The Late Cretaceous Uplift History of the South Atlantic Continental Margins: Example from the Santos and Campos Basins of Southeast Brazil

Mohamed C. Raddadi, Ruth J. Hoult, and Paul J. Markwick
GETECH, Leeds, United Kingdom

Evidence of Late Cretaceous uplift on the West African and South American conjugate continental margins of the South Atlantic has previously been reported in the public domain. However recent examination of the literature of both margins, in a regional context, demonstrates that this period of uplift is far more pervasive than had previously been suspected. This enhanced understanding of Late Cretaceous uplift history has allowed better constraint of the distribution of Upper Cretaceous reservoirs along both margins. This poster focuses on an example from southeastern Brazil. The complex fill of the Santos and Campos Basins is strongly influenced by Late Cretaceous uplift of the Serra do Mar coastal mountain range, which started in the Early Coniacian. This led to river capture and reorganization of the main source of clastic influx, the Paraiba do Sul drainage system, diverting it northeastward, parallel to the coast. During the Late Cretaceous the central and northern Santos Basin was characterized by massive shelf progradation and deep water turbidite sedimentation. At the same time, the southern part of the Santos Basin was starved of clastic influx. Another phase of uplift of the Serra do Mar mountain range occurred in the Oligocene and the Paraiba do Sul drainage system was diverted into the Campos Basin, depositing a thick sequence of Neogene sandstones. These now represent the main reservoirs in the basin and contain the bulk of Brazil’s petroleum reserves.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas