--> Abstract: Modeling of Thermal History and Hydrocarbon Generation in Pre-Caucasus Molasse Basins, by A. V. Ershov and M.-F. Brunet; #90942 (1997).

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Abstract: Modeling of Thermal History and Hydrocarbon Generation in Pre-Caucasus Molasse Basins


ERSHOV A.V., M.-F. BRUNET

The evolution of the Fore-Caucasus molasse basins (Indol-Cuban and Terek-Caspian) was controlled by the collisional history of the Great Caucasus orogen. On the base of seismic sections crossed main structural units of basins and crustal sections through the basins and Caucasus orogen it was backstripped 2D burial history of basins and kinematically restored evolution of lithosphere underlying basins and orogen areas.

The geometry of the molasse basin is defined by the flexural properties of the lithosphere, intraplate stresses and loading of the mountains and sediments. It has a characteristic shape with deepening to the orogen and flexural bulge on the lithosphere half-wave distance. The knowledge of the basin geometry allows estimate of orogen loading force. Knowledge of the basin shape through the time allows us to obtain loading history through the time.

The kinematical restorations and forward dynamical modeling give the framework and boundary conditions for thermal modeling. Heat transfer in lithospere and sediments was modeled by means of numerical solution of the nonstationary heat transfer equation in nonhomogeneous moving media (with finite volume discretization). Agreement of modeled and backstripped subsidence, observed and modeled vitrinite reflectance was used to validate rightness of thermal model. Chemical-kinetical vitrinite models were added into model to estimate time dynamics of hydrocarbon generation.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90942©1997 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria