units mostly buried beneath the Late Neogene sedimentary cover in the fold and thrust belt of Central Sicily. Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara, Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, biostratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments. The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deep-water Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions; b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates. The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sicanian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped carbonate platform margins.
il capitolo comprende la parte storica, geologica e di laboratorio delle marne estratte nel terri... more il capitolo comprende la parte storica, geologica e di laboratorio delle marne estratte nel territorio di Ozzano Monferrato (AL). Edito da Operò nel 2011
Numerose sono le unità geologiche marnose presenti nel Monferrato Casalese. Quelle storicamente p... more Numerose sono le unità geologiche marnose presenti nel Monferrato Casalese. Quelle storicamente più importanti sono le "marne da cemento" eoceniche, appartenenti alla Formazione di Casale Monferrato e le più recenti "Marne da Cantoni" mioceniche del Gruppo Pietra da Cantoni.
... 1 Danubian Energy Consulting, Bucharest, Romania 2 Bucharest University, Faculty of Geology a... more ... 1 Danubian Energy Consulting, Bucharest, Romania 2 Bucharest University, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Romania Emails: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] ...
The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years... more The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years, but only after the great oil discovery of Tupi (2007), they did attract the attention of companies and academies. The pre-salt reservoir of the West Africa has being exploited since early seventies in the Congo Basin and recent discoveries are reported also in the Kwanza Basin rising expectations about a replica of the giant discoveries of Brazilian Santos Basin. The continental carbonate system includes a high variability of depositional environments from subaqueous to subaerial ones, corresponding to a large spectrum of sedimentary facies. These variability was tackled by studying recent and fossil analogues of lacustrine and subaerial deposits (travertine and tufa) in different settings. These studies pointed out the influence of abiotic and biological-induced carbonate precipitation in various climatic and geological contexts, and provided information on the controlling parameters ...
The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years... more The continental carbonates of Lower Cretaceous of the South Atlantic margins is known since years, but only after the great oil discovery of Tupi (2007), they did attract the attention of companies and academies. The pre-salt reservoir of the West Africa has being exploited since early seventies in the Congo Basin and recent discoveries are reported also in the Kwanza Basin rising expectations about a replica of the giant discoveries of Brazilian Santos Basin. The continental carbonate system includes a high variability of depositional environments from subaqueous to subaerial ones, corresponding to a large spectrum of sedimentary facies. These variability was tackled by studying recent and fossil analogues of lacustrine and subaerial deposits (travertine and tufa) in different settings. These studies pointed out the influence of abiotic and biological-induced carbonate precipitation in various climatic and geological contexts, and provided information on the controlling parameters ...
Hydrothermal dolomitization is one of the main diagenetic processes potentially affecting the pet... more Hydrothermal dolomitization is one of the main diagenetic processes potentially affecting the petrophysical characteristics of carbonate reservoir rocks. It's effect on Barremian lacustrine carbonates of Upper and Lower Toca Formations has been investigated through an integrated diagenetic study and simulated through a quantitative diagenetic modeling (RTM TOUGHREACT software), in order to understand the behavior of dolomitizating fluids in the carbonate reservoir rock. This approach is also useful in carbonate marine contexts. Among the analyzed core samples, the best reservoir facies are represented by coarse Mollusk Coquina limestone and hydrothermal dolomite, which is the subject of this study. Two types of dolomite have been recognized. A finely crystalline, likely early diagenetic dolomite, shows low reservoir properties, and a coarsely crystalline, likely late diagenetic zebra dolomite, with very good reservoir properties. Dolomitisation is associated with strong silica p...
ABSTRACT According to past publications, the deep-water Mesozoic successions that outcrop in the ... more ABSTRACT According to past publications, the deep-water Mesozoic successions that outcrop in the Sicilian chain area belong to different stratigraphic-structural domains: the Sicanian and Imerese thrust systems. These were investigated in the subsurface by means of many wells, most of which were drilled in the 1960s.
This paper focuses on the Upper Triassic Streppenosa Formation, penetrated by the Pachino 4 on-sh... more This paper focuses on the Upper Triassic Streppenosa Formation, penetrated by the Pachino 4 on-shore well, (Southern Sicily, Italy) in order to find stratigraphic age constrains and to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution of this basin within the Upper Triassic palaeogeographic scenario of the western Tethys. Pachino 4 is one of the wells drilled by Eni Exploration and Production in the south-eastern Hyblean plateau with the purpose to better define the time and space distribution of reservoirs and source rocks in an area characterized by considerable subsidence and strong tectonic activity, balanced by high sedimentation rate. The Streppenosa Formation depocenter consists of a thick sequence (N 2500 m) of organic rich shales, turbiditic limestones and marly limestones, grouped into three members (Lower, Middle and Upper). The well diversified microflora assemblages allow the dating of the upper part of the Lower Member and the Middle Member as Norian and the Upper Member as Rhaetian. The palynofacies variations across the Streppenosa Formation show significative changes in the relative abundances of the organic debris that, associated with the lithological and sedimentological features, allowed a reconstruction of the depositional facies successions and a hypothesis for the forcing mechanisms driving the black shale deposition. We considered that the deposition of the Streppenosa Formation occurred in an epeiric basin, under oxygendepleted bottom waters, with different depth that varied through time in response to the sedimentation rates, eustatic sea level changes, and basin subsidence. The integration of palynofacies and lithofacies data suggests a crucial role for river runoff, responsible for water stratification and for primary productivity increase in the water column. The process was triggered by warmer and wetter climate conditions as documented in many Upper Triassic successions of the western Tethys realm.
... and 7 from the Streppenosa TEIFEIATgI[ li01.|l II-t. ~ ~l~,teO m iO-0 .... ~ 7,~ In In ill Ch... more ... and 7 from the Streppenosa TEIFEIATgI[ li01.|l II-t. ~ ~l~,teO m iO-0 .... ~ 7,~ In In ill Chloroform exlrlcted kerogen I ' I In IlO ii lll 0 I0 __ I ! ! ,, . a', i, ACTIIATIOII lllnlEl Ilul/lelI ii I-! I Ill - "*' IAI' I ' ! , I , , i IIHI Ill III 611 TIIPInTIIII llel.ll nl .~ /0| ! I01, I . ~', . i, ;, ICTIIAIlII IIIIIIII llul/mll Fig. ...
In the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily), the late Triassic Noto formation is considered as the ... more In the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily), the late Triassic Noto formation is considered as the main oil source rock. We provide a detailed description of the sedimentary facies determined from core samples, and discuss geochemical results, obtained for both kerogens and chloroform extractable hydrocarbons from samples where sedimentary organic matter is immature.
The Noto and Streppenosa formations of the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily) are considered the ... more The Noto and Streppenosa formations of the Ragusa basin (southeastern Sicily) are considered the main source rocks for oil in this area. They display various styles of sedimentation in a generally carbonate context. The organic matter is basically of marine planktonic origin but with some variations, especially in terms of O/C ratio and kinetic behavior. Three main styles of sedimentation
We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and
buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water c... more We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water carbonate successions, forming some of the tectonic units mostly buried beneath the Late Neogene sedimentary cover in the fold and thrust belt of Central Sicily. Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara, Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, bio - stratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments. The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deepwater Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions; b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates. The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sica - nian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped carbonate platform margins.
We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water c... more We present an integrated stratigraphy of the outcropping and buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water carbonate successions, forming some of the tectonic units mostly buried beneath the Late Neogene sedimentary cover in the fold and thrust belt of Central Sicily. Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara, Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, biostratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments. The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deep-water Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions; b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates. The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sicanian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped carbonate platform margins.
il capitolo comprende la parte storica, geologica e di laboratorio delle marne estratte nel terri... more il capitolo comprende la parte storica, geologica e di laboratorio delle marne estratte nel territorio di Ozzano Monferrato (AL). Edito da Operò nel 2011
Numerose sono le unità geologiche marnose presenti nel Monferrato Casalese. Quelle storicamente p... more Numerose sono le unità geologiche marnose presenti nel Monferrato Casalese. Quelle storicamente più importanti sono le "marne da cemento" eoceniche, appartenenti alla Formazione di Casale Monferrato e le più recenti "Marne da Cantoni" mioceniche del Gruppo Pietra da Cantoni.
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Papers by Alfredo Frixa
buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water carbonate successions, forming
some of the tectonic units mostly buried beneath the Late Neogene
sedimentary cover in the fold and thrust belt of Central Sicily.
Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara,
Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis
of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, bio -
stratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison
between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments.
The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deepwater
Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to
Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and
carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the
Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well
comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of
the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions;
b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared
among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary
successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland
basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from
the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates.
The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the
Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered
by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic
to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern
Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different
deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different
sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sica -
nian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped
carbonate platform margins.
Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara, Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, biostratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments.
The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deep-water Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions; b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates.
The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sicanian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped carbonate platform margins.
buried Permian-Cenozoic deep-water carbonate successions, forming
some of the tectonic units mostly buried beneath the Late Neogene
sedimentary cover in the fold and thrust belt of Central Sicily.
Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara,
Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis
of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, bio -
stratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison
between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments.
The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deepwater
Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to
Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and
carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the
Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well
comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of
the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions;
b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared
among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary
successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland
basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from
the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates.
The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the
Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered
by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic
to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern
Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different
deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different
sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sica -
nian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped
carbonate platform margins.
Three main successions, pertaining to the well known Lercara, Imerese and Sicanian domains, have been reconstructed on the basis of a detailed facies analysis, seismostratigraphic interpretation, biostratigraphy (mostly based on palynological data) and comparison between outcropping and subsurface deep-water sediments.
The main results reveal a continuous sedimentation of the deep-water Southern Tethyan Sicilian succession since the Permian to Cenozoic. In detail: a) the Permian-Middle Triassic terrigenous and carbonate deep-water successions, outcropping or buried in the Cerda, Lercara-Roccapalumba and Sosio Valley regions, are well comparable to each other and represent the common substrate of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Imerese and Sicanian carbonate successions; b) the Mesozoic-Paleogene deep-water carbonates, when compared among them, reveal the occurrence of different sedimentary successions (Imerese and Sicanian); c) the Oligo-Miocene foreland basin terrigenous sediments (Numidian flysch) clearly differ from the coeval foreland pelagic to open-shelf carbonates.
The paleogeographic reconstruction envisages: a) during the Permian-Triassic, a wide subsident continental rifting area, bordered by a shallow-water domain periodically supplying the basin with calciturbiditic to gravity flows sedimentation (rift stage of the Southern Tethyan margin); b) during the Jurassic-Paleogene, two different deep-water basins developed in a context of a post-rift stage. The different sedimentation reflects the location of the Imerese and Sicanian basins, respectively, along adjacent rimmed shelf and stepped carbonate platform margins.