An investigation of Messinian uncoformity and Pliocene Palaliobathymetric evolution in the southern part of NC-41 Concesstion of Tripoli-Sabrata basin offshore Libya

Abstract EN

The aim of this study is to investigate the Messinian Unconformity and the Pliocene paleobathymetry of the southern of the NC-41 Concession of Tripoli- Sabrata Basin Offshore Libya ,(figure 1).

Data used are mainly electric logs, stratigrtiaphic reports, and ditch samples of seven wells that have located in the study area.

A detailed lithological and biostratigraphic studies of seven wells R1, L1, F1, N1, G1, P1, and K1 located in the study area were done.

The study of these data yield to investigate the Messinian- Pliocene boundary which has different width where the earliest Pliocene marine invasion covered Messinian substratum quit heterogeneous.

The earliest Pliocene marine successions in the study area were found a topographic surface quite heterogeneous.

This resulted to the contact between Messinian and Pliocene is unconformable and increased to ward the west even reach its maximum in the k1 well is about (3.2 m.a).

Also this study led to identify the paleobathymetry of waer that was dominant in that time where in the Late Miocene (Messinian stage), restricted conditions was dominant all over the study area ( during Ammonia beccari zone), then water transgression took place started from eastern side of the study area where minimum hiatus was recoded ( Globorotalia margarita zone),therefore, that area characterized by deep marine (epibathyl), R1 well area at the same time the rest of the study area was shallow marine conditions was dominated except at K1 and P1 areas restricted conditions were recorded.