Abstract: The Gulf of Mexico Structural and Stratigraphic Structural Synthesis Project: Introduction and Overview

Joel S. Watkins, William R. Bryant, Richard T. Buffler

The Gulf of Mexico Structural and Stratigraphic Synthesis Project (GMS³) was organized in the fall of 1987. Its main objective was the map, by means of student research projects, the northern Gulf of Mexico. Included objectives were (1) provide realistic research for graduate students in geology and geophysics, (2) to produce high-quality results suitable for publication and (3) to produce a product of value to the petroleum industry. To date, 25 oil exploration companies have contributed to the financial support of the project, 6 seismic contractors have provided approximately 130,000 line km of seismic data, and other industry service companies have provided data base support, interactive interpretation support and other support too numerous to mention. The p oject data base currently includes logs from over 700 wells and paleo from a similar number of wells. These data were obtained from the public domain and through contributions from numerous oil companies. Students mapped 5 Plio-Pleistocene and 4 Miocene horizons throughout the northern Gulf. They also mapped a number of Mesozoic horizons in the MAFLA and Mississippi Delta regions, and Oligocene horizons in South Texas.

Over 25 students and 4 post-doctoral research associates have participated in the project to date. Most of the students completed either M.S. theses or Ph.D. dissertations. Papers read in this session and materials published in the Transactions represent only a small fraction of their output. Having completed the basic mapping of the Gulf, project faculty, post-doctoral associates and students are now focusing their attention on reservoir problems in the Gulf of Mexico.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90950©1996 AAPG GCAGS 46th Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas