--> ABSTRACT: Interfingering Sand-Rich Aprons and Var Fan Lobe Deposits off Corsica: Analog for Thick and Laterally Extensive Turbidite Petroleum Reservoirs, by C. H. Nelson, B. Savoye, J. P. Rehault, and C. Escutia; #91019 (1996)

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Interfingering Sand-Rich Aprons and Var Fan Lobe Deposits off Corsica: Analog for Thick and Laterally Extensive Turbidite Petroleum Reservoirs

C. H. Nelson, B. Savoye, J. P. Rehault, and C. Escutia

The sand-rich Var submarine fan initiates off Nice, France, extends 230 km to the southeast, and then deposits a distal lobe (80 × 40 km) that parallels the northwestern base of the Corsican continental slope. Interfingering with the lobe deposits are base-of-slope, sand-rich aprons derived from Corsica. Both the fan lobe and aprons onlap the outcropping steep (6-11°) slopes of Corsica. The fan lobe is characterized by generally flat-bedded layers with the total percentage of sand beds in cores ranging from 60-94% of the Holocene deposits. The aprons are characterized by feeder canyons exhibiting common sediment failures and proximal regions with numerous chaotic layers. With increasing distance from the apron apexes, high amplitude wedging reflectors grade late ally to flatter ones, reflector continuity increases, chaotic layers thin, and some incipient channels form. Chaotic layers are the dominant deposit shown on seismic profiles of the aprons. The layers extend as much as 15 km laterally onto the fan lobe and maximum thicknesses of single layers reach 35-70 m. The prolonged echo character with poor penetration, together with irregular surfaces and possible large blocks seen in sidescan sonar records, suggest that apron deposits are coarse grained. Gravel is found in apron layers extend 21 km onto the fan lobe and the total percentage of sand beds in cores ranges from 37-79% of the Holocene deposits. Because the estimated sand : shale ratio averages 8.6 : 1 in the Holocene highstand deposits of the interfingering Corsican aprons and Var Fan obe, this combined environment is an intriguing setting that could provide large continuous reservoirs if it occurred in a suitable ancient petroleum province.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #91019©1996 AAPG Convention and Exhibition 19-22 May 1996, San Diego, California