Pressure prediction in the Bullwinkle Basin through petrophysics and flow modeling (Green Canyon 65, Gulf of Mexico)

Reservoir pressures within the Bullwinkle minibasin (Green Canyon 65, Gulf of Mexico continental slope) increase at a hydrostatic gradient whereas pressures predicted from porosity within mudstones bounding these reservoirs increase at a lithostatic gradient: they are equal at a depth 1/3 of the way down from the crest of the structure. Two- and three-dimensional steady-state flow models demonstrate that bowl-shaped structures will have lower pressures than equivalent two-dimensional structures and that if a low permeability salt layer underlies the basin, the pressure is reduced. We conclude that at Bullwinkle, pressure is reduced due to an underlying salt body and the bowl-shape of the basin. A geometric approach to predict sandstone pressure is to assume that the reservoir pressure equals the area-weighted average of the mudstone pressure. When the mudstone pressure gradient is constant, as at Bullwinkle, the reservoir pressure equals the mudstone pressure at the average depth (centroid) of the reservoir.     

Diet shifts of Caribbean grunts (Haemulidae) and snappers (Lutjanidae) and the relation with nursery-to-coral reef migrations

The spatial size distribution of grunts and snappers have previously indicated the separation of juveniles in nursery habitats from the adults on the coral reef. This implies life cycle migrations from nursery habitats (such as seagrass beds and mangroves) to the coral reef. If diet shifts are related to such migrations, then the diets of these fish must change before or around the fish size at which such migrations take place. A wide size range of juveniles of two grunt species (Haemulon sciurus and Haemulon flavolineatum) and of two snapper species (Lutjanus apodus and Ocyurus chrysurus) were caught in seagrass beds and mangroves, and their gut contents identified and quantified. Regression analysis between fish size and dietary importance of small crustaceans showed a negative relationship in all four species. Positive relations were found for H. sciurus, L. apodus and O. chrysurus between fish length and the dietary importance of decapods, and for L. apodusand O. chrysurus between fish length and prey fish importance. Critical changes in the fish diets with fish size were examined by application of a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). The CCA yielded three clusters of size-classes of fishes with similar diets, and application of a Mantel test showed that each of these clusters had significantly different diets, and that each cluster diet was significantly specialised. The size at which a fish species ‘switched’ from one cluster to another was compared with size-at-maturity data and with the typical size at which these species migrate from the nursery habitats to the coral reef. H. sciurus and H. flavolineatum may be prompted to migrate from the nursery habitats to coral reef habitats because of dietary changes, or because of the development of the gonads. For L. apodus and O. chrysurus, a dietary changeover forms a more likely explanation for nursery-to-reef migrations than does sexual maturation because these species reach maturity at sizes much larger than the maximum size of individuals found in nursery habitats. Although other factors may theoretically initiate or promote the migration patterns, the results of this study indicate that ontogenetic dietary changes may crucially influence the nursery-to-coral reef migrations of these reef fish species.     

黄河口及渤海中南部沉积物工程特性及其机理

采用Ｋａｓｔｅｎ取样器从黄河口及渤海湾中南部海底沉积物中取样，对样品通过土工性质、微结构研究以及粘土矿物分析，阐明本研究区三维空间展布的海底沉积物形成机理及其工程地质规律，论证水动力作用和斜坡不稳定性对工程特性和微结构的重要影响．     

High-resolution acoustic mapping of shallow gas in unconsolidated sediments beneath the strait of Georgia,British Columbia

Gassy sediments are detectable acoustically in subbottom profiles of Canada's Fraser Delta slope and prodelta areas. Interstitial gas is typically represented by zones of acoustic turbidity on high-resolution seismic profiles and by gas brightening on air-gun profiles. The top of the acoustically turbid zone is generally highest within the sediment column closest to the river mouths and lies within 10 ms (two-way travel time) of the sea floor in a nearly continuous area that covers over 530 km². Most of the gas is believed to be biogenic in origin, although thermogenic gas derived from underlying Tertiary sedimentary rocks may be present in places.     

Short period internal waves over the Huanghe (Yellow River) delta front

Internal waves with periods of about 5 minutes and trough to crest heights of up to 6.2 m were observed acoustically over the actively accreting delta front of the Huanghe (Yellow River) in the western portion of the Gulf of Bohai, Peoples Republic of China. The radian frequency of the internal waves was close to the locally-observed Brunt-Vaisala frequency. Through the relatively short (one hour) duration of an internal wave train, the amplitude was observed to decrease progressively with time. These internal waves may cause resuspension of delta-front sediments.     

Palaeo-carbonate seep structures above an oil reservoir, Gryphon Field, Tertiary, North Sea

Petrographic and geochemical analyses performed on a North Sea core from the Gryphon Field reveal the presence of palaeo-degassing features surrounded by injected sandstones in the Eocene interval. The injected sandstones are oil-stained and poorly cemented by carbonate and quartz. ¹⁸O isotope analyses indicate that carbonate cementation occurred during shallow burial (likely less than about 300 m). Depleted ¹³C (around –30 V-PDB) carbonate cement suggests that bicarbonate was derived from the microbial oxidation of oil and gas. Late quartz overgrowths enclose oil present in the injected units. The tubular degassing conduits are composed of zoned cements and have ¹⁸O and ¹³C isotope values similar to the injected sandstones, indicating that oil and gas seepage induced the precipitation of authigenic carbonate in the shallow subsurface. Oil inclusions in inter- and intra-crystal cement sites in both injected sandstones and degassing conduits indicate that oil seepage was an ongoing feature at shallow burial. A proposed model involves oil and gas seepage and the formation of the degassing conduits, followed by a sand injection phase. It seems likely that oil and gas continued to leak towards the seabed by exploiting the network of permeable injected sandstones and the horizons of porous degassing features.