Plutonic Salt Genesis and Its Role in Hydrocarbon Generation and Distribution

BROOKBY, H. E., Summit Exploration, Houston, TX

A possibly significant geologic process may exist which creates a systematic genetic association between (1) global plate tectonics, (2) global salt distribution, and (3) the existence of major hydrocarbon-bearing basins. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico region serves as a primary example of this predominantly empirical association, and a general hypothesis is presented which defines a dynamic genetic linkage between these three phenomenon. This hypothesis offers a systematic solution to many questions that remain unanswered and unrelated by conventional theory.